Resales
Ohio"s state capital is Columbus, which has grown to the largest city in the state, according to local Realtors, with modest appreciation in home values.
Rural Vermont areas such as the Upper Valley, Waterbury, and Rutland County are attracting city-tired homebuyers, who find they can relax in the country, yet hit the highways and be close to city amenities when they want.
With its wide range of shopping and other facilities, Sandy, Utah is often called Salt Lake City"s "other downtown," say local Realtors.
Like most other areas of California, La Mirada is experiencing a brisk seller"s market.
Economic downturns have taken their toll on more than just new homes and resales. The latest report from the NAHB indicates that residential remodeling activity "remained sluggish during the second quarter of 2008."
Builders" lots are selling in days to buyers who are mostly out of the area, observe Whatcom County, Washington Realtors.
One of California"s largest master-planned communities, Mission Viejo offers a lush lakeside lifestyle, say local Realtors.
South Carolina barrier island homes outside of Charleston, including those on Isle of Palms and Sullivan"s Island, are moving out of a buyer"s market due to continuing low interest rates and higher demand.
Everyone knows the Washington, D.C. market is hot, but the area known as Kalorama Heights is particularly popular, say local Realtors, where homes are selling in a matter of hours.
Local Realtors say Fort Myers real estate, particularly waterfront properties, are a good value -- they are appreciating greatly and they are still priced below many other Florida gulf, lakeside or oceanside areas.
Existing home sales are softening slightly in the Houston, Texas suburb of Katy, but local Realtors report sellers holding their prices and new homes are still being built.
Anyone in home real estate knows that the FHA program -- once the ugly duckling of the mortgage market -- has turned into one of the hottest sources of financing even in relatively high cost housing markets on the West and East coasts.
Local Realtors in Grand Rapids, Michigan say the area"s attractions have kept the market stable, and they anticipate a big rush of spring homebuying as interest rates continue to test recent record lows.
Temecula, California is an upscale community with easy access to San Diego and Los Angeles. Located in the old wine country, the city was only incorporated in 1989.
Albuquerque, New Mexico area suburbs such as Rio Rancho and Corrales are enjoying faster sales than this time last year, say local Realtors.
Like other areas of the country, Milwaukee recently had a boom in real estate values. Although multiple offers and over asking prices are still happening in many areas, many buyers are now finding that they have more time to contemplate their purchase, say local Realtors.
Buyers in Pelican Lake, Crosslake, and Lake Ossawinnamakee in Minnesota have plenty of opportunities to buy, but they are cautious, says a local Realtor.
As the weather turns colder, lower interest rates have rekindled sales for first-time buyers and move-up buyers in Shawano, Green Bay and Wausau, Wisconsin, say local Realtors.
Bryn Mawr, Radnor and Haverford are among a few "Main Line" towns that offer older elegant, stately colonial homes and estates, say local Realtors.
New Hampshire Realtor Mark Allen says that Auburn, Manchester, and Merrimack are the places to be in New Hampshire, despite what may appear to be a softening market.
Mesa is Arizona"s third-largest city, attracting new residents each year with its affordable housing, say local Realtors.
Bethesda, Maryland, with its easy access to Washington, D.C. is snapping back from a bad winter and other influences with brisk housing sales, say local Realtors.
Wilmington, North Carolina, not to be confused with Wilmington Delaware, is located on a peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River, giving this small historical port town one of the most ideal locations on the East Coast.
One of the latest reports fro HUD shows good news. There has been a drop in the number of chronically homeless persons in this county.
Seasonal weather anomalies are cooling East Coast beach waters, and real estate, too, say local Realtors.
Rising interest rates have encouraged some buyers to make a decision, say local Marietta, Georgia Realtors.
Ocean City, Maryland is a premier beach community with over 30 blocks of boardwalk along the ocean, and sales are rising like a tide.
Realtors in Iowa communities including Ames, Iowa City, Cedar Falls, and Marshalltown say that low interest rates are spurring the sales of starter-priced homes.
With Seabiscuit a bestselling book and about to be a summer blockbuster movie, real estate agents expect renewed interest in the "sport of kings" that may cross over into more homebuying in horse farm areas like Lexington, Kentucky.
