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Some Cities Unaffected by Recession

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:24:57 GMT

	Some U.S. cities with stable housing and diversified employment have been virtually untouched by the Great Recession. Analysts say cities that are most likely to leave the recession in the same or better condition than they started it are those where home prices didn’t fluctuate wildly, which spared them the devastating effects of foreclosure, lost jobs, and lost productivity. I...
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Big Rebound in Existing-Home Sales

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:30:52 GMT

	Existing-home sales bounced back strongly in September with first-time buyers driving much of the activity, marking five gains in the past six months, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Existing-home sales—including single-family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops—jumped 9.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 mi...
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Seller Optimism Causing Price Climb

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:13:28 GMT

	Despite the recent market decline, Americans are still willing to borrow a large amount of money to buy a home because they are convinced that housing values will rise, writes Robert J. Shiller in his monthly New York Times column. Shiller, professor of economics and finance at Yale University and cofounder and chief economist of...
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Buyers Must Hurry to Meet Credit Deadline

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:11:25 GMT

There’s still time for a first-time home buyer to complete a transaction before the tax credit expires Nov. 30, says Diann Patton, consumer spokeswoman for Coldwell Banker Real Estate.

But home buyers who have to apply for a mortgage should make sure they have all the necessary paperwork in hand. Patton advises that they’ll need to have tax returns, income verification and bank statements, as ...

