DavidBlitzer, the Chairman of the Index Committee wrote an article January 26, 2012 in the Housing Matrix about Foreclosures. He states RealtyTrac reports that foreclosure activity across the US in December, and the full year 2011, dropped sharply.
Foreclosure filings in 2011 totaled 2.7 million, down 34% from 2010 and 33% below 2009 and 19% below 2008. Overall 1.45% of US homes experienced a foreclosure filing, about one in every 69 houses. Comparable percentages for earlier years were 2.23% in 2010, 2.21 in 2009 and 1.84% in 2008. December foreclosure activity hit a 49 month low, down 9% from November and 20% from December 2010.
On the otherhand…….
Mortgage Rates Are on the Rise Due to Better Housing Reports
Wall Street Journal - Mia Lamar - Rates for fixed mortgages moved higher over the past week amid positive signals from the long-suffering U.S. housing market, according toFreddieMac’s weekly survey of mortgage rates.
Remodels See Business Improving
Mortgage News Daily - JannSwanson- Like their home-building counterparts, remodelers who are members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) are displaying more confidence in their industry than they have in years. The NAHB's Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the fourth quarter of 2011 which measures remodelers' sentiments about their business climate rose to 46.6 its highest level in five year. In the third quarter the Index was 41.7.
IMPORTANT: If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in the Palm Desert Area, try searching properties on the same Desert Area MLS Realtor’s use, or give me a call….or visit my website at Palm Springs Homes and Estates. I will be happy to give you or your referral my “red carpet service.” After the sale, I will send you a $50 Gift Certificatetowards dinner in a fabulous Palm Springs Area Restaurant so you can celebrate!
Brought to You By Your Favorite Realtor,
Nancy Hankin
Selling a home and living in your home aren’t the same. When you are ready to sell your home, it’s important to unclutter every room in the house, including the closets and garage!Let’s start with the closets: If you are like many, you’ve probably held onto that old jacket, dress or sweater “just in case” you might wear it again, and in some instances, fit into it again. The rule of thumb here is “if you haven’t worn it in the past 12 months, then get rid of it.” Take it to your favorite thrift shop or hold a garage sale and let someone else enjoy them for a while.
5 ways to get more space, make smaller rooms look larger!
Once you have discarded all those unworn items, now it’s time to arrange your clothes in an orderly fashion. Hang all the blouses or shirts together, hang the slacks together. Suit jackets should also be hung together. You can even color coordinate now that you have room to spare! Put shoes on shoe racks or in labeled boxes. Purses should go on the top shelving. If you have room, buy a circular belt rack and keep all your belts together. You can also store away winter/summer items in the garage in the off season.
Now that you have become an expert at uncluttering closets, you can now move out to the garage and apply the same principles there. Pantries are also a favorite “catch-all” place to accumulate clutter. You’ll be amazed at all the clutter found here. And while you are at it, don’t forget to remove the clutter from kitchen and bathroom countertops. As mentioned earlier, your home needs to also be as de-personalized as possible when you are preparing it to go on the market, so this is a good time to remove all those family photos lining your hallway. Pack them up now, and enjoy them in your next home.
Not only will uncluttering help your home sell faster, but you will have less to move to your new place of residence. This will also save you time and money.
How to accentuate the positive
IMPORTANT: If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in the Palm Desert Area, try searching properties on the same Desert Area MLS Realtor’s use, or give me a call….or visit my website at Palm Springs Homes and Estates. I will be happy to give you or your referral my “red carpet service.” After the sale, I will send you a $50 Gift Certificate towards dinner in a fabulous Palm Springs Area Restaurant so you can celebrate!
Brought to You By Your Favorite Realtor,
Nancy Hankin
Here’s an article I think you should pay attention to, and just another reason WHY Open Houses may not be the best way to get that home sold. This article recently appeared in the Orange County RegisterBusiness Pages.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012— Realtors issued a warning to their members to be careful after two armed robbers held up a real estate agent and a prospective homebuyer at gunpoint at a Fullerton open house recently.
No one was injured in the incident, but the bandits made off with a large amount of cash that the house shopper had with him.
Although real estate agents often are victims of robberies, sexual assaults and slayings while working alone in vacant homes, police believe the home shopper was the target of the Jan. 8 crime.
Police believe that the robbers had followed the home shopper, a restaurant owner, from Los Angeles County in hopes of getting business proceeds.
Nonetheless, officials at the Anaheim-based Pacific West Association of Realtors issued a warning to their members to be cautious during open houses and to avoid working alone whenever possible.
“There’s been murders and robberies and all those things at open houses… and we felt it’s important to make sure our members are aware of these things,” said PWR CEO Nancy Gilmore.
Fullerton Sgt.AndrewGoodrichprovided details of the crime:
Two men entered a three-bedroom house in the 2200 block of Summit View Drive around 1:40 p.m. Jan. 8 where a female agent was showing the house. According to PWR, the agent was holding an open house at the time when a man came to look at it.