Despite California"s now-famous affordability problem, buyers are still flocking to its coastal communities like Capistrano Beach to enjoy the incomparable views, weather and lifestyle, say local Realtors.
North Las Vegas is experiencing rapid growth due to more favorable pricing on new homes, but Realtors report prices are also rising rapidly.
Realtors say that Missoula, Montana is located in one of the most beautiful areas of the world, with lots of opportunities for outdoor activities.
Indianapolis, Indiana is rounding the curves of a buyer"s market which local Realtors hope will be helped by low interest rates.
Katy, Texas is about 25 miles west of Houston, and is a growing community that is benefiting from new highways, a sub-tropical climate, and new planned communities, say local Realtors.
"Recently named by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 15 regions in the nation based on economic and quality of life factors," says Realtors Michael and Kristin Lyon, "Omaha offers a broad variety of housing styles and prices to suit all budgets. Parenting Magazine just ranked Omaha as one of the top ten cities in the nation for raising a family, and it"s also one of the nation"s top "eco-cities" based on air and water quality, open space and population stability according to "E," The Environmental Magazine. You"ll find a thriving arts and cultural community and many family-based activities."
According to the latest from the Case-Shiller home price index, home prices were down 15.8% in May. They report, "For the second straight month, all 20 MSAs posted annual declines, nine of which are posting record lows and 10 of which are in double-digits."
Founded in 1719 and incorporated in 1854, San Bernardino lies 59 miles east of Los Angeles, 110 miles northeast of San Diego and 469 miles southeast of the San Francisco Bay Area, making it a beautifully situated city close to beaches, deserts and mountain resorts, says local Realtor Victor Bishara. "Ontario International Airport, a short 20 minute drive west on the I-10 freeway, serves the San Bernardino area with all the major airlines offering daily flights to and from metropolitan cities throughout the country. San Bernardino is also easily accessible via major freeways in Southern California."
The number of homes sold in Albuquerque, New Mexico reached all-time levels in February 2003, say local Realtors.
Kalamazoo, Michigan is a mid-sized city with surrounding farmland known as the plant growing capital of the U.S., where a lousy stock market and low interest rates has more people investing in homes, say local Realtors.
Over the past few months, the once white-hot San Jose market has cooled, but some price ranges are still selling quickly, say local Realtors, and activity is picking up.
Like inexpensive air fares and hotel rates help bring in the gamblers, low interest rates are bringing buyers to the booming Las Vegas real estate market. Especially good is the resale market.
Scottsdale, Arizona Realtors say sales are faster for sellers in the $200,000 range and that sellers in the $500,000 must be a little more patient as war worries offset great interest rates on jumbo loans.
The towns of Sudbury, Hudson and Wayland offer proximity to Boston, Massachusetts along with their smaller town versions of America"s colonial past.
Raleigh, North Carolina Realtors are reporting slower sales for sellers, but lower interest rates make it a great time for buyers.
Mount Airy, a suburb of Philadelphia, and Mount Lebanon, a suburb of Pittsburgh, are both reporting housing shortages in certain price ranges of inventory.
The San Juan Islands are a string of evergreen jewels scattered across Washington"s Puget Sound, as local Realtors describe them.
While multifamily builders and developers eagerly await publication of the National Green Building Standard from the National Association of Home Builders, the first and only consensus-based standard for all residential construction, renovation and development, our friends from across the pond recently released research on rural England that could provide a blueprint for success here in America for savvy builders looking to stay ahead of the competition.
Local Realtors in one of Denver, Colorado"s premier neighborhoods, Englewood, say it is a great time to buy real estate due to the current buyer"s market.
The holiday season is ending, but housing sales are still going strong in Fort Lauderdale which is defying any notions of a housing slowdown.
The fast-moving Palo Alto market has stalled to neutral, say local Realtors, but that is all the more reason to invest in a home in the area.
Home of the historical Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano attracts tourists and residents to its charming small community.
Savannah is the second fastest-growing city in Georgia, with a diverse economy and a warm welcome for entrepreneurs, say local Realtors, yet the market is slowing creating buying opportunities in all kinds of housing.