	Sales of existing homes will rise 11 percent in 2010, and sales of new homes will climb 21 percent over this year, Mortgage Bankers Association Chief Economist Jay Brinkmann predicted in a speech Tuesday at the organization’s annual meeting. "We still see a concentration in the lower end of the market," Brinkmann said. "The entry level homes are in demand."
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	Congress Debating the Tax Credit Congress is considering expanding and extending the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, which expires Nov. 30. More than 1.8 million home buyers will have used the credit by the end of November, including an estimated 355,000 who wouldn’t have bought a home without it, according to the National Association of REALTORS® and ...
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	Economic forecasters predict that 2010 will be the first year since 2005 for housing to contribute to the growth of the U.S. economy, according to a survey released by the National Association for Business Economics. Home prices are expected to rise 2 percent next year, but forecasters don’t believe the increase in prices will discourage homebuyers.
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	Help clients understand what to expect during the appraisal process by sharing information on how appraisers reach their property value estimates. By Barbara Ballinger \| April 2009 Here are some of the factors that appraisers Joni L. Herndon of Real Property Ana...
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	Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke made a case to Congress on Thursday that the Fed needed additional powers to oversee banks, insurance companies, hedge funds, and others. He also admitted that the Fed hasn’t done a good job protecting consumers but said improvements are being made. "We are competent and have the skills ... I think we can do that," he said.
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	The Commerce Department reports a 0.8 percent increase in construction spending in August following a revised decline of 1.1 percent the prior month. While nonresidential project spending slipped 0.1 percent to an annual rate of $372.6 billion, outlays for private residential building climbed 4.7 percent -- the biggest gain in almost 16 years -- to an annual rate of $249.5 billion.
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	Buyers who are under contract and hoping to close before Nov. 30 when the first-time home buyer credit expires should refrain from buying furniture and other things on credit. Lenders are running credit checks prior to closing day and any increase in credit card or other debt can jeopardize the loan, says Lew Reich, an associate with Keller Williams Realty in Plano, Texas.
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	U.S. home prices rose 0.3 percent in July compared to June, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said Tuesday. The index is 4.2 percent below what it was in 2008 and 10.5 percent off its peak in April 2007. The index excludes most expensive homes from its calculations, so prices appear to have declined less than they have by other measures.
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	Mortgage rates declined last week, triggering a dramatic jump in mortgage applications. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its weekly index of mortgage application volume rose 17 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis compared to the previous week. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 15.8 percent and was up a whopping 64.5 percent compared to the same week a year ago.
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	The best cities to earn a living are those that have plenty of companies doing business in high-paying, growth industries. Combine that with a high-quality business environment, job growth, and a low cost of living and you get a select-few locations where the pay check is generous and the cost of necessities like food and housing is modest. Here are the top 10 cities where Forbes magaz...
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	Home sales rose over the last couple of months--and so did visits to real estate Web sites. Nielsen Online reports that traffic to real estate Web sites rose 11 percent from 20.7 million visitors in June to 23.1 million in July. Year-over-year growth from July 2008 to July 2009 was 18 percent. The most likely visitors were people living in two-person households. This demographic was 5...
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	More people are becoming landlords in an economy where selling a home can be challenging. The nation’s second-largest home insurer, Allstate Corp., says the number of homeowners converting their homeowners insurance to landlord policies rose 27 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Jim Bass of Jim Bass Real Estate Group in Frederick, Md., says he has begun offering property-manag...
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	This year, home prices fell in the nation’s most exclusive neighborhoods. In Alpine, N.J., which tops Forbes’ magazine’s list of America’s 500 Most Expensive ZIP Codes, home prices declined 23 percent in the last year. Overall, asking prices in the ZIP codes on Forbes’ list dropped an average of 7 percent. Prices are only rising in a few areas. For instan...
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	Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke said on Friday that he was optimistic the economy is about to take off. Bernanke acknowledged that credit is still tight, especially for businesses, but he told an audience of bankers, academics, and economists that the worst is over. "Although we have avoided the worst, difficult challenges still lie ahead," Bernanke said. "We must wo...
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	Contract activity for pending home sales has risen for six straight months, a pattern not seen in the history of the index since it began in 2001, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Hom...
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	No U.S. cities have been untouched by the economic downturn, but some job markets have been better able to weather the storm. U.S. News & World Report examined a variety of data to identify cities where it’s easier to find a job than in many other places. The underlying strengths of the top cities vary considerably. Some of the stronger cities are state capitals and have lot...
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	These days photographs that accompany online listings are a primary part of advertising. Poor quality photos that don’t flatter the property or fail to show most of it discourage potential buyers from taking a look. Hiring a top-notch photographer can cost as much as $1,000, but a good amateur working slowly and thoughtfully can probably manage to do the job effectively. Here are...
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	Housing is remarkably affordable these days. A family earning the nation’s median income of $64,000 a year could afford to buy 72.3 percent of all homes sold in the United States during the second quarter of 2009, according to the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo. Sellers are the ones who are paying the price. More than 30 percent of all homes sold during the...
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	Here’s more evidence that housing is turning around. Forbes magazine identified 161 of the country’s largest metro areas where sales activity has increased compared to 2008, and where foreclosure sales as a percentage of total sales, are low. The magazine considers these mark...
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	The Federal Reserve ended its policy-making meeting Wednesday with the declaration that the recession is ending and it would move toward more normal policies. The Fed said, “Economic activity is leveling out.” It added that it expected inflation would remain “subdued for some time.” The Fed said it will keep the short-term key interest rate near zero, but it wil...
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	Existing-home sales in the second quarter showed healthy gains from the first quarter in the vast majority of states, and price declines have increased affordability in most metro areas, according to the latest survey by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.
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	First-time homebuyers are forcing home builders to think frugal by penny-pinching on upgrades. Nearly 50 percent of new homes sold in the first six months of 2009 cost less than $200,000, the largest share for the first six months of a year in five years. The average size of new homes fell to 2,065 square feet, the smallest since 2000. “The high end isn’t moving, so builder...
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	Buyers of foreclosure have to be quick these days. Some houses go under contract fewer than 90 minutes after they are put on the market, says Brad Geisen, founder of Foreclosure.com. "For every listing that comes out, we have 10 buyers," says Cesar Dias, an associate with Approved Real Estate Group in Stockton, Calif. Dias had 15 minutes of fame after introducing foreclosure ...
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	Pending home sales are up for the fifth consecutive month, the first time in six years for such a streak, according to NAR. The Pending Home Sales Index,...
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Blog

Some Cities Unaffected by Recession

Big Rebound in Existing-Home Sales

Seller Optimism Causing Price Climb

Buyers Must Hurry to Meet Credit Deadline

Prediction: Homes Sales to Rise 11 Percent

Congress Debating the Tax Credit

Economists Predict Housing Recovery

The Yard Doctor is Ready to Triage Your Lawn With These 6 Tips for Fall

September 4, 2009 by Erica Christoffer · 10 Comments Filed under: Continue Reading...

