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Thomas Brewer

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House Values in Fort Worth, Arlington and Mansfield

04-17-08
Thomas Brewer
The funny thing about house values is that if you ask 8 out of 10 potential buyers for Real Estate in Fort Worth, Arlington or Mansfield you will get a pretty consistent opinion on value. Due to the national stats potential buyers are swayed to an opinion that their potential house purchase will actually lose value. The ironic part of this opinion is that they are misled by the media. Due to the influx of new jobs to the DFW area house values will hold their own and in some areas this year will go up. Every market will have some declining neighborhoods or areas but as I have constantly said before "We live in a fishbowl in the eye of a hurricane in our area due to the economic forecast and job growth in DFW area homes" Go to http://www.tombrewerjr.com/ for more information.
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Forecast for the Week for Mansfield, Arlington and Fort Worth Real Estate

04-17-08
Thomas Brewer
And with the word "caution" in mind...there are several reports due this week which could impact the markets and home loan rates. Monday's Retail Sales Report will kick-off the week with some potential for volatility, and Wednesday will bring the inflation measuring Consumer Price Index, as well as a read on the housing market via the Housing Starts and Building Permits Report. Go to http://www.tombrewerjr.com/ for more information.

Bonds continue to bounce around in a wide range - and remember, when Bond prices move higher, home loan rates move lower...and vice versa. The chart below shows how Bond prices are recently moving between a floor of support at the 50-day Moving Average, and an overhead ceiling representing
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Last Week in Review

04-17-08
Thomas Brewer

"IT REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL OF BOLDNESS AND A GREAT DEAL OF CAUTION TO MAKE A GREAT FORTUNE." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson. And a great deal of caution was definitely important last week, as "earnings season" began on Wall Street. First quarter earnings for Stocks got off to a bit of a rough start, with disappointing news from aluminum company Alcoa - always the first in line to report. And General Electric surprised to the downside on Friday, with worse than expected earnings and comments on future earnings, cautioning they'd likely be lower than previously thought. The Stock market didn't like the negative tone and lost some ground, while Bonds moved both up and down during the week - hurt by some inflationary fears, but helped by cash coming over from Stocks. For the week overall, home loan rates ended up close to where they began. Go to http://www.tombrewerjr.com/ for more information.

In other news last week, "Meeting Minutes" from the March 18th Fed meeting revealed that infamous Fed Presidents Richard "Loose Lips" Fisher and Charlie Plosser both dissented from the recent decision to cut the Fed Funds Rate, stating that "inflation expectations could potentially become unhinged, if the Fed continues to lower the Fed Funds Rate in the current environment." Bold comments from two who clearly believe caution regarding inflation is of the utmost importance.

And caution, rather than confidence, seems to be the word of the moment, as Consumer Sentiment for April was reported far below expectations, representing a 26-yr low for the index. This very ugly reading suggests that consumers may be hesitant to make large purchases, which does not bode well for future economic prospects.

Despite the dark cloud cast from the negative economic news, the silver lining is that home loan rates are once again near levels not seen since mid-2005. But remember, these low rates can change quickly. To see how you may benefit from the current market

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Sellers Versus Buyers - Or Is It David Versus Goliath

04-07-08
Thomas Brewer
I have always believed that in the end everything balances in an equation or you have no equation at all. I have been taking potential buyers out to look at houses recently and I have found an interesting shift in what they are looking for. Go to http://www.tombrewerjr.com/for more information.

Today's buyer wants and should expect from their buyers agent the very best possible deal that they can get. The interesting part of the equation is that while that is not new, the perception of the best deal they can get has changed. The press has inundated all of us with lowering home values and slow credit markets. While to a certain extent that is true depending upon your location it does not change the fact that the seller has only so much leverage in their transaction to where the equation does not equal up. I have seen this twice in the last week where the buyer and the seller would not move off of their respective positions in the negotiation although value is there for both parties.

I represent buyers and sellers in Texas and our markets while softening are not slow comparably speaking to other regions of the country. The perception from the buyer however is the same for all markets and the perception of the seller is the same as well. The conclusion is to inform your buyers as much as possible concerning our markets and prepping the seller so that there may need to be a soft landing to complete the transaction. Food for thought in interesting real estate times.
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Forecast for the Week for Mansfield, Arlington and Fort Worth Real Estate and Homes for Sale Loans

04-07-08
Thomas Brewer
Another classic Yogi Berra-ism is, "I never said most of the things I said." Luckily, the Fed can't make the same claim. This coming Tuesday, the "Meeting Minutes" or open commentary of the Fed's last monetary policy meeting will be released to the public. If there are inflammatory comments, the market could respond quickly. Go to http://www.tombrewerjr.com/for more information.

Remember, when Bond prices move higher, home loan rates move lower. And as you can see in the chart below, Bonds have rebounded higher off of their key 50-day moving average support level, and are moving back toward the upper portion of their current trading range. This means if Bond prices continue to move toward the upper boundary of the range, we could see home loan rates improve slightly.
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