About Saint Clair County, IL

Open House in Lenzburg Illinois MLS 2905423 $92,500 4 bdrm 1 bath 1594 sq ft

321 N. Main Street

Lenzburg Illinois 62255

Sunday 22 November 2009

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Very clean and well maintained 1 1/2 story older home. Living room has brick surrounded fireplace flanked by bookshelves and stained glass windows. Home has plenty of closet space, a screened in porch with swing. A must see home!

The recent survey by move.com revealed some interesting results about how Americans view what's happening in housing. As noted in a previous blog, Survey Says: Only 1 in 20 Respondents Say They Will Buy Next Year, at a time when the unemployment rate is over 10% nationwide, potential home buyers are concerned about the economy.

•· 48% felt the government wasn't doing enough to help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure, while 42% thought there was enough government action

•· 45% worry that they or someone they know will face foreclosure in the next year.

•· 38% had contacted their lender within the past year to reduce their payments.

•· 25% of those who refinanced used the freed-up money for living expenses or debt reduction

•· 9% are putting the savings towards investments or retirement

The survey group was comprised of 2/3 homeowners and 1/3 renters. Will the credit be enough to stir up the market and encourage people to by their first home or their move-up home? The new housing credit will undoubtedly awaken interest in some potential buyers who were not qualified to use the last credit.

Many people like to consider themselves real estate consultants these days. Our job as agents is to help good candidates look past economic news and buy affordable homes if it makes sense. The next few months, we can expect to be busy with sales that close and with consultants with clients who need an assessment of their readiness, and if they're ready - a tiny push.

Before the home buyers tax credit was extended through April, 2010 and expanded to include more buyers, a survey by move.com indicated that only 1 in 20 people surveyed said they would buy a house next year. Why? The top reason was that they felt that home prices had hit bottom. This was more important than bargain priced foreclosures, concerns about interest rates, and the pool of available homes.

This revelation feeds into our ongoing discussion of glass half empty/glass half full approach to real estate. Of course, the number of people who might say they are planning to buy might increase in view of the credit, the responses indicate people are concerned about economic stability in our recession-prone world. It remains our challenge to seek out qualified buyers who might be in a position to buy in the right circumstances.

Some people with credit problems might be interested but will not qualify for the best rates. We can increase our sales among this group by encouraging them to clean up their credit report, directing them to an affordable home, and directing them to a lender who can help them.

Some of us focus more on the credit-stable buyer who can afford a pricey house, but millions of solid Americans with "issues" need our services too.

Commitment: I will look for ways to beat the 1 in 20 statistic and increase my business.

Deadline: _________________

Open House in O'Fallon Illinois

437 Highland Glen Court

(Winding Creek Estates Subdivision)

O'Fallon Illinois 62269

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

$219,000

10 Room

4 Bed

2.5 bath