Top 10 Cities

Top Real Estate Headlines for Week Ending: December 3rd

Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone. The holiday spirit is in full swing as families throughout Northwest Indiana have begun to display their holiday decorations. For those of you who desire to buy a home or refinance your home before the New Year, let’s take a minute to review what the top real estate and mortgage healdines were this week according to the National Association of Realtors.

• Commercial Real Estate Prices Show Gains
  Commercial property values are showing signs of a strong recovery, up more than 30 percent from the 2009 lows, according to Green Street Advisors.
• Deficit Reduction Commission Endorses Plan
  The bipartisan commission voted in support of the plan for spending cuts and tax changes, but fell short of a super majority that would automatically put the measure in front of Congress.
• Foreclosure Crisis Slowing Sales
  Data from ForeclosureRadar shows that sales of distressed properties are declining, in part due to investors walking away from deals.
• NAR: Commercial Real Estate Stabilizing
  A steady improvement in the economy should lead to modest growth in the commercial real estate sector next year.
• Strong Rebound in Pending Home Sales
  NAR’s forward-looking index jumped more than 10 percent in October from September.
• Buyers Show Growing Interest in Tiny Houses
  As the economic realities of the “new normal” set in, consumers seem to be thinking smaller when it comes to their residences.
• 8 Factors for Standing Out in Real Estate
  Start with strong ethics, end with strong contacts.
• New-Home Sales Slide
  Sales of new houses dropped more than 8 percent in October, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
• Boulder, Colorado, Is Smartest U.S. City
  Six of the 10 brainiest places have populations under one million, according to Portfolio.com study.
• Mortgage Regulator Defends Two-Track Process
  Edward DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said lenders should continue to pursue foreclosures against borrowers while simultaneously trying to rework their loan terms.

These were the top real estate and mortgage headlines for the week ending December 3, 2010.

Want to know how these national real estate headlines could impact you right here locally in Northwest Indiana? Subscribe to this blog, Today’s Real Estate Reality, and let our collective years of real estate experience in Northwest Indiana guide you to an informed and successful real estate transaction today.

Top 10 Cities

Top Real Estate Headlines for Week Ending: November 19th

Although the stock market survived a flurry of economic reports released this past week, the mortgage bond market received a good old fashioned beat down. Both home buyers and homeowners were disappointed as the week ended with higher mortgage rates.

Now that folks have changed their focus to the upcoming holiday, let’s take a break to review what the top real estate and mortgage headlines were this week according to the National Association of Realtors.

• 3 Reasons to Sell a Home Soon
  Steve McLinden says to focus on your local situation when deciding whether to sell, look at comparative sales, investment potential, lending standards, and interest rates.
• Banks, Congress to Face Off on Foreclosures
  As the Hill heads into a “lame duck” session of Congress, both the Senate and House will hear testimony from banks regarding housing financing.
• Credit Score Requirements Stifling Borrowers
  Big lenders keep raising minimum credit scores, increasing the number of borrowers who can’t obtain financing.
• Big Banks Fixing Foreclosure Processes
  A Treasury official notes that 11 federal agencies contend that the foreclosure document problems don’t represent a threat to U.S. financial stability.
• 7 Trends That Will Drive the Future of Housing
  From decreases in the average size and cost per square foot for housing to Baby Boomers living with children, these are the likely changes for housing in the upcoming years.
• NAR Praises FHA’s Increased Stability
  An independent audit shows that the Federal Housing Administration cash reserve levels have increased over the past year.
• Mortgage Bankers: Foreclosures Are Falling
  The percentage of homes in some stage of foreclosure went down between the second and third quarter of this year, due in large part to banks’ investigations of their processes.
• Mortgage Rates Back on the Rise
  Average rates for 30-year mortgages shot up this week, according to Freddie Mac.
• America’s 10 Dirtiest Cities
  Forbes magazine names cities across the country that could use a little clean up.
• Analysts Say Housing Is Better But Still Fragile
  Low interest rates coupled with stabilizing home prices could give the economy a boost, analysts say.
• 6 Helpful Tools For Your Virtual Assistant
  These free and low-cost online tools can save you and your virtual assistant time and help get your business organized.
• Signs Mortgage Fraud Might Be Picking Up
  Information group says investment companies are involved in a high number of suspicious resales.

