Real estate blog entries tagged with home values in parkland by Jon Klein, Search Parkland Homes for Sale - Parkland FL (Real Living 1st Choice Realty)

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home values in parkland: U.S. Posts Its 20th Straight Month Of Job Growth - 06/05/12 05:07 AM

For the second straight year, the jobs market looks to be slowing into the summer. Last Friday, in its monthly Non-Farm Payrolls report for May 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 69,000 net new jobs created, plus a one-tick rise in the national Unemployment Rate to 8.2%. 2012 is shaping up like 2011, it appears. Last year, between May and August, the jobs market was decidedly worse as compared to the rest of the year, adding just 80,000 jobs on average per month as compared to 190,000 new jobs created on average during each of the other 8 months. This … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: How To Keep Your Home House Fly Free - 06/04/12 09:28 AM

As the calendar turns to June and the temperatures start to rise in FL and nationwide, we begin to spot more bugs, insects and pests as compared to during the winter. Hiring an exterminator is one way to limit the number of ground-based bugs in your home. For example, periodic treatments can help to keep ants, beetles and termites at bay. For airborne pests, however, prevention can be more difficult. House flies can be especially nagging. They often enter through open doors and windows, then buzz through kitchen and bedrooms, spreading germs and general annoyance. If your home is battling house … (1 comments)

home values in parkland: Foreclosures Fall To 5-Year Low - 05/30/12 12:27 AM

Foreclosure filings fell 5 percent between March and April of this year, and by 11 percent as compared to one year ago. This data comes from RealtyTrac. The foreclosure-tracking firm tallied fewer than 189,000 foreclosure-related actions last month -- the fewest number since July 2007. Rapidly-declining foreclosure figures are another signal that the U.S. housing market may already be in recovery. According to RealtyTrac's methodology, a "foreclosure filing" is any one of the following foreclosure-related events : (1) A default notice on a home; (2) A scheduled auction for a home; or, (3) A bank repossession of a home. All three … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: Save Energy For Summer : Flip Your Ceiling Fan Rotation - 05/28/12 11:45 PM

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and, in many parts of the country, weekend weather was indistinguishable from what one might expect in August. Temperatures climbed into the 90s throughout the Southwest, South Central, Midwest and Southeast and even crossed 100 degrees in parts of Kansas. For homeowners with ceiling fans, the change of season offers a timely reminder to change the direction in which ceiling fan blades rotate. Properly-rotating ceiling fan blades not only cools your home more efficiently, but can lower your energy bill, too. Ceiling fans are meant to amplify your home's natural heating and cooling … (4 comments)

home values in parkland: New Home Sales Rise For 7th Month Out Of 8 - 05/23/12 11:35 PM

The April New Home Sales report suggests that the market for newly-built homes is as strong as the market for existing ones. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of new homes sold rose 3.3 percent in April to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized 343,000 units sold -- its second-highest reading since April 2010. April 2010 marked the last month of that year's federal home buyer tax credit program. April's New Home Sales data also marks the 7th of eight consecutive months during which the number of new homes sold climbed nationwide, a streak unequaled in recent history. During this period, the … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: Home Affordability Reaches New High In Q1 2012 - 05/22/12 12:02 AM

Falling mortgage rates and stagnant home prices are making a positive effect on home affordability nationwide. Never before in recorded history have so many homes been affordable to households earning a moderate annual income. Last week, the National Association of Home Builders reported the Home Opportunity Index at 77.5 -- its highest reading of all-time. The index indicates that more than 3 of every 4 homes sold last quarter were affordable to households earning the national median income of $65,000. Last quarter marks the 12th straight quarter -- dating back to 2009 -- in which the index surpassed 70. Prior to … (1 comments)

home values in parkland: America's 10 Richest Counties - 05/20/12 11:28 PM

There are 3,033 counties in the United States. Which 10 are the richest in terms of median household income? Not surprisingly, those near major economic centers rank high. In a study based on household income estimates from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, Loudoun County, Virginia captures the number one spot in America's Richest Counties. Loudoun County is a Washington, D.C. suburb and is home to Dulles International Airport, as well as a well-educated workforce. The complete Top 10 list of America's Richest Counties : Loudoun County, Virginia ($115,574) Falls Church City, Virginia ($114,409) Fairfax County, Virginia ($105,416) Los Alamos County, … (6 comments)

home values in parkland: Home Affordability Getting A Springtime Boost From Greece - 05/14/12 11:45 PM

