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Selling Your Home. Interesting homed. Mortgage Loans. Distressed Property Sales Hit New Low: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just released th... #realestate. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just released their Existing Home Sales Report revealing that distressed property sales accounted for 6% of sales in October. This is down from 9% in 2014 and the lowest figure since NAR began tracking distressed sales in October 2008.

Below is a graph that shows just how far the market has come since January 2012 when distressed sales accounted for 35% of all sales. Existing Home Sales Up Year-Over-Year Mortgage interest rates remained below 4% in October prompting existing home sales to stay at a healthy annual pace of 5.36 million. Year-over-year sales were up 3.9%. Inventory of homes for sale remain below the 6-month supply that is necessary for a normal market, as they fell 2.3% to a 4.8-months supply.

NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun had this to say about the lack of inventory: There is good news though, as Yun went on to say: Bottom Line If you are debating putting your home on the market this year, now may be the time. 5 Dirty Negotiation Tricks and How to Beat Them. 7 Reasons for Buying a Condominium. #1 It's More Affordable Condos are more affordable than single family homes for the most part.

So you can start building equity with a lower down payment and a lower mortgage sooner! #2 Carefree Lifestyle When you own a home you have to repair the roof if you get a leak. You need to repaint the exterior when it is time. Not when you own a condo! Have to run off on a weekend getaway? #3 Security Found At the Condominium Most condominiums offer a security gate or a security door to the building. You have neighbors next door that can watch out for you. . #4 Your Neighbors Condos often have an active community.

. #5 Lower Living Cost The monthly condo association fee often includes building insurance, maintenance fees for the amenities and utilities. . #6 Condo Ownership is Still Home Ownership! Everything you can do in a home you can do in a condo as long as the condo association allows it. . #7 Maintenance Free Lifestyle Life is good in a condominium. Condo living is easy living. Source. #Home Buyer Tip - Use Sales to List Price Ratio to gauge what seller expects. Distressed Property Sales Hit New Low. How to Get the Most Money from the Sale of Your House. Every homeowner wants to make sure they maximize the financial reward when selling their home. But, how do you guarantee that you receive maximum value for your house?

Here are two keys to insuring you get the highest price possible. 1. Price it a LITTLE LOW This may seem counterintuitive. Instead of the seller trying to ‘win’ the negotiation with one buyer, they should price it so demand for the home is maximized. In a recent article on realtor.com, they gave this advice: “Aim to price your property at or just slightly below the going rate. 2. This too may seem counterintuitive. Recent research posted by the Economists’ Outlook Blog revealed: “The median selling price for all FSBO homes was $210,000 last year. Bottom Line Price it at or slightly below the current market value and hire a professional. 5 Cheapest Home Improvements For Selling Your Home Quicker & More Money. 11 Ways to Create Curb Appeal | Home Selling Tips. This 2 Minute Video on How to Prep Your Home For the Sale. Home Buying Checklist | What to Look for. New Home Loans: Rates and House Prices Both Increase. Interest rates on conventional mortgages used to buy newly built homes increased in June, according to data released earlier today by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

The data show the average contract interest rate increasing by 9 basis points to 3.86 percent, the highest it’s been since January. The average initial fees and charges on the loans decreased by 3 basis points to 1.08 percent, but this small change was not enough to prevent the effective interest rate (which amortizes initial fees over the estimated life of the loan) from climbing to 3.98 percent. This also represents a 9 basis point increase from May, and is the highest the average effecting rate has been since January.

Meanwhile, the average size of the conventional mortgages used to purchase newly built homes increased for the fifth month in a row, from $343,000 in May to $352,500 in June. This is an all-time high and the first time the average loan amount has been above $350,000. #Home Buyer Tip - #3 If possible you want to find out why the seller is selling. Existing Home Sales Up 3.9% [INFOGRAPHIC] All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The opinions expressed in this article are intended to supplement opinions on real estate expressed by local and national media, local real estate agents and other expert sources. You should not treat any opinion expressed in this article as a specific inducement to make a particular investment or follow a particular strategy, but only as an expression of opinion.