Appraiser Checklist

Fed Seeks More Financial System Oversight

Housing Construction Rises in August

Which Cities Will See Biggest Rebound?

Private Investors Dominate Foreclosure Market

Credit Reports Under Extra Scrutiny

Analysis: Tax Credit Adds 357,000 Buyers

Federal Index Shows Home Prices Rising

Unemployed Home Owners May Get Assistance

IHCDA Down Payment Assistance Has Been Increased Up To $7500

Indiana Housing Community Development Authority is excited to announce that effective Friday, September, 25th Our Single Family Program will be enhanced as follows:

· Down Payment Assistance (DPA) will be increased from our current 5% with a maximum of $5,000.00 to 6% not to exceed a maximum of $7,500.00. Any loans reserved 9/25/09 and after will be eligible for the new amount.

·&...

IHCDA Down Payment Assistance Has Been Increased Up To $7500

Indiana Housing Community Development Authority is excited to announce that effective Friday, September, 25th Our Single Family Program will be enhanced as follows:

· Down Payment Assistance (DPA) will be increased from our current 5% with a maximum of $5,000.00 to 6% not to exceed a maximum of $7,500.00. Any loans reserved 9/25/09 and after will be eligible for the new amount.

·&...

Mortgage Applications Rise as Rates Fall

10 Housing Markets Likely to Rebound Soon

Home Buyer Tax Credit Countdown Begins

Top 10 Cities to Earn a Living

Traffic to Real Estate Web Sites Increase

Pending Home Sales on a Record Roll

More Sellers Turn to Rentals

Priciest ZIP Codes Down, Not Out

Better Lives, One Home at a Time

Big Banks Get Bigger During Recession

Buying Your First Home

Before You Start:

Fed Chair Says the Worst Is Over

10 Best Cities to Find a New Job

Good Pictures Can Make a Sale

Now Is the Time to Buy in Real Estate

Average Buyers Can Afford Most Homes

Buyers Rush to Beat The $8,000 Tax Credit Deadline

10 Cities Leading the Market Recovery

Fed: Recession Ending, Rates Left Alone

Second Quarter Existing-Home Sales Rise

Basic Features Appeal to First-Time Buyers

Foreclosure Bargains Are Disappearing

Pending Home Sales Continue to Climb

6 Reasons Why Some Homes Sell

Buyers Shouldn't Wait on Falling Prices

Easy Ways to Improve Curb Appeal

Virtual Staging: Brilliant but Maybe Dangerous?

New Home Sales Rise

Economists Optimistic That Market Is Upward Bound

10 Most Undervalued U.S. Cities

Failed Projects Turned Into Affordable Housing

Short Sales: 7 Legal Pitfalls

No Explanation Needed For Cancellation

Housing Experts: Now Is a Perfect Time to Buy

June new home sales rise 11 percent

KB Homes Tries Tiny Homes to Attract Buyers

Hendricks County, Indiana

Shrinking Homes: How Small Will Homes Go?

Heritage Lake, Coatesville, Indiana, Homes and Lots are Available!

Choosing A Realtor

September 4, 2009 by Erica Christoffer · 10 Comments
Filed under: Continue Reading...

	Sales of newly built single-family homes rose 11 percent in June to an annualized rate of 384,000, according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Analysts called the report a good sign. "That is really good news,” said Peter Morici, an economics professor at the University of Maryland. “With all the foreclosure activity s...
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	Economic recovery is still a few months away, say economists surveyed by USA Today, but two-thirds of them think existing-home sales have bottomed out. Both housing and automotive markets “have the potential to generate some quite large percentage increases,” says Bill Cheney, chief economist at MFC Global Investment. Overall, economists say unemployment won’t peak u...
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	By ALAN ZIBEL, AP Real Estate Writer Alan Zibel, Ap Real Estate Writer WASHINGTON – New home sales in June posted the fastest increase in more than eight years as buyers took advantage of bargain prices, low interest rates and a
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	Heritage Lake is comprised of six subdivisions including over 1,200 homes. As members, you may enjoy the beaches, picnic areas, swimming pool, activities center, campground, softball field, tennis&basketball courts. Several small lakes (ponds) as well as the main lake a...
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