Showing posts with label national association of realtors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label national association of realtors. Show all posts
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Who Are the Best Real Estate Agents in Little Rock?
Monday, June 25, 2012
HouseLogic Offers a $20,000 Home Renovation with Boost Your Roost Contest
"HouseLogic is all about providing the information people need to get the most out of their homes. The Boost Your Roost contest helps us more directly impact the value — emotional and financial — of the home for one lucky winner," said Frank Sibley, NAR senior vice president for consumer media. "We're excited to see the creative ideas that homeowners submit."
HouseLogic is partnering with six bloggers to collect entries. Each blogger will select one finalist to compete for the grand prize. In the final phase of the contest, visitors to HouseLogic.com will vote for one of the six finalists. The winner of the $20,000 renovation prize will also have their renovation project documented from start to finish in an original video series that will run on HouseLogic in the fall.
To submit an idea, entrants can visit one of these participating blogs, where each blogger will review and nominate one entry as a finalist:
- Centsational Girl (www.centsationalgirl.com)
- Curbly (www.curbly.com)
- Making It Lovely (www.makingitlovely.com)
- Pretty Handy Girl (www.prettyhandygirl.com)
- Someday I'll Learn (www.somedayilllearn.com)
- The Design Confidential (www.thedesignconfidential.com)
For more information on official Boost Your Roost contest rules and tips on how to make smart decisions and take responsible actions to maintain, protect and enhance the value of your home, visit www.houselogic.com.
HouseLogic is a free source of information and tools from the National Association of Realtors® that helps homeowners make smart decisions and take responsible actions to maintain, protect, and enhance the value of their home. HouseLogic helps homeowners plan and organize their home projects and provides timely articles and news; home improvement advice and how-tos; and information about taxes, home finances, and insurance.
The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Friday, June 22, 2012
NAR: Fewer House, Higher Prices.
According to a news release from the National Association of Realtors, limited supplies of housing inventory held back existing-home sales in May, but sales maintained a strong lead over year-ago levels and home prices are on a sustained uptrend in all regions, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Total existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, declined 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.55 million in May from 4.62 million in April, but are 9.6 percent above the 4.15 million-unit pace in May 2011.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said inventory shortages in certain areas have been building all year. "The slight pullback in monthly home sales is more likely due to supply constraints rather than softening demand. The normal seasonal upturn in inventory did not occur this spring," he said. "Even with the monthly decline, home sales have moved markedly higher with 11 consecutive months of gains over the same month a year earlier."
There are broad-based shortages of inventory in the lower price ranges in much of the country except the Northeast, and in the West supply is extremely tight in all price ranges except for the upper end. "Realtors® in Western states have been calling for an expedited process to get additional foreclosed properties onto the market because they have more buyers than available property," Yun added. Widespread inventory shortages also are found in much of Florida.
Total housing inventory at the end of May slipped 0.4 percent to 2.49 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 6.6-month supply2 at the current sales pace; there was a 6.5-month supply in April. Listed inventory is 20.4 percent below a year ago when there was a 9.1-month supply. Unsold inventory has trended down from a record 4.04 million in July 2007; supplies reached a cyclical peak of 12.1 months in July 2010.
"The recovery is occurring despite excessively tight credit conditions and higher downpayment requirements, which are negating the impact of record high affordability conditions," Yun said.
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage declined to a record low 3.80 percent in May from 3.91 percent in April; the rate was 4.64 percent in May 2011; recordkeeping began in 1971.
The national median existing-home price3 for all housing types rose 7.9 percent to $182,600 in May from a year ago, the third consecutive month of year over year price gains. The last time there were three back-to-back price increases from the same month a year earlier was from March to May of 2006. "Some of the price gain results from a shrinking share distressed homes in the sales mix," Yun explained.
Distressed homes4 - foreclosures and short sales sold at deep discounts - accounted for 25 percent of May sales (15 percent were foreclosures and 10 percent were short sales), down from 28 percent in April and 31 percent in May 2011. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 19 percent below market value in May, while short sales were discounted 14 percent.
NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc., in Miami, offers advice to buyers in markets with limited supply. "We are hearing a lot about multiple bidding and quick sales in areas with tight supply, with competition between first-time buyers and cash investors, who have a significant advantage," he said.
"It's extremely important to listen to the advice of your agent and perform all the due diligence that you would normally do in a more balanced market, such as making offers contingent upon a satisfactory home inspection," Veissi said.
"It's extremely important to listen to the advice of your agent and perform all the due diligence that you would normally do in a more balanced market, such as making offers contingent upon a satisfactory home inspection," Veissi said.