One of the most popular relocation destinations for snowbirds, Scottsdale, Arizona appears immune to the housing slump that is affecting other parts of the nation, say local Realtors.
The market is cooling in Akron, Ohio, where local Realtors are reporting a downward slide in prices and higher inventories.
Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Santa Monica Realtors report rapid housing price gains along one of the world"s most popular coastlines.
"The Contra Costa County real estate market seems more well balanced than in quite some time," says Realtor Ken Jacobs. "Prices are relatively stable, and most accurately priced homes are selling within 30-45 days. With interest rates so low, this appears to be a terrific time for buyers to be able to enter the real estate market, without having to compete with other buyers through multiple offers for every home that becomes available."
Kentucky communities are trending upwards in price, with low interest rates continuing to spur homebuyers into crossing the finish line.
Four ski areas, Breckinridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain and Arapahoe Basin, offer cross-country skiiing, ice skating, hiking, and biking all in a pristine Alpine environment. Also included is Lake Dillon where you can add boating and fishing, say local Realtors.
Enjoying all the benefits of living near downtown Dallas and its Arts District, Lakewood area homeowners reside almost exclusively in older single-family residences, with few apartments or other multi-family properties in the community.
Bridgewater, Massachusetts is a Boston-area town where young commuters are choosing to live to raise their families, says a local Realtor. Centrally located at Routes 24 and 495, Bridgewater provides easy access to Boston, Cape Cod, and Providence R.I., and average housing is about $188,700.
Located on Long Island Sound, Westport, Connecticut offers breath-taking ocean-front scenery, a charming country landscape, attractive amenities and a comfortable commute to urban centers, say local Realtors.
Too many apartments, too few jobs and cheap mortgages that make home buying affordable, have put a triple-whammy on the rental market in Arizona"s capital city. That"s good news for renters -- for now.
As housing sales slow down in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Fort Worth Realtors suggest that there"s no housing bubble while low rates keep homebuying so favorable.
Fairfax County, Virginia, home to founding fathers George Washington and George Mason, is still at the heart of patriotic homebuying. The area is in a rising sellers market.
Flagstaff, Arizona is famous for its visibility - on a clear day, you can see forever. In 1894, Dr. Percival Lowell chose Flagstaff to place the now-famous Lowell Observatory, where the planet Pluto was discovered in 1930.
Popular American war (1812) hero Stephen Decatur is the namesake for at least 11 cities across the United States, including Decatur, Georgia. Part of the growing Atlanta metroplex, Decatur would have been a sprawling city like Atlanta, had forefathers not turned down the opportunity to be a depot for a national railroad in the 1830s. The railroad chose a spot seven miles away, and that township sprawled into the city known as Atlanta.
Beverly Hills is just 5.69 square miles, but it is one of the country"s most famous neighborhoods. Home to many famous movie stars, the community includes the infamous Sunset Boulevard, and many other famous streets. Rubbernecking tourists can drive by the homes of current residents as well as the sites where tabloid-reported murders took place, proving that tragedy also stalks the rich and famous.
Centrally located at Routes 24 and 495, the town of Bridgewater, Massachusetts provides easy access to Boston, Cape Cod, and Providence, Rhode Island. A far-from-the-madding-crowd lifestyle, coupled with affordable housing, is beginning to attract attention from weary city dwellers and retirees. New growth is starting in this area where the population had remained relatively unchanged since the early 1990s.
Wait till you read what"s replacing such financial porkers. We usually define a "conventional" mortgage as financing with 20 percent down. Since most people don"t happen to have 20 down much less 20 percent plus closing costs, there has always been a market for mortgages that somehow require fewer dollars up front.
Question: We have been reading that a lot of homeowners are in financial trouble, and their homes are going into foreclosure. We would like to buy a home at a foreclosure sale, and need guidance as to how to go about this process.
Rising prices and stability between a buyer"s and seller"s market characterize the East Tennessee city of Knoxville.
Redondo Beach, in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, is like Hollywood"s version of the Riviera. All properties are expensive, even without the ocean views, but as high-priced beach resorts go, it is a bargain, and experiencing a rapidly rising sellers" market.
