January 17, 2012 by IDX Broker Category: Press Releases Property, Rentals, Transactions, Technology IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce El Paso, Texas real estate broker A.R Driggers as the latest realty professional to adopt a customizable IDX solution. Read Article…
January 20th, 2012Home Builders Experiencing Heavy Foot Traffic And Higher Sales Volume
In another good sign for the housing market, todays home builders believe that the housing market has turned a corner.
For the third straight month, the Housing Market Index a home builder confidence survey from the National Association of Homebuilders reported strong monthly gains.
Decembers Housing Market Index climbed 2 points to 21 in December after a downward revision to last months results. The index is now up seven points since September 2011, and sits at a 19-month high.
When home builder confidence reads 50 or better, it reflects favorable conditions in the single-family new home market.
January 19th, 2012What A Real Estate Blog Has Taught Me About Selling Homes
If you want to hire the best company to help you sell a home, start by selecting a company that has a prominent real estate blog.
The lessons learned while writing this real estate blog has taught me so much about what consumers are doing every day on the internet.
I have written a daily real estate blog since 2007, and by my count, the number of real estate blog posts that I have written is right around 1,400.
January 16th, 2012‘Perfect Storm’ Brewing For FHB’s
A perfect storm of economic factors may cause first homebuyers to enter the property market in the next 12 months.
Aussie’s founder and executive chairman John Symond said interest rates, softer property prices and potential government stimulus may make it attractive for first homebuyers.
Mr Symond has predicted the Reserve Bank cash rate will continue to drop and believes they will be 1.0 per cent lower at 3.25 per cent this time next year.
He also believes the Federal Government may yet again boost the first home buyers grant.
Probably my cynical self says six to 12 months ahead of the next election, it would not surprise me that the government might stimulate housing by helping first home buyers and they may possibly introduce a bonus or a boost to the first home owners grant, Mr Symond said.
Symond added that for first home buyers, all the ducks [are] lining up – lower price values, lower interest rates, makes it easier to save and easier to get into home ownership.
January 15th, 2012Saskatoon homebuyers opting for expensive real estate
Saskatoon is one of Canada’s hottest housing markets, as December home sales increased 30 percent year-over-year and the average home price rose 4 percent, according to the Saskatoon Region Association of Realtors.
Expensive homes experienced the largest growth in sales activity, as the 12 units sold between $450,000 to $499,000 represents a 140 percent jump compared to December 2010. Meanwhile, 20 units were sold with prices between $500,000 to $749,999, up 43 percent year over year.
January 14th, 2012Mortgage Rates and Fees Increase Under New Payroll Tax
President Obama signed into action on December 23rd, 2011 the new payroll tax cut creating a holiday gift for nearly 160 million workers, but intentionally hidden in the legislation is the fact that new home buyers will be paying higher fees and a higher mortgage rate to pay for the payroll tax. In a time when the housing recovery is beginning to show signs of recovery, will this move set us back another 2 steps or actually save business’s enough money to hire more employees and decrease unemployment numbers?
To start with, the new payroll tax is temporary and will reduce the amount of taxes paid by 2 percent for individuals making up to $106,800 and is applied through February 29th, 2012 and will likely be extended throughout the remainder of the year. The extension also applies to self employed individuals and the reduction is automatic.
The new payroll tax legislation is great for the hard working Americans who are having a tough time in today’s economy, but to put the extra burden on the housing market is just plain silly. The housing market has always been the determining factor leading the U.S. into an