Keeping Current Matters, Inc. does not guarantee and is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information, and provides said information without warranties of any kind. All information presented herein is intended and should be used for educational purposes only. Equity Matters A LOT... Just Ask Freddie Mac. There are many reasons, both financial and non-financial, that homeownership remains an important part of the American Dream. One of the biggest reasons is the fact that it helps build family wealth. Recently, Freddie Mac wrote about the power of home equity. They explained: “In the simplest terms, equity is the difference between how much your home is worth and how much you owe on your mortgage. They went on to show an example where a person bought a home for $150,000 with a down payment of 10% ($15K), resulting in a loan amount of $135,000.

The chart below demonstrates the home equity built after 7 years of making mortgage payments and assuming the historic national average of 3% per year home appreciation: And that number continues to build as you continue to own the home. Merrill Lynch published a report earlier this year that showed the average equity homeowners have acquired by certain ages. Bottom Line Home equity is important to building wealth as a family. Staging to Sell: Important Staging Statistics to Know | Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design's Weblog. When it comes to selling your Kitchener-Waterloo home, there are a lot of factors to consider. In fact, according to recent research, selling your property and moving can be more stressful than divorce or even losing a loved one.

Part of the reason for this stress is that home owners are realizing that there is far more to the selling process than they anticipated. According to NAR and sites like Home Gain, sellers should anticipate investing between 1 – 3% of the property’s value to get it successfully sold. The reason for this investment and shift in how properties are sold, is fairly simple. TV networks have shone a spotlight on the real estate industry and according to articles such as “How the HGTV Effect is Affecting Home Sales” in the Toronto Star, these networks have raised the expectations of buyers of what is ‘reasonable or livable’ for their next property.

Professional staging showcases the lifestyle buyers aspire to have – and will pay top dollar for. Like this: 3 Steps to Working with a Realtor to Sell Your Home. Bar Raval Brings Tapas and Sculptural Design to Toronto - Freshome.com. What makes a social space attractive? The atmosphere, details and sounds, aromas and laughs? These are all to be found at Bar Raval in Toronto, Canada. Designed by Canadian architects Partisans, the modern social space greets guests with a unique display of undulating mahogany lines. Imagined to have people enjoy each other’s company while sitting, the ambitious project is defined by smooth lines that invite to touch. It’s easy to lean against soft edges and feel your way along the textured walls and bar edge. “Bar Raval is a 21st-century reinterpretation of Spanish Art Nouveau. The brainchild of celebrated Canadian chef Grant van Gameren and wunderkind mixologists Mike Webster and Robin Goodfellow, Raval introduces Toronto to the pintxo bar, a cornerstone of social and gastronomic culture in Basque Country.”

Nooks and crannies become part of the sinuous design. Existing Home Sales Up 3.9% [INFOGRAPHIC]: #realestate. Maintenance-Free Decking: PVC vs. Composite - DIY Advice Blog - Family Handyman DIY Community. 6 Factors That Decide How Quickly You Will Sell Your Home. Most homes never need duct cleaning. #Home Care #Myths Busted! Rent vs. Buy: Either Way You’re Paying A Mortgage. There are some people that have not purchased a home because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize that, unless you are living with your parents rent free, you are paying a mortgage - either your mortgage or your landlord’s. As The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University explains: “Households must consume housing whether they own or rent.

Not even accounting for more favorable tax treatment of owning, homeowners pay debt service to pay down their own principal while households that rent pay down the principal of a landlord plus a rate of return. That’s yet another reason owning often does—as Americans intuit—end up making more financial sense than renting.” Christina Boyle, a Senior Vice President, Head of Single-Family Sales & Relationship Management at Freddie Mac, explains another benefit of securing a mortgage vs. paying rent: The graph below shows the widening gap in net worth between a homeowner and a renter: Bottom Line. Home Buying Checklist | What to Look for.

Millennials: What FICO Score is Needed to Buy a Home?: In a recent article by the Wharton School o... #realestate. In a recent article by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, it was revealed that some Millennials are not looking to purchase a home simply because they don’t believe they can qualify for a mortgage.

