| |
real estate: Sale Increase 4 Straight Months! - 08/24/09 01:28 PM
Existing home sales rose a whopping 7.2% in July to 5.24 million units. In June, there were 4.89 million units sold. This increase was the largest month-to-month gain in over 2 years! The percentage increase was the largest since 1999. This also marks 4 straight months that we have seen sales increases. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said, "The housing market has decisively turned for the better. A combination of first-time buyers taking advantage of the housing stimulus tax credit and greatly improved affordability conditions are contributing to higher sales." Remember that the $8000 stimulus tax credit runs through November so … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Momentum for Home Sales - 08/04/09 04:27 PM
The Natiional Association of Realtors has reported that the pending home sales index rose again for the fifth consecutive month. It rose 3.6% (94.6 from 91.3) in June from May. The pending home sales index tracks signed home purchase contracts and is considered a leading indicator of activity. What is driving this upward momentum? Simply put, distress sales (like short-sales) & foreclosures continue to drive real estate prices downward to levels where buyers can no longer ignore the values. Most people consider this a "once in a lifetime" buyer's market. Let's look at some of the positives: record low interest rates, … (0 comments)
|
real estate: New Construction Sales Down - 06/26/09 12:10 PM
Sales of new construction homes fell 0.6% in May from April. The median home sales price was $212,600 in April, but rose to $221,600 in May. Meanwhile inventories of these new homes continue to fall to 292,000 units for the month of May. If sales were to hold at their current pace, it would take approximately 10 months to completely clear out the inventory of unsold homes. Builders have experienced intense competition & pressure from the sale of distressed properties & foreclosure that drive prices down, overall.
Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for all your … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Home Sales Rise in May 2009 - 06/23/09 01:06 PM
The National Association of Realtors announced that existing home sales rose to 4.77 million units in May 2009. This represents a rise of 2.4% over from April. This is promising because it's the second straight month that sales have risen, undoubtedly spurred by attractive mortgage interest rates. The NAR announced that this is the first month-on-month increase since August/September 2005. The total hosing inventory stood at 3.80 million units, which represents nearly a 9.6 month supply, down from 10.1 in April.
Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for all your real estate needs!
… (0 comments)
|
real estate: National Real Estate Sales Increase Overall - 05/28/09 04:22 PM
The National Association of Realtors just announced that home sales rose a respectable 2.9% in the month of April from March. The increase can be attributed to the increased volume of sales in the "lower-end" market. I touched upon this in my last BLOG posting. The market for the "high-end" properties has been particularly slow. With the continued tightening of mortgage qualification standards, it is getting difficult to obtain "jumbo loans." Jumbo loans are defined as those mortgages above $730,000. These loans accounted for over 17% of the mortgage market in 2007. Now they account for only 5%. Another contributing factor … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Housing Vacancy - 04/13/09 02:52 PM
The United States Cencus Bureau has reported that one in every 9 homes in the nation is sitting vacant . Leading economists are predicting that this won't change for at least several more years. Take this math into consideration . . . . between the years 2002 until 2007, the number of housing units increased by a whopping 8.65 million. By comparison, the number of households only increased by 6.7 million. Even if you factor in an estimate of 500,000 homes being torn down or lost, that still leaves over 1.3 million homes! Now those are scary numbers.
Don't forget to visit … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Mortgage Activity Strengthens - 03/27/09 11:57 AM
Mortgage applications spiked last week as a result of the record low interest rates. This fueled demand for home refinance loans. Mortgage applications increased a whopping 32.2% for the week ending March 20th. Refinancing accounted for nearly 80% of all of these applications. Despite stricter lending guidelines, the majority of those that apply for a loan, still get approved. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported an approximate 60% approval rate. As a point of reference, in 2003 nearly 80% of applicants got their loans approved. OOPS!
At least activity is finally picking up . . .
Don't forget to visit Central Florida's … (0 comments)
|
real estate: New Construction Homes Sales Increase - 03/27/09 11:55 AM
In February, new construction home sales increased to 337,000 units from 322,000 in January. This represents an increase of 4.7%. This was the first increase in new construction sales since July, 2008. Affordability undoubtedly played a pivotal role in the increase. The median sales price in February 2008 was $245,000 compared to a modest $200,900 this February. We must be near the trough of this economic landslide by now.
Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for all your real estate needs!
… (0 comments)
|
real estate: February Home Sales - 03/23/09 01:08 PM
For the month of February, the National Association of Realtors said that existing home sales rose to 4.72 million units, up 5.1% from a rate of 4.49 million in January. Economists had expected existing home sales to decline to 4.45 million, so this is seen as great news indeed. The national median existing-home price is down 15.5% from last year, from $195,800 to $165,400. What a great time to BUY!
Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for all your real estate needs!
… (0 comments)
|
real estate: Foreclosure Search - 03/10/09 09:46 AM
Like searching the web for new property listings? Statistics indicate you are a part of a growing segment of consumers that make their initial property research online. Recent studies indicate that 97% of buyers search for real estate information on the internet first! That's even before they contact a licensed professional REALTOR for assistance. Well here at gatearty.com, we have added a new feature that we are very excited about. With the overwhelming influx of foreclosures in today's market, there is increased demand for information on new foreclosures. Now you can find them! With our MAP SEARCH feature, you can specifically identify … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Fannie Mae Loosens Up - 03/10/09 09:13 AM
Effective March 1st, Fannie Mae (which guarantees approximately half of the $12 TRILLION of the United State's mortgage market) loosened loan restrictions on real estate investors & secondary home buyers. This move is seen as a major coup for real estate investors that wanted back IN the real estate market, but were essentially locked out. The new guidelines allow these borrowers to obtain Fannie Mae-secured financing for up to 10 properties. Most recently the amended limit was only 4 properties. Meaning, if you had already four mortgages, you could not buy another property with Fannie-backed financing. In essence, making it nearly … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Keller WIlliams Realty Continues to Grow - 02/13/09 02:16 PM
In an economic climate frought with foreclosures, credit crunch, bail-outs, & other negative news, it is nice to see that a company is outpacing its competitors & doing well. Keller Williams Realty, continues to outperform the market, remains debt-free, & profit-sharing more than $30 million to it's agents.
