buying homes: Seven Out of 10 Renters Say Owning a Home Is a Top Priority
- 07/08/11 03:08 AM
Seven Out of 10 Renters Say Owning a Home Is a Top Priority RISMEDIA, July 8, 2011-Most Americans still believe that owning a home is a solid financial decision, and a majority of renters aspire to homeownership as a long-term goal. According to the 2011 National Housing Pulse Survey released recently by the National Association of REALTORS®, 72 percent of renters surveyed said owning a home is a top priority for their future, up from 63 percent in 2010. Seven in 10 Americans also agreed that buying a home is a good financial decision while almost two-thirds said now is a … (0 comments)
buying homes: Home Inspections an Essential Tool for Buyers
- 04/04/11 09:11 AM
Home Inspections an Essential Tool for Buyers By Al Heavens RISMEDIA, April 4, 2011-(MCT)-A home inspection often means the difference between a sale and no sale, even if the deal that results isn't exactly what the owner expected. Buyers and sellers typically recognize the need for a home inspection. Still, it may put both sides of a sale on edge. Sellers fear the inspector will find something amiss that slashes the price. Buyers fear the house they want will have problems. Today, with so many houses for sale, inspections have become the chief tool for haggling over price. "We are a … (0 comments)
Raleigh-Cary Named Top City for Appreciation Forbes magazine turned to real estate research firm Local Market Monitor to figure out which markets have the greatest likelihood of price appreciation because they offer a mix of jobs weighted toward growth industries. These are the top markets, the research company concludes: 1. Raleigh-Cary, N.C. 2. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas 3. Austin-Round Rock, Texas 4. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn. 5. San Antonio, Texas 6. Colorado Springs, Colo. 7. Albuquerque, N.M. 8. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colo. 9. Springfield, Mo. 10. Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind. Source: NAR … (0 comments)
buying homes: Is It the Heat?
- 08/05/10 09:52 AM
It must be the heat that is keeping some buyers at home and not looking at the abundance of great houses for sale at ridiculously low prices in Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle cities and towns. If you are capable of buying a home to live in or buying one as an investment, exactly what are you waiting for?? Insterest rates are the lowest that they have ever been and our market is full of homes for sale that are below market pricing on foreclosures, short sales, and other highly motivated sellers. Sales are good, but they should be breaking records. … (1 comments)
buying homes: International Interest in U.S. Homeownership Increases, Realtors® Report
- 07/20/10 04:37 AM
International Interest in U.S. Homeownership Increases, Realtors® Report Washington, July 07, 2010 International home buyers are increasingly attracted to property in the U.S., according to the National Association of Realtors®' 2010 Profile of International Home Buying Activity. Several factors, including the strength of the dollar, the value and desirability of U.S. real estate, and the emerging economic recovery, continue to drive international interest in owning a home in this country. "While all real estate in the U.S. is local, the same is not true for property owners," said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox Real Estate in … (0 comments)
buying homes: 3 Reasons Why Those Who Don't Buy Now Might Regret It Later
- 03/24/10 12:22 AM
RISMEDIA, March 24, 2010-Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions an individual can make. So it's understandable that one considering a home purchase may take their time to avoid rushing into such a large financial commitment. However, several factors might leave prospective home buyers who don't purchase a property now wishing they had taken action sooner. "Current market conditions have created a perfect storm of sorts that has made it an ideal time to purchase for first-time and trade-up buyers alike," said James M. Weichert, president and founder of Weichert, Realtors. "Those who have the means and the … (3 comments)
buying homes: Gen Y Leading the Charge into the Future
- 03/06/10 12:09 AM
Gen Y Leading the Charge into the Future Home Trends by Melissa BirdsongY - RISMEDIA, December 29, 2009-Whatever the label-Gen Y, Millenials, Echo Boomers or Generation Now-the next generation of home buyers is a different kind of consumer. Gen Y is leading the charge into the future, and they are wired, inspired and viewing life through a different lens. As a Boomer, it's sometimes hard for me to realize that the first tier of the Gen Y group, born just before 1980, has already passed the 30-year-old mark. My daughter, the quintessential Gen Yer, is now in her late 20s, married … (2 comments)
