Kevin Marciniak - REMAX Realty 100 - REALTOR

Just reviewed the Centralized Showing Service report. This is the company that handles the showings for all 4 of the RE/MAX Realty 100 offices. These listings cover Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties along with a few others. Our company as a whole has just slightly less listings than 4 weeks ago (802 total listings). Showings dropped significantly the first couple of weeks in December, most likely because people were in the Christmas mode. The good news is that the past 2 weeks we have seen a jump in the number of showings from 228 (the week before Christmas) to 328 and now for this past week we are at 536.

Good news for all of our sellers! Let's hope that the weather remains warm and the economy continues to improve! Both of these will help in the number of showings and the number of people looking at homes! As far as I am concerned, the weather can stay this way through March!

I recently read an article about how the middle priced homes are having the hardest time selling. The article said that the luxury home market is up and that the low priced investor market is also up. It pointed to the fact that the middle class is being squeezed right now and that they have been hit the hardest by the recession. They are not able to sell their home nor can they buy a new one. So in essence, this movement stagnates the middle market and it is a big concern for the housing market that is struggling to rebound.

I certainly can attest to it since marketing the Franklin, Greenfield, Greendale and other Milwaukee and Waukesha County areas. In many of the areas, prices have dropped to their lowest levels and still activity is slow. The move- up market is just not there and first time buyers are concentrating on the lower priced short sales or foreclosures, where no move-up seller is involved.

We really need to help all people get back to work and hopefully this reduction in unemployment will allow people to begin to use their purchase power so that the housing economy gets headed in a positive direction.

I just read a report by Morgan Stanley that said multi-family housing is expected to see a multi-million dollar boost because of all the foreclosed upon homeowners that have lost their homes and are now forced to be in the rental market. These people are likely going to pay rent over the next 5 years as they repair their credit. Total rental payments would be approximately $72 billion according to Morgan Stanley.

Since 2007, there have been 8.9 million homes have been lost to foreclosure, with more expected. On top of that, about 7.5 million households are delinquent on their mortgage or in the process of foreclosure.

Foreclosures are expected to chip away at the home ownership rate. The home ownership rate is expected to fall in the coming years to 60 percent. Most recently, the home ownership rate is 65% according to the Census Bureau. This is down from its peak of 69%.

With all of the above numbers, now may be the time to examine your own numbers. Maybe now is the time for you to become a landlord, whether it means buying a single family house, duplex or multi-family. With interest rates historically low, there is great opportunity. Trust me…it is not easy to qualify for an investment property. We can direct you to a lender and / or financial planner who can help you with that decision. It is a personal decision but one that may lead to your own financial security.

With low home prices and ultra-low interest rates, the housing market is offering perhaps the
best deals of this generation.

Since the housing boom of 2006, home prices have fallen about 31 percent. Also, mortgage rates
have been hovering at record lows for the past few weeks (4 percent range or even lower on 30-
year fixed-rate mortgages).

It’s hard to see the possibility of losing on a home purchase right now with these mortgage rates.
Prices may go lower, but not by much.

Here is a good scenario that shows that waiting to buy is probably not a good idea. Buying a
$300,000 home with a 4 percent mortgage rate and a 20 percent down payment would mean
a $1,145 monthly payment. The Mortgage Bankers Association recently predicted that home
prices may fall another 3.5 percent by mid-2012 but mortgage rates will increase by a half-point.
So for that same loan under that scenario, a home would sell for $289,000 while the monthly
mortgage payment would be $1,171… only a $26 difference.

So…for those who can qualify for a mortgage, playing the waiting game won't result in much of
an advantage. The Dale Marciniak Team can discuss your personal situation and best strategy
for getting a great deal right now!

Trick or Treat Hours and Safety

Here are just a sampling of neighboring communities and their Trick or Treat Hours:

Franklin – Sunday Oct 30th 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Oak Creek – Sunday Oct 30th 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

West Allis – Sunday Oct 30th 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Greenfield – Sunday Oct 30th 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Greendale – Sunday Oct 30th 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Here are a few safety tips can protect children who plan to go trick-or-treating this Halloween.

Treats: Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of
tampering.

Costume Designs: Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to
motorists.

•For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that
will glow in the beam of a car's headlights. Also, it’s a good idea for children to carry flashlights.

•Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.

•Hats and scarves should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes.

•Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might
obscure vision. If a mask is used, however, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large
enough to allow full vision.

Pedestrian Safety: Young children should always be accompanied by an adult or an older, responsible
child. All children should WALK, not run from house to house and use the sidewalk if available, rather
than walk in the street

Choosing Safe Houses: Children should go only to homes where the residents are known and have
outside lights on as a sign of welcome.