These were the top real estate and mortgage headlines for the week ending November 19, 2010.

Want to know how these national real estate headlines could impact you right here locally in Northwest Indiana? Subscribe to this blog, Today’s Real Estate Reality, and let our collective years of real estate experience in Northwest Indiana guide you to an informed and successful real estate transaction today.

Top 10 Cities

Top Real Estate and Mortgage Headlines for October 11th

It’s Monday, October 11th and there is much fanfare for Columbus Day celebrations. Let’s discover what’s new in real estate and mortgage talk in the spirit of the great explorer Christopher Columbus. Here is today’s top real estate headlines according to the National Association of Realtors.

• BofA Freezes Foreclosures Nationwide
  Last week, Bank of America announced it would halt foreclosures in all 50 states to ensure accuracy in its documentation.
• Government Moves Toward Foreclosure Moratorium
  Some legislators are pushing for a nationwide stoppage of foreclosures, but a few observers say this is a “bad idea.”
• Practitioners Wrestle With Foreclosure News
  Real estate professionals who specialize in selling REOs say foreclosure issues bring new challenges for themselves and their clients.
• Social Media Marketing Gaining Traction
  More real estate pros are leveraging the reach of social networking platforms.
• Top 10 Cities Where Buying, Renting Pay Off
  The economic benefits of buying and renting can depend on where you live.
• More Condos, Apartments Going Smoke-Free
  Although smokers maintain they have a right to smoke in their own homes, some property managers are exploring ways to ban the practice.

These are the top real estate and mortgage headlines for today, October 11, 2010.

Want to know how these national real estate headlines could impact you right here locally in Northwest Indiana? Subscribe to this blog, Today’s Real Estate Reality, and let our collective years of real estate experience in Northwest Indiana guide you to an informed and successful real estate transaction.

Top 10 Cities

The Commuter’s Choice in Real Estate

According to the Census Bureau, 2.8 million people commute to work 90 minutes or more each day, in each direction.

Now, your daily commute may not be as long, but time spent in cars, trains and buses is time away from work and from family. Drive-time can affect a person’s Quality of Life in Chesterton, Crown Point, Highland, Munster, Portage, Saint John, Schererville, Valparaiso and it’s one reason why Forbes Magazine’s Best and Worst Commutes is worth reviewing.

Measuring travel time, road congestion and travel delays in the 60 largest metropolitan areas, Forbes ranks city commutes from best-to-worst with Salt Lake City topping the list and Tampa-St. Petersburg finishing it.

The Top 5 Commutes, as compiled by Forbes:

1. Salt Lake City, Utah
2. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York
3. Rochester, New York
4. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin
5. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, New York

The bottom 5 are Tampa-St. Petersburg, Detroit, Atlanta, Orlando, and Dallas-Forth Worth.

Long commutes shouldn’t deter you from moving to Northwest Indiana, but the potential commute should be consideration. Before making an offer on your next home, make a rush-hour commute to work from your potential new neighborhood.  Then imagine doing it every day.

You can read the complete Forbes list of Best and Worst Cities for Commuters on its website.

Contact James K Barath in Northwest Indiana to Qualify for Your FREE FHA Home Loan Approval Today!

Top 10 Cities

Top 10 Cities for Job Growth in 2009

Employment figures released this morning show that the economy has now shed 3.6 million jobs since December 2007, included close to half that in the last 3 months alone. The Unemployment Rate is now 7.6%.

But jobs aren’t fading in every housing market equally.

As reported by Ajilon Professional Staffing, there are still areas around the country in which unemployment rates are low and job outlooks are strong.

Led by Madison, WI, Ajilon calls them “10 Cities For Job Growth in 2009” and they are:

1. Madison, WI
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Boston, MA
4. Richmond, VA
5. Milwaukee, WI
6. Pittsburgh, PA
7. Baltimore, MD
8. Seattle, WA
9. Houston, TX
10. Dallas, TX

There’s no common denominator uniting the list — cities are buffered by industries as varied as healthcare, energy, and technology. However, it’s worth noting that — in each of these 10 towns — housing markets seem to be performing above-average versus the rest of the nation.

Clearly, there’s a link between jobs and housing.

(Image courtesy: Forbes.com)