Home affordability is receiving a boost from across the Atlantic Ocean this spring. For the third time in as many years, a weakening Eurozone is pushing May mortgage rates to new lows throughout South FL and nationwide. The story centers in Greece and begins in 2010. 2 years ago, it was uncovered that successive Greece governments had purposefully misreported the nation-state's economic statistics in order to meet European Union standards. The fraudulent data had permitted Greek governments to spend beyond their means while hiding deficits from EU auditors. The realization that Greece was heavy in debt with little means to repay … (1 comments)

home values in parkland: Reverse Mortgages : Pros And Cons - 05/08/12 12:12 AM

Despite several big-name banks pulling the product from their respective home loan offerings, reverse mortgages remain a popular mortgage choice among homeowners aged 62 and over. A reverse mortgage is exactly what it sounds like -- a mortgage in reverse. Rather than borrow a fixed amount of money then pay that loan balance down to zero as with a "forward" mortgage, a reverse mortgage starts at a given loan balance and works its way up as scheduled payments are added to the existing loan balance. This 4-minute piece from NBC's The Today Show highlights a few pros and cons of reverse … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement - 04/25/12 06:38 AM

The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged within its current target range of 0.000-0.250 percent Wednesday. For the fifth consecutive month, the Fed Funds Rate vote was nearly unanimous. Just one FOMC member, Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker, dissented in the 9-1 vote. The Fed Funds Rate has been near zero percent since December 2008. It is expected to remain near-zero through 2014, at least. In its press release, the Federal Reserve noted that the U.S. economy has been "expanding moderately" since the FOMC's last meeting in March. Beyond the next few quarters, the … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: New Home Sales Revised Higher In February; Slip 7% In March - 04/25/12 03:04 AM

Sales of new homes ticked lower in March, unexpectedly. Based on Census Bureau data, the number of new, single-family homes sold in March slipped 7 percent from February -- the largest one-month drop in more than a year. On a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, buyers in Florida and nationwide purchased 328,000 newly-built homes last month. The decrease in sales from February to March can be attributed, in part, though, to a massive upward revision in February's figures. Last month, the Census Bureau had reported 313,000 new home sales in February on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. This month, those sales were re-measured to … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: America’s 20 Best Small Towns - 04/22/12 11:35 PM

America is stuffed with world-class "big cities"; New York, San Francisco and Chicago make for three great examples. But beyond the biggest cities, there are some wonderful small towns, too. Smithsonian.com highlights 20 of them on its website. Focusing on cities with 25,000 residents or fewer, the publication ranked areas high in "culture"; towns with high concentrations of museums, public gardens, art galleries and other cultural assets including resident orchestras. The author states "big cities and grand institutions per se don't produce creative works; individuals do. And being reminded of that is fun". The Top 10 Small Towns in America, as … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: Existing Home Sales Slip In March - Not Bad News in Parkland & Coral Springs - 04/20/12 12:07 AM

In March, for the second straight month, home resales slipped nationwide. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, March 2012 Existing Home Sales fell to 4.48 million units on a seasonally-adjusted annualized basis -- a 3 percent drop from February. An "existing home" is a home that's been previously occupied or owned. The weaker-than-expected Existing Home Sales data is the third such housing report this month to suggest a lull in the spring housing market. Earlier this week, homebuilder confidence slipped for the first time in three months and March Single-Family Housing Starts fell, too. The news wasn't entirely bad for … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: Nevada Relinquishes "Top Foreclosure State" Title - 04/19/12 12:28 AM