Historic Pensacola, Florida has been ruled under five flags and boasts a rich naval history as the home to the fascinating National Museum of Naval Aviation at the Naval Air Station. A combination of white sand beaches, protected species of birds and other wildlife, and nightlife make vacationing or retirement a pleasure, and a sure investment for first or second homes.
Calgary, located in the Canadian province of Alberta, is known for more than its terrific ski resorts near Alberta"s Rocky Mountains. Once the host city for the winter Olympics, Calgary is a beautiful city on the banks of the Bow River, the home of progressive technology, oil and forestry companies, as well as great real estate buys.
Tacking another $16,000 on the median price of homes, California"s fast-sales, low-inventory housing market is putting the frenzy back into home buying.
Being a person that wants to serve and protect your own interests, you get yourself elected to the board. At the first board meeting, the president gives you a pep talk about not giving instructions to contractors or discussing board issues with other members unless you preface comments with "the board policy/decision is...". You bristle at this. Who does this guy think he is? This is America, Home of the Free and Land of the Lone Ranger. Why shouldn"t you be able to say what you want, when you want and to whoever you want?
Existing single-family home sales surged in January and reached an unprecedented monthly high, according to the National Association of REALTORS. This is the first time sales have reached the six million mark and is also the largest monthly increase on record.
today to encourage members of Congress to cosponsor the Community Choice in
Despite the prospect for more government by gridlock, the politically
Arizona is getting tough on loan originators.
Could a dysfunctional Congress totally blow its only opportunity to help thousands of home owners avoid foreclosure?
My own experience with contractors has been mixed, so it is easy for me to understand why so many of my readers seem wary of them.
The development of high-end condominium projects is changing the face of some coastal communities in San Diego, California, but with prices that compete with the median price of a detached home; how will they fare?
Home builders who require buyers to use their affiliated mortgage companies in exchange for thousands of dollars worth of "incentives" -- upgrades, extra square footage, and deeply-discounted closing costs -- may be violating federal law and misleading consumers.
California"s relentless march toward the $500,000 median priced home is leaving many households behind the eight ball to the tune of more than $60,000.
A small but growing number of people are using their retirement funds to invest in commercial real estate in hopes of turning a bigger profit.
The apartment market out west stalled during the first quarter this year, extending a longer than expected flat rental market that can"t seem to find enough tenants to justify rental increases.
I"ve been thinking a bit about retirement, and where I"ll live when the time comes.
A new 35-year mortgage will cost you tens of thousands of dollars more in interest than a conventional 30-year mortgage over the life of the loans, but the special loan is packed with enough attractive provisions to offset that drawback.
You"ve been reading about it, listening to late-night shows and hearing about your friends making the jump into real estate investing. But you just can"t bring yourself to taking the plunge into owning property, collecting rent, taking repair calls and possibly having a renter who won"t pay the rent or take care of your property.
More consumers than ever use the Internet to shop for homes, but they still need real estate professionals to help them decipher their digital discoveries.
South Carolinians in the Spartanburg-Greenville market have taken the latest national economic decline in stride. The financial climate in this city leans on the positive side, as it serves as national and world headquarters for corporations such as Extended Stay Hotels, Denny"s restaurants and Milliken & Company -- one of the largest privately held textile and chemical manufacturers in the world.
With recent surveys showing that many of the millions of aging Baby Boomers want to stay in their homes after retirement, builders and remodelers are peppering the houses they build with many age-in-place features.
In California"s San Francisco Bay Area -- the land where sales my fall, but prices still rise -- Silicon Valley"s 18.2 percent increase in home prices over the past year is often small potatoes.
Baby boomers aren"t moving down to smaller homes and they aren"t moving out to retirement homes, likely because their current homes are sufficient or they have the option to move into another home they own.
First-time home buyers out to beat the spring rush and profit-taking move-up buyers, boosted Silicon Valley home prices further into uncharted orbital territory in February.
Question: At our settlement recently, the settlement attorney charged us $225 for a survey. When we questioned this charge, we were told it was a lender"s requirement and we could do nothing about it. Just what is a survey?