The article quoted Jessica Lautz, the National Association of Realtors’ Managing Director of Survey Research, as saying that there is a significant population that does not think they will be approved for a mortgage and doesn’t even try. The article also quoted Fannie Mae CEO Tim Mayopoulos : “I do think that there’s a sense out there in the marketplace among borrowers that credit may not be available, especially for people with lower credit scores.” So what credit score is necessary? A recent survey reported that two-thirds of the respondents believe they need a very good credit score to buy a home, with 45 percent thinking a “good credit score” is over 780. Bottom Line. Top 5 Reasons to Use A Realtor to Buy A Home.

How to Get the Most Money from the Sale of Your #House. Equity Matters A LOT... Just Ask Freddie Mac. #1 Reason to Sell Your #House Today - Demand Greater Than Supply! If you are debating listing your house for sale this year or even early next year, here is the #1 reason not to wait! Buyer Demand Continues to Outpace the Supply of Homes For Sale According to the National Association of REALTORS’ (NAR) Foot Traffic report, there are more buyers out in the market right now than at any other time in the past three years. The graph below shows the significant increase in foot traffic experienced this year compared to 2014. The latest Existing Home Sales report shows that there is currently a 5.2-month supply of homes for sale. This remains lower than the 6-month supply necessary for a normal market and well below August 2014 numbers. The chart below details the year-over-year inventory shortages experienced so far in 2015: Bottom Line Let's get together to discuss the inventory levels in your neighborhood and discuss a plan to help you gain access to the buyers who are ready, willing and able to buy today!

#Home Buying Tip #1 - You need to determine if it is a "Buyer's Market" or Seller's Market". Lower Your Property Taxes Now: Here's How to File a Winning Appeal - Real Estate News and Advice. ByEd Finkel One of the most contentious topics among homeowners is property taxes, so it’s pretty likely that it’ll come up at one of this summer’s backyard barbecues, between bites of burgers and your neighbor’s famous potato salad. Yet, for all the complaining, surprisingly few people try to appeal their property tax assessment, even though they could save thousands of dollars.

There are hundreds of law firms and specialized tax appeal companies that will appeal on your behalf, usually for a percentage—as high as 30% of the savings, which means no cost to you if their efforts are unsuccessful. And homeowners always have the DIY option as well. Helen Stubbmann, a Realtor® with the Corcoran Group in Montauk, NY, appealed her property taxes on her own 15 years ago, on the four-bedroom, half-acre home on Long Island that she and her husband, a contractor, designed and built 28 years ago. She got a modest reduction, and was satisfied.

Please, Mr. New companies use tech to boost your case. 17. Millennials love #realestate agents. True. - Inc Magazine Millenial Myths & Truths. Selling Your Home? The Importance of Using a Real Estate Professional | Simplifying the Market™ When a homeowner decides to sell their house, they obviously want the best possible price with the least amount of hassles.

However, for the vast majority of sellers, the most important result is to actually get the home sold. In order to accomplish all three goals, a seller should realize the importance of using a real estate professional. We realize that technology has changed the purchaser’s behavior during the home buying process. For the past three years, 92% of all buyers have used the internet in their home search according to the National Association of Realtors’ most recent Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers. However, the report also revealed that 95% percent of buyers that used the internet when searching for a home purchased their home through either a real estate agent/broker or from a builder or builder’s agent. Only 2% purchased their home directly from a seller whom the buyer didn’t know. Bottom Line. Applying For A #Mortgage: Why So Much Paperwork?

We are often asked why there is so much paperwork mandated by the bank for a mortgage loan application when buying a home today. It seems that the bank needs to know everything about us and requires three separate sources to validate each and every entry on the application form. Many buyers are being told by friends and family that the process was a hundred times easier when they bought their home ten to twenty years ago. There are two very good reasons that the loan process is much more onerous on today’s buyer than perhaps any time in history. The government has set new guidelines that now demand that the bank prove beyond any doubt that you are indeed capable of affording the mortgage.

During the run-up in the housing market, many people ‘qualified’ for mortgages that they could never pay back. This led to millions of families losing their home. The government wants to make sure this can’t happen againThe banks don’t want to be in the real estate business. Bottom Line. Millennials: What FICO Score is Needed to Buy a Home? Overpricing your #home does not work! Buyers know what homes are selling for. Even overpricing a little hurts your #homes sale. You don't need room to negotiate.. 7 Steps to Homeownership | Home Buying Tips. 5 Reasons to Shop for a Home in December. It’s counter-intuitive, to be sure, but December can be an excellent time to find a home to buy, particularly for buyers who are sick of losing out to others in the busier homebuying months.