According to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac, foreclosure filings fell to 199,000 in March 2012, a 17 percent decrease from March 2011. Last month marks the first time since July 2007 that foreclosure filings numbered less than 200,000 on a monthly basis -- a span of nearly 5 years. The generic term "foreclosure filing" is used to group all types of foreclosure activity into a single reading. It includes default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions. As in most months, foreclosure density varied by region. 6 states accounted for more than half of the nation's repossessed homes in March. Florida : 13.6 percent … (1 comments)

home values in parkland: Mortgage Rates Fall For Third Straight Week - 04/13/12 04:42 AM

After a brief surge north of 4 percent last month, mortgage rates have settled down, near their lowest levels of all-time. According to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, for applicants willing to pay 0.7 discount points plus a complete set of closing costs, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 3.88 percent this week. 0.7 discount points adds $700 to your mortgage closing costs for each $100,000 borrowed. Mortgage rates are down this week on "safe haven" buying. The move is triggered by Wall Street's concern that Spain and Italy will have trouble servicing their respective sovereign … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: Homes Get More Affordable On March Jobs Data - 04/10/12 02:27 AM

Americans continue to get back to work. Last Friday, in its Non-Farm Payrolls report for the month of March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced 120,000 net new jobs created, plus combined revisions in the January and February reports of +4,000 jobs. The March report marks the 18th straight month of job growth nationwide -- the first time that's happened in 5 years. The Unemployment Rate dipped in March, too, falling one-tenth of one percent to 8.2%. This is its lowest national Unemployment Rate since February 2009. Clearly, the jobs market is moving in the right direction. Yet, after the Non-Farm … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: Build Your Own Rain Barrel To Save Money, Environment - 04/09/12 02:52 AM

According to the EPA, during summer months, lawn and garden watering account for roughly 40% of a typical home's water use. It's a statistic that reminds us how "green lawns" can be wasteful to both the environment and household budgets -- especially with drought conditions expected and water costs rising in many U.S. municipalities. As a homeowner in Parkland or Coral Springs , to help Mother Nature and your wallet, consider added a rain barrel to your home. A rain barrel is a rain-capturing system that collects and stores water runoff from your roof. Often attached to a home's gutter system, … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: Fed Minutes Causes Mortgage Rates To Rise Suddenly - 04/04/12 03:32 AM

The Federal Reserve has released the minutes from its last FOMC meeting, a 1-day affair held March 13, 2012. Mortgage rates in FL are rising on the news. For the un-indoctrinated, 3 weeks after it meets, the Federal Open Market Committee, the sub-group within the Federal Reserve that votes on U.S. monetary policy, publishes its meeting minutes. Similar to the minutes from a corporate event, or condominium association meeting, the Fed Minutes recounts the conversations and debates that transpired throughout the meeting. The Fed Minutes is a lengthy publication, often filling 10 pages or more. By contrast, the more well-known publication … (0 comments)

home values in parkland: Spring Cleaning Shortcuts - 04/02/12 01:56 AM

It's April in Parkland & Coral Springs and warmer weather is coming (Yes, it will get warmer). It's Spring Cleaning season. Do you have a checklist? In some households, spring cleaning is an annual ritual, taking anywhere from a full day to an entire week to complete. Room-by-room, foot-by-foot, dust, dirt and grime are replaced with cleanliness and shine. No matter in which way to you choose to tackle your chores, though, the people at Real Simple have you covered. The magazine's website provides a thorough, detailed walk-through of the most common spring cleaning tasks. It also offers a "shortcut" series. … (2 comments)

home values in parkland: Case-Shiller Shows Uneven Recovery For U.S. Housing - 03/28/12 11:45 PM

Recent data suggests that the U.S. housing market is in recovery. However, the data also shows this to be an uneven recovery. According to the monthly S&P/Case-Shiller Index, for example, home values rose in three of 20 tracked markets between December 2011 and January 2012. 17 tracked markets showed home prices still in decline. It's easy to point to the Case-Shiller Index as evidence that the housing market in South FL has yet to bottom, but we have to consider the Case-Shiller Index's shortcomings -- specifically in a recovering economy. For example, the Case-Shiller Index is based on changes in home … (0 comments)

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