For the first 11 months of 2008, existing home sales for the United States fell 17% when compared to the same period the year before. Keller Williams Realty, however, is poised to outdo those numbers by 10 percentage points, and in addition, the company experienced a much smaller contraction in its agent base … (1 comments)
|
real estate: October Sales - 11/24/08 12:59 PM
The National Association of Realtors announced that real estate sales for the month of October dropped 3.1% to 4.98 million. This was down form 5.14 million in September. The median sales priced dipped to $183,000. This was a decrease of 11.3% and the median figure has not been that low since March of 2004.
Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for all your real estate needs!
… (0 comments)
|
real estate: Keller Williams Realty merger with Coldwell Banker - 11/11/08 03:43 PM
Keller Williams Realty Lakeland has acquired Coldwell Banker - Plantation Realty. The Plantation office in North Lakeland adds 15 agents to the Lakeland-based Keller Williams roster. There are already well over 245 Keller Williams agents in Lakeland & Winter Haven combined. The Plantation office will continue to stay open giving Keller Williams Realty a long-awaited presence in North Lakeland. The purchase of Plantation marks the fifth such deal this year. Other partnerships include: First Heritage Realty, Garden Grove Realty, Imperial Lakes Realty, & NAI Realvest.
Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for all your real estate … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Exclusive Tour of Lofts on the Park - 11/06/08 04:27 PM
In conjunction with the festivities of First Friday, the Group at Keller Williams Realty will be hosting an Open House tour of The Lofts on the Park. Local residents know that this great building is located on Kentucky Avenue adjacent to Munn Park & Lake Mirror. With the resounding turnout last month, there were requests made for an additional Open House tour. Friday November 7 beginning at 5:30 pm is your opportunity if you have always wanted to see the Lofts!Your hosts will be:
Cathy Oliver - 863 286 6732
Christy Gallant - 863 680 9988
Gate Arty - 863 529 … (0 comments)
|
real estate: New Home Sales INCREASE! - 10/28/08 11:12 AM
The U.S. Commerce Department reported today that month over month sales of new homes rose 2.7% to 464,000 units in September. This was a huge development, considering most analysts had expected a drop from August. The decline on a year over year basis, however, was more significant as home sales were 33.1% below year ago levels. Perhaps bargain hunters are responsible for the monthly increase.The median home price dropped by 9.1% to $218,400, a level not seen since September 2004. There are BUYING opportunities out there folks! Contact you loocal REALTOR now!
Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Foreclosures up Again - 10/23/08 10:50 AM
RealtyTrac announced today that foreclosure filings were up 71% nationwide, in the third quarter over the same period last year. Astoundingly, approximately 766,000 homeowners had a sheriff show up at the door and with a foreclosure complaint in hand! Six states made up for nearly 60% of the list: Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and Nevada. Most respected experts believe that this trend will continue well into 2010 as the market absorbs the inventory that is just now coming online.
Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for all your real estate needs!
… (0 comments)
|
real estate: When Will Real Estate Values Rise? - 10/08/08 04:42 PM
Historically-speaking, home values have ultimately risen after dramatic declines. No kidding, right? Although there isn't any widely known or accepted scientific methodology to pinpoint the top or bottom of any market, experts tend to agree that the following signs indicate an upswing:
1. Real estate values stop declining and begin holding steady or selling side-ways. Although it may seem like commonsense, determining the sales price of a home isn't as easy as it may initially appear. It is important to evaluate sale prices across different segments of the market. For example, luxury homes continue to fall (and thereby lower the mean … (1 comments)
|
real estate: Insurance NOW - 09/04/08 07:55 PM
Experience has shown me that many prospective home buyers shop for homes during the summer months for a variety of reasons. First off, there is more time. Many people take vacation time during the summer months. Other "snowbird" retirees elect to buy a summer home during their regular time here in sunny Florida. More often than not however, the reason involves children. Many parents have told me that they would prefer buying during the summer so they will not have to uproot & disrupt their children's school year midway, in the event that a change of school is necessary.
One important … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Lakeland's USA International Speedway SOLD! - 09/04/08 07:46 PM
Polk County's many avid NASCAR fans are mourning the loss of an important institution.The USA International Speedway, located at 3401 Old Polk City Road, has closed its doors after its final race On August 2nd and is now under new ownership. The site was previously owned by Bob Brooks, the founder of Hooters restaurants who died in July of 2006. The facility first opened in 1971 with a quarter-mile track under the name Lakeland Interstate Speedway. It was sold in 1995, and has operated as USA International Speedway since. The paved oval stock-car track is nationally renowned as a popular testing … (1 comments)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gate Arty - Lakeland Florida Real Estate
Lakeland,
FL
More about me…
Gate Arty & the Group - Keller Williams Realty
Address: 218 East Pine Street, Lakeland, FL, 33801
Office Phone: (863) 680-9988
Cell Phone: (863) 529-3222
Email Me
 Links
Archives
|
;)
;)
