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This chart shows home occupancy within an area.
A high percentage of ownership can indicate an area where people like to live and stable property prices. While a high percentage of rentals could indicate an area with shifting demographics, a younger community, or possibly a downtown area.
High vacancy rates can indicate that the market is unhealthy and that it could be tough to sell a home in this area.
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Review the inventory and health of the market by looking at the number of sold and listed properties.
To understand if the market inventory is growing or shrinking, compare the number of sold properties to new listings. If inventory is growing, the market could be trending toward a buyer's market. If inventory is shrinking, then it could be a seller's market.
Gauge the health of the market by comparing the number of standard to distressed listings. If the number of distressed listings is greater, the market could be unhealthy and more likely a buyer's market.
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Understand the difference between "listing prices" (what sellers are asking for) and "sold prices" (what buyers are willing to pay).
By comparing these price trends, you'll have a good idea of where the market is heading. The median listing and sold property prices are calculated based on the market activity each month.
Some sales are not immediately available from public records. As they become available, the data are updated.
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Buying short sales might seem like a good deal for the buyer, but that's not always the case. Here are three major conflicts buyers and sellers face when a short sale, pre-foreclosed home is on the market:
Short sale homes are the real estate market's diamond in the rough. It's true that buying short sales can be a very tricky process, but for the flexible and patient homebuyer, the short sale home can be the dream house they've been searching for.
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As the real estate market remains volatile, one of the best options for many new homebuyers is purchasing a short sale home. But, what does ôshort saleö mean? A short sale is when lenders have the opportunity to sell a property before the bank forecloses on the home rather than after. While buying short sales creates the opportunity for real estate investors to pay well-below-average housing prices for properties within ideal locations, there are still drawbacks.
The last thing a bank wants to do is own a property secured by the bank's loans. When a property owner is in default and owes more than what the home is currently worth, the bank will work with the seller to offer the property for less than they owe on the mortgage loan.
How much money will banks take off? When buying short sales, how much should I expect prices to fluctuate? On average, banks estimate that holding on to the property after foreclosure will cost up to 18 percent of the home value to complete the inspection, appraisals, repair and maintenance. Instead, it is a much easier and financially sound decision for banks to sell the home ôas isö to avoid any third-party inspection process.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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