Winter is the doldrums for home-shopping, no question about it. Most home sales take place in June, July and August. Some of this is thanks to tradition and the distractions of the winter holidays. Another important factor is school schedules: Families typically prefer to make a household move during the summer vacation months, so children can start at a new school at the beginning of the school year. From our Solutions Center: Find a better mortgage in seconds If summer is the peak, winter is the bottom of the yearly real-estate market. It is unquestionably less pleasant to shop for homes when the weather’s bad, roads are treacherous and darkness prevails.

More value for the money December or October? But not everyone agrees that October is best. 1. In December, there’s no competition to speak of. 2. 8 Real Estate Cat Memes to Live By | RISMedia's Housecall. How To Shop For A #Condo | Tips for Buying. Walden Chase Homes For Sale Ponte Vedra 32081. This Is NOT Your Parents’ 3% Down Payment #Mortgage Plan. How to Protect Your Plumbing From Holiday Wear and Tear. Why You Should Sell Now… Before Winter Hits: People across the country are beginning to think abou... #realestate.

Where Are #Mortgage Rates Headed? This Winter? Next Year? Why You Should Sell Now… Before Winter Hits. 92% of all buyers have used the internet in their #home search. Highest Price Gain for Home Sellers Since 2007! 17% Return in 3rd Qtr 2015 or $40,658. Family Wealth Grows as #Home Equity Builds. Selling Your Home? The Importance of Using a Real Estate Professional: When a homeowner decides to... #realestate. 68% of property managers predict rental rates will rise in next year by average of 8%. Selling Your Home? The Importance of Using a Real Estate Professional. Can't Find A Home? Low Inventory Has You Down? Different Buyer Preferences? New vs. Existing Homes. James Island in Baymeadows/deerwood, Jacksonville, Florida, 32256-2336 and Duval.

How to Get the Most Money from the Sale of Your House: Every homeowner wants to make sure they max... #realestate. Buying a Home Remains 35% Less Expensive than Renting! 2016: Homeowner’s Net Worth Will Be 45x Greater Than a #Renter. 95% percent of #buyers that used the internet when searching for a #home used an agent. Are Millennials Finally Entering the Market? How to Get the Most Money from the Sale of Your House. Easy Answer. Studies show you get more when you sell with a #Realtor. How to Determine Where to Buy in Northeast Florida.

Should I Pay A Mortgage Interest Rate Over 4%?: Mortgage interest rates, as reported by Freddie Ma... #realestate. Real Estate's #1 Educator | Tom Ferry – Your Coach » 7 Reasons to List During the Holidays. Should I Pay A #Mortgage Interest Rate Over 4%? Should I Pay A Mortgage Interest Rate Over 4%? Singles Are Falling For Their Dream Home [INFOGRAPHIC]: #realestate. Staging Your Home For Sale; It’s Important, But Why? Living In Jacksonville: 21 Things You Need To Know First. Home Security Tips to Live By. What You Need To Know About Vacation Homes and Short Term Rentals. Aggregate #home equity has increased 60% since 2010 when taking in inflation - Harvard U. Owning #RealEstate is an asset-building strategy. Singles Are Falling For Their Dream Home [INFOGRAPHIC] How to Get the Most Money from the Sale of Your #House. Selling Your Home? Price It Right From the Start!

An Easy Way to Find the Perfect #RealEstate Agent. 7 Great Italian Restaurants in Jacksonville | Metro Jacksonville. #Home #Security [Infographic] Why is owning a home the American Dream? It helps build family wealth. Equity Matters A LOT… Just Ask Freddie Mac: There are many reasons, both financial and non-financi... #realestate. Home Buying Checklist | What to Look for. Information overload has led buyers to use real estate professionals to “connect the dots”. 7 Reasons for Buying a Condominium. The first couple steps to negotiating for your #home is to get information. #Home Buyer Tip - Find out if there another offer in the works?