The men pulled out a gun and ordered the two to get on the floor, then took their cell phones, keys and wallets. At least one robber went outside and searched the man’s car, then the bandits left, escaping with “a large amount of cash.”Goodrichdeclined to say exactly how much.
What many sellers are NOT aware of, is over 85% of today’s buyers “shop on-line” before they contact a Realtor. In the past, Open Houses were an excellent way for Realtors to meet prospective buyers……however, since the advent of the Internet, buyers are now shopping on- line while sitting comfortably on their homes or offices. That’s why my client’s homes are listed on over 100 Internet Sites when they list with me. It’s safer and it gets their homes SOLD!
Let us know what safety precautions you use when doing an Open House by leaving a comment below.
IMPORTANT: If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in the Palm Desert Area, try searching properties on the same Desert Area MLS Realtor’s use, or give me a call….or visit my website at Palm Springs Homes and Estates. I will be happy to give you or your referral my “red carpet service.” After the sale, I will send you a $50 Gift Certificatetowards dinner in a fabulous Palm Springs Area Restaurant so you can celebrate!
Brought to You By Your Favorite Realtor,
Nancy Hankin
“It’s no surprise with rising energy prices and other costs draining the piggy bank that homeowners want to maximize home performance with green remodeling options,” said NAHB Remodelers Chairman Lonny Rutherford, CGR, CAPS, CGP, a professional remodeler from Farmington, N. M. “Professional remodelers provide the solution for making the 125 million existing single-family homes in the United States more energy-efficient.”
The group responsible for compiling data about green energy systems is the National Green Building Standard,™. This organization includes the only consensus rating system for remodeling. This standard provides a roadmap for green remodeling and assures consumers that remodelers know how to plan and complete authentically green remodels.
Remodelers have installed a number of efficiency-enhancing products in recent months, including:
- Windows—73 percent of surveyed remodelers installed more energy-efficient windows that are insulated to prevent outdoor heat exchange.
- Insulation—65 percent made upgrades such as insulation replacement and spraying foam or fiber insulation into enclosed walls and roof cavities, while 27 percent insulated foundations and 52 percent installed insulated exterior doors.
- High-efficiency HVAC systems(56 percent)
- High-efficiency kitchen appliances(47 percent)
- Water-saving faucets and fixtures(46 percent)
“Newer technologiesare also quickly gaining in popularity,” saysRutherford.
“Thirty-five percent of remodelers reported installing tankless water heaters, which save on energy costs by heating water on demandinstead of continuously eating energy.”
There are a multitude of ways we can learn to conserve our energy, and many homeowners are doing this as they remodel existing homes, or move to newer homes which already have many of the energy saving systems.
Many In The Palm Springs Desert Area Are Learning How To Go Green and I’d love to hear how YOU are using green energy saving techniques in your homes.
IMPORTANT: If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in the Palm Desert Area, try searching properties on the same Desert Area MLS Realtor’s use, or give me a call….or visit my website at Palm Springs Homes and Estates. I will be happy to give you or your referral my “red carpet service.” After the sale, I will send you a $50 Gift Certificatetowards dinner in a fabulous Palm Springs Area Restaurant so you can celebrate!
Brought to You By Your Favorite Realtor,
Nancy Hankin
I think I can! I think I can!With the tendency of the news media to tell us everything that's wrong with our economy, it's easy to lose sight of the good stuff.
There are many reasons why you may need or want to sell your present home in the Palm Springs Desert Area, or surrounding areas. But is it impossible, given today's real estate climate? Absolutely not! It is possible! It is a matter of making smart decisions, including marketing, pricing and amassing the right team of expert help.
The days of 'house flipping' for easy money have come to a screeching halt. And that is a good thing. Wisdom holds that we were in an unrealistic situation that needed a correction. But that doesn't mean the rest of us have to roll up in the corner and play dead. Don't let the naysayers stop you from realizing your dreams. It may take a little more effort and time but yes, you can!
Buyers may have a mental list of what they want in a home, but their decision is usually made in the first few seconds. They will naturally look for the negative aspects so make sure they have no reason not to choose your home.
Repair, repaint and remove! Fix those broken hinges and leaky faucets. Paint everything a fresh, neutral color and get rid of all clutter, even in the hidden spaces.
5 ways to get more space; make small rooms look bigger.
When you are ready to sell your home, you and I become Partners. I have over 20 years of experience in selling properties in the Coachella Valley.
What can YOUdo to help?
Just give me a call or email meand we will get started on selling your home! I’m here to help any way I can.
IMPORTANT: If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in the Palm Desert Area, try searching properties on the same Desert Area MLS Realtor’s use, or give me a call….or visit my website at Palm Springs Homes and Estates. I will be happy to give you or your referral my “red carpet service.” After the sale, I will send you a $50 Gift Certificatetowards dinner in a fabulous Palm Springs Area Restaurant so you can celebrate!
Brought to You By Your Favorite Realtor,
Nancy Hankin
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Nancy, “In the People Business Since 1965” Using Old Fashioned Service with New Fashioned Technology! Matching a Buyer’s Lifestyle with Homes & Communities in the Breathtaking California Desert.
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