Question: I am considering buying a single-family house, and the real estate broker has presented me with a form contract to sign. I am concerned that I may be acting emotionally and not rationally. How do I determine the value of the house? I have a nagging feeling that I may be paying too much for this property, but do not know how to solve this problem.
Home inspections have started receiving proper attention from state legislators over the last few years. For a piece of the transaction that was a deal maker or breaker, it always seemed interesting to me that this industry that sought out all the defects of a property could field employees who had no accreditation for determining the status of a home"s physical condition.
Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Ohio, wasted no time in introducing legislation last week that would eliminate the downpayment requirement for families and individuals who buy a home with loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration.
Thousands of would-be home buyers without any money for a downpayment would be eligible for government-insured financing under a proposal that will be offered by President Bush in his fiscal 2005 budget.
Does it seem like the old neighborhood ain"t what it used to be -- especially if the old neighborhood has good-sized lots, smaller homes and rising values? What you may be looking at is an ideal "teardown" area, a community where both demolitions and housing prices are booming.
The decision of whether to buy a house in 2004 may seem daunting. Will prices increase? Will interest raises rise? How will the economy fare this year?
Question: We are purchasing a newly created condominium unit in an upscale project. When the developer presented us with the sales contract, there was a document entitled "Repurchase Addendum." As best as I can understand the legalize, it states that should we sell or rent the unit within one year after going to settlement, we must give the developer the right to buy back the unit. Although the developer will pay all closing and recording costs, the repurchase price is the same price that we will pay for the unit. Is this a legal document?
Question: We are considering refinancing our home and have decided to use that money to begin buying and selling real estate. I would like to purchase a lower-priced home to fix up and sell. I hear about all of these real estate success stories and I am just wondering if this is a good course of action.
Last night I was reviewing income and expense analysis reports for three different properties, and once again I realized how hard it is for the average investor to make head or tails of the information.
Indeed, more than 40 percent of the previously owned homes on the market have at least one serious defect, according to HouseMaster, a major home inspection company with offices in more than 390 cities in the United States and Canada.
If you"re gearing up to buy a house this fall, then you"ll want to use the next few weeks and months to your advantage and get yourself in the best position possible to land in a house you can afford.
Q. I am a first time home buyer, and have been pre-approved for a $255,000 mortgage purchase. In my search, I have seen a number of houses in the $300,000 - $500,000 range in good, move-in condition. The problem I am having is where to start my offer. My realtor is telling me that those houses are priced too high, but that no one there will sell their house for under $300,000. What do you recommend?
Once you"re preapproved for a loan and you"ve survived the rigors of house hunting, the time will come when you find a house that you"d like to call home. But first, you"ll need to make an offer.
If you"re in the process of searching for or buying a home, you"ve probably
If you"ve been waiting to get through the holidays and closer to warmer
When you purchase homeowners insurance, you expect that it will be there when you need it. That means that if there is a natural disaster such as an earthquake, hurricane or a flood, it will be there. And in the environmental context, if oil is leaked from your heating oil tank, you expect that it will be there.
It"s not that home warranties or those who issue them are deceptive.
Despite recent reports indicating real estate"s heightened profile as an investment vehicle, especially to help plug the drain on stock market portfolios, most second home buyers move in for the sheer fun of it.
James and Michelle Rigdon purchased a new $427,000 Gilroy, CA home with a conventional $282,500 first mortgage, a $25,000 deferred payment California Housing Finance Agency second, an $85,000 third from South (Santa Clara) County Housing, a $6,500 fourth from the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County and a $6,000 grant from a non-profit agency.
It appears fewer singles are buying homes. And competing against dual-income bids in a period of low interest rates and a dearth of available homes could
The second home market slipped last year, but not so much that second home buyers should be alarmed. Main Street remains a better investment than Wall Street.
Q: In today’s market, it is hard to buy a house on a contingency of getting your own house sold. It is a real dilemma for us, since we are concerned that without such a contingency, we may end up being unable to sell our current house. What is the best strategy?
Escrow has closed, the title is in your name, and the hassle of moving is finally over. While you may feel like the homebuying process is behind you, it"s not. Now comes the onslaught of mailers, solicitations, and tempting offers geared toward new homeowners, who are typically trying to rebuild their finances.