First-time buyers accounted for 34 percent of purchasers in May, compared with 35 percent in April and 36 percent in May 2011.
All-cash sales slipped to 28 percent of transactions in May from 29 percent in April; they were 30 percent in May 2011. Investors, who account for the bulk of cash sales, purchased 17 percent of homes in May, down from 20 percent in April and 19 percent in May 2011. "These figures reflect a modest increase in traditional repeat home buyers in May," Yun said.
Single-family home sales slipped 1.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.05 million in May from 4.09 million in April, but are 10.4 percent above the 3.67 million-unit level in May 2011. The median existing single-family home price was $182,900 in May, up 7.7 percent from a year ago.
Existing condominium and co-op sales fell 5.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 500,000 in May from 530,000 in April, but are 4.2 percent higher than the 480,000-unit pace one year ago. The median existing condo price was $180,000 in May, which is 8.8 percent above May 2011.
Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 4.8 percent to an annual level of 590,000 in May but are 7.3 percent higher than May 2011. The median price in the Northeast was $250,700, up 3.8 percent from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the Midwest rose 1.0 percent in May to a pace of 1.04 million and are 19.5 percent above a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $147,700, up 6.4 percent from May 2011.
In the South, existing-home sales slipped 0.6 percent to an annual level of 1.78 million in May but are 9.2 percent higher May 2011. The median price in the South was $159,700, up 7.8 percent from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the West declined 3.4 percent to an annual pace of 1.14 million in May but are 3.6 percent above a year ago. The median price in the West was $233,900, up 13.4 percent from May 2011. "The sharp price increase in the West results largely from more sales at the upper end of the market," Yun explained.
The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
House to House: Personal photos may be distraction for home’s prospective buyers
The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and numerous papers throughout Arkansas is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association. The photo is by www.ARSportsPhoto.com
Using personal photos to decorate the walls and tables is common in homes. It certainly is in the Glover Bryant house. However, if I were trying to sell my home, those personal photos of my dogs, my kids, my parents — basically my life — may be a turnoff to potential homebuyers. Plus, if you think about it, people looking at my home are going to learn an awful lot about me, and I’m not so sure what I think about that.
As with any issue, opinions differ. My opinion is that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
House to House: Bees in residence cause danger to homeowners, neighbors
Last fall, neighbors alerted my friend Michelle that they were seeing bees on the far side of her home. They had small children playing in the area and wanted her to be aware so that she might have it investigated. Sure enough, there were lots of bees. Michelle called around and found a local pest control company that specialized in bees.
They came to her house and watched over several days and decided that they should try to “dust” them out. The company applied this dusting process in the late fall, hoping that it would remove them. Winter came and Michelle crossed her fingers that they had either moved on or found a new home. Nope.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
House to House: Tips help readers get bats out of belfry, other areas of home
The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and numerous papers throughout Arkansas is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association.
I don’t know if it is the warm weather, but there seems to be a lot more news about bats in Arkansas lately. Just last week I was reading about a bat with rabies being found near the Old Mill in North Little Rock.
The good news is that bats are one of the best insect controls there is, eating up to 600 mosquitoes each in an hour. We love this aspect of bats so much that my husband and I are considering building a bat house. We are getting our plans from the Organization for Bat Conservation website atwww.batconservation.org/drupal/free_plans.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
House to House: HouseLogic offers tips to avoid common holiday mishaps
The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and numerous papers throughout Arkansas is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association.
This week’s column is co-written by Emma Gillaspy, an eighth grader at Bob Courtway Middle School in Conway.
At the holidays I am always reminded of how blessed I am with family. When I say “blessed,” I mean Thanksgiving with 40 to 60 of my closest relatives — cousins, aunts, new babies and lots of great stories about days gone by and our ancestors. Then there are the food “must haves” like the requisite hot sausage tradition started by my great-grandfather, and my grandmother Maxine’s chocolate cake, without which my wing of the family would probably not make it through the door.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
House to House: Apologies to Pepe le Pew — DIY deterrents may repel skunks from property
Dear Pepe le Pew: Your kind has returned to my neck of the woods and, as much as I enjoyed watching you on cartoons as a child, the thrill is gone.
Actually, in all fairness Pepe, it’s not you — it’s the reality show version of you. Unlike the song you once crooned to me, I am not in the mood for love. The cold hard truth is that you and your Arkansas cousins stink, and your cousins’ stink lingers far too long after they’ve left. Eau de Skunk is not a scent I enjoy. Not early in the morning as I sit on my deck or late in the evenings as I sit on my porch. Nor do I enjoy the anxiety of having my dogs smelling of skunk upon re-entering my home.
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