buying homes: 10 Trouble Spots to Consider When Purchasing a Foreclosed Home
- 02/13/10 02:53 AM
RISMEDIA, December 21, 2009-It's easy pickings out there for many potential homebuyers. Housing prices are at their lowest in more than a decade, inventories are high, analysts are predicting a new wave of foreclosures and the government is offering two substantial tax credits for which many homebuyers qualify. But bargain buyers beware, warns Vince Mastronardi, whose property preservation business has been busy preparing foreclosed homes for sale. "Buyers need to educate themselves about the potential pitfalls of purchasing distressed property," says Mastronardi, president of On-Site Specialty Cleaning & Restoration. "It's not so much what damage occurred, but the source of that … (0 comments)
buying homes: Fannie to Offer Closing Cost Aid on Foreclosures
- 01/29/10 05:19 AM
Fannie Mae, the largest provider of residential home funding in the United States, announced Friday that it would pay the closing costs on purchases of foreclosed homes in its inventory.The government-controlled company said buyers of qualified properties will get up to 3.5 percent in closing costs, or an equivalent amount for the purchase of new appliances.The goal of Fannie is to clear out the nearly 50,000 properties it has in inventory- listed on HomePath.com, the Web site created by Fannie Mae last year to sell the growing number of foreclosed homes."Attracting qualified buyers to the market and reducing inventory of vacant … (0 comments)
buying homes: RE/MAX Network Continues Expansion
- 01/28/10 11:19 PM
RISMEDIA, January 29, 2010-Even in a year when the real estate industry continued to feel the effects of a recession, RE/MAX International, Inc. sold 630 franchises worldwide, while extending its global presence into eight new countries, the company has announced. In North America, several former competitors joined the RE/MAX Network, bringing with them more than 650 individual sales associates. "We continue to sell franchises in this economy, because RE/MAX offers the best value in the marketplace," said Vinnie Tracey, President, RE/MAX International Inc. "By joining RE/MAX, our new franchisees and our former competitors know they're getting the power of a … (2 comments)
buying homes: Buy NOW, Buy NOW, Buy NOW...
- 01/26/10 11:11 PM
Stakes Are High as Government Plans Exit from Mortgage Markets For more than a year, the government pulled out the stops to revive home buying by driving down mortgage rates. Now, whether the housing market is ready or not, the government is pulling out. The wind-down of federal support for mortgage rates, set to end in two months, is a momentous test of whether the Obama administration and the Federal Reserve have succeeded in jump-starting the housing market and ensuring it can hold its own. "We did what we thought was necessary to stabilize the market, but we don't think the … (5 comments)
buying homes: Changing the Way People Buy Homes: Using the 203k Program to Purchase ‘Dream Homes'
- 12/31/09 01:44 AM
Changing the Way People Buy Homes: Using the 203k Program to Purchase ‘Dream Homes' By Stephanie Andre RISMEDIA, December 31, 2009-Driving to work one morning earlier this summer, home buyer Lori Kramer was thinking about the homes she and her husband had looked at the day before. Then, she had a thought that would eventually change the direction of her home search completely. "My home at the time was listed for less than what we were approved for and it needed some work. So I wondered if we could use that remaining money to upgrade a home we were considering and … (0 comments)
buying homes: Pending Home Sales Rise 6.1% in September
- 11/16/09 10:46 PM
Pending Home Sales Rise 6.1% in September By Ken Sweet FOXBusiness The number of contracts signed for home purchases jumped for the eighth consecutive month in September, the National Association of Realtors said Monday, as home buyers moved quickly to take advantage of the first-time home buyer’s tax credit. According to NAR, the industry group’s pending home sales index rose 6.1% in September, compared with the 0.1% fall in the index that economists were expecting. Pending home sale activity is now 21.2% higher than it was a year ago, NAR said, making it the largest annual increase in pending home sales … (0 comments)
buying homes: Expanded Version of Tax Credit Will Allow More Homebuyers to Qualify
- 11/08/09 10:32 PM