Besides the common problems with a seller"s market – not enough inventory and too many buyers – there"s also the problem that a house can actually sell for too much. This can happen when a contract price exceeds an appraisal from the bank. When this occurs the buyer must come up with the difference or the seller must reduce the sales price down to the appraisal.
A new breed of lease-purchase home buying programs are springing up like daisies and they couldn"t be sprouting at a better time.
The 15-year FRM this week averaged 5.91 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 5.92 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 6.39 percent.
Growing up in the south, it was not unusual to pass by many mobile home parks on the way to anywhere. They were – and still are – considered a vital part of many communities across the country and may offer a viable alternative to traditional housing for households seeking an affordable home of their own.
AUSTIN, TX -- In the latest manifestation of predatory lending, the beleaguered manufactured home and loan industries are targets of thousands of complaints alleging product bait and switch, loan application fraud, price gouging and other allegations that the industries are out to separate housing consumers from their money.
It does not happen often, but it does happen regularly enough that it warrants discussion. No matter how careful someone might be, they still can purchase property that is contaminated. Often some kind of cleanup is needed -- which means some level of out-of-pocket spending will happen.
Given the terrorist attacks in September, massive layoffs, and declining corporate profits it"s not unreasonable for would-be purchasers to ask if now is the time to buy real estate.
Home ownership, says a new study, increases the chances of low-income kids attaining higher levels of education, reduces idleness, cuts the incidence of teen pregnancy, improves earnings, and reduces the need for welfare.
Whether you"re buying a home or refinancing, it"s often possible to cut closing costs.
Most of us sign up for a homeowner"s insurance policy when we purchase a home not only because of the protection it offers us, but also because of the “required reading” aspect of it to our mortgage lender. Those institutions lending us the money to make homeownership possible cover their bases by making sure their own financial investments are protected in case of fire or natural disasters.
By Jim Lee
"Fixer-Upper." That term strikes fear in the hearts of many-a homebuyer because it"s such a relative term. We don"t have any strict criteria defining exactly what "fixer-upper" means. It could mean a historic home that requires some minor repairs and updates ... and it also could mean a ramshackle place with sagging floors, a leaky ceiling and a serious draft
[Note: To follow is an excerpt of an interview with Dr. Jim Gillespie, America"s premier commercial real estate coach, with over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate as both a successful agent and manager. To listen to, or download the show archive MP3, go to www.IncomePropertyInvestmentTalk.com.]
Which is the best home buying site on the Internet? According to the latest independent research survey performed by Gomez.com, 15 top real estate sites were ranked for excellence, but not always in the order consumers or the industry might guess.
Ken and Linda Pillard, market experts in Yolo County, California, say default notices have jumped from 197 to 488 since 2007.
You"ve looked at dozens of homes. Your REALTOR® is about to tear her hair
There are some things that don"t count, when you"re trying
You may be in a market in which finding homes to buy is difficult. Or you
First time buyers often approach the real estate process with fear and
With no major economic news today to report, mortgage rates remain the same.
About 50 percent of new homes in metropolitan areas are developed in a planned community format. This means that homeowners share ownership of common land and amenities like swimming pools, tennis courts, nature trails, and playgrounds that they might not be able to afford otherwise. All home owners automatically become members of and pay assessments to the community association, which protects and manages common property and enforces association covenants. A community association operates as a government, a community, and a business, making it a truly specialized type of organization.
As Americans add on to their houses in increasing numbers, many are looking
It"s tedious, dirty work.
Your home should be a clean, healthy and safe place for your family. It should not be a workplace hazard.
Question: We purchased our home about a year ago for $280,000. We put 20 percent down and have a mortgage of $224,000 at 7.25 percent. Since then, we have done some significant improvements to the home. We remodeled the kitchen, added a patio and fence in the back yard, and carpeted the basement. All in all, we spend over $60,000 in cash. Now that rates are down and home prices are up, we applied to refinance our home and get our cash back. We were very disappointed when the appraisal came back with a value of only $320,000. Not only did we fail to increase the value of our home by the amount we put in it, but it seems that our property may not have appreciated in this strong market. Do you think we should question the appraiser?
As you choose new cabinets, pore over your countertop options, and find