Expanded Version of Tax Credit Will Allow More Homebuyers to Qualify RISMEDIA, November 9, 2009-President Obama recently signed an expanded version of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit that was set to expire on November 30. "The new version of the tax credit has the potential to stimulate the housing market even more than the old version due to the fact that more people will qualify under the new rules," said Gibran Nicholas, Chairman of the CMPS Institute, an organization that certifies mortgage bankers and brokers. "Although the tax credit remains at $8,000 for homebuyers that have not owned a primary residence … (0 comments)
buying homes: Home buyers should pay attention to IRS Form 4506-T
- 10/12/09 12:51 AM
Home buyers should pay attention to IRS Form 4506-T Not just a harmless part of the paper blizzard, it potentially exposes otherwise confidential personal financial information to unknown and uncontrollable numbers of people. By Kenneth R. Harney October 11, 2009
Reporting from Washington - You might assume it's just another boring-looking piece of the paper blitz you're hit with when you apply for a home loan. But given IRS Form 4506-T's new prominence in the fraud-shocked mortgage market, it's much more than just another document to sign.The form authorizes a loan officer or mortgage investor to get electronic transcripts from … (0 comments)
buying homes: RE/MAX International Partners with iQual
- 09/14/09 11:52 PM
RISMEDIA, September 15, 2009-RE/MAX International, Inc. recently announced a partnership with California-based iQual Corporation whose flagship product, the ApprovalGUARDTM Service, is designed to help consumers understand and manage their credit profile. The terms of the partnership will allow RE/MAX to provide consumer credit information and articles written by professional credit experts on real estate website remax.com. "Consumers have always found it difficult to understand their own credit, but in today's market many are also finding it harder to qualify for credit, and are looking for resources to help them proactively manage their personal credit profile," said Marnie Blanco, Vice President … (2 comments)
buying homes: Pending Home Sales on a Roll, Up for Sixth Straight Month
- 09/02/09 01:59 AM
RISMEDIA, September 2, 2009-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 Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in July, increased 3.2% to 97.6 from a reading of 94.6 in June, and is 12.0% higher than July 2008 when it was 87.1.The index is at the highest level since June 2007 when it was 100.7. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the housing market momentum has clearly turned for the … (1 comments)
buying homes: 'The Housing Market Has Decisively Turned for the Better'
- 08/25/09 03:28 AM
For the first time in five years, existing-home sales have increased for four months in a row, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Existing-home sales - including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops - rose 7.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.24 million units in July from a level of 4.89 million in June, and are 5.0 percent above the 4.99 million-unit pace in July 2008. The last time sales rose for four consecutive months was in June 2004, and the last time sales were higher than a year earlier was November 2005. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, … (0 comments)
Washington, August 04, 2009 Pending home sales are up for the fifth consecutive month, the first time in six years for such a streak, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The Pending Home Sales Index,1 a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in June, rose 3.6 percent to 94.6 from an upwardly revised reading of 91.3 in May, and is 6.7 percent above June 2008 when it was 88.7. The last time there were five consecutive monthly gains was in July 2003. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said a combination of positive market factors is fueling the gains. … (0 comments)
buying homes: Stock Market Rallies With Good News About Home Sales!
- 07/24/09 02:24 AM
At times I feel like a broken record - our market is different, we haven't been like the rest of the country, we are seeing houses sell, etc. It looks like other areas are beginning to experience what we are experiencing here in Raleigh, North Carolina. In a recent article on MSNBC it was reported that existing home sales are up 3 months in a row - check it out here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32104105/ns/business-real_estate/from/ET. I am not sure if other markets are experiencing the number of multiple contract situations that we are facing in the lower and middle price ranges, but we will find out. However, … (0 comments)
Seven Out of 10 Renters Say Owning a Home Is a Top Priority
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