NOLA WESTBANK HOMES

NOLA WESTBANK HOMES
New Orleans Westbank Real Estate

Friday, July 30, 2010

National Housing Trends


June housing sales were up for the 10th month in a row as closed units were up 11.4 % over June 2009 while prices climed 8.8% for the same period.  All regions of the country were up in both units closed and average prices.  The main reasons are believed to be the continued impact of the tax credit and low interest rates.
In both our region here in the South and the Midwest, June 2010 housing units rose 8.5% over June 2009.  The highest increase is in the Northeast which rose 28.3% over June 2009, the strongesat results for any region for the sixth consecutive month.

The increase in housing sales for the 10th month in a row where housing sales for the present month were above the same month from the prior year; and price increases just hit their 7th month in a row on the same basis.  Housing sales for the entire year are expected to be above the level of 2009 in the range of 4-7% even with a decline in this year's second half.  Home prices will continue to strengthen for at least the next three months but may level out thereafter.  The upper price end  of most housing markets remains soft at this time with no significant recovery in sight at this time.

Below are charts with more information graphs showing Home Sale trends including Housing Inventory, Mortgage Rates and Affordability nationwide:






In my post to come I will give you an update of the local housing sale statistics.

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Smart Kitchen Remodeling

Most people realize that the Kitchen and Bathrooms are generally the 2 areas of the home that make a big difference when it comes to selling your home and can cost you the most money...
And if you bought your home at a discount so that you can fix these areas up for yourself to your liking, the articles I gathered below will be sure to help.

Since I was not here last week to blog (I was on vacation), I thought that I would gather a few articles this week to make up for the time lost...

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Friday, July 9, 2010

6 Reasons to Reduce Your Home Price

While you’d like to get the best price for your home, consider our six reasons to reduce your home price.

If you don't receive any offers for a few weeks, check out other comparable houses on the market and what they're going for.

Home not selling? That could happen for a number of reasons you can’t control, like a unique home layout or having one of the few homes in the neighborhood without a garage. There is one factor you can control: your home price.


These six signs may be telling you it’s time to lower your price.

1. You’re drawing few lookers

You get the most interest in your home right after you put it on the market because buyers want to catch a great new home before anybody else takes it. If your real estate agent reports there have been fewer buyers calling about and asking to tour your home than there have been for other homes in your area, that may be a sign buyers think it’s overpriced and are waiting for the price to fall before viewing it.

2. You’re drawing lots of lookers but have no offers

If you’ve had 30 sets of potential buyers come through your home and not a single one has made an offer, something is off. What are other agents telling your agent about your home? An overly high price may be discouraging buyers from making an offer.

3. Your home’s been on the market longer than similar homes

Ask your real estate agent about the average number of days it takes to sell a home in your market. If the answer is 30 and you’re pushing 45, your price may be affecting buyer interest. When a home sits on the market, buyers can begin to wonder if there’s something wrong with it, which can delay a sale even further. At least consider lowering your asking price.

4. You have a deadline

If you’ve got to sell soon because of a job transfer or you’ve already purchased another home, it may be necessary to generate buyer interest by dropping your price so your home is a little lower priced than comparable homes in your area. Remember: It’s not how much money you need that determines the sale price of your home, it’s how much money a buyer is willing to spend.

5. You can’t make upgrades

Maybe you’re plum out of cash and don’t have the funds to put fresh paint on the walls, clean the carpets, and add curb appeal. But the feedback your agent is reporting from buyers is that your home isn’t as well-appointed as similarly priced homes. When your home has been on the market longer than comparable homes in better condition, it’s time to accept that buyers expect to pay less for a home that doesn’t show as well as others.

6. The competition has changed

If weeks go by with no offers, continue to check out the competition. What have comparable homes sold for and what’s still on the market? What new listings have been added since you listed your home for sale? If comparable home sales or new listings show your price is too steep, consider a price reduction.

More Helpful Advice:

How to ready your home for sale at little cost

How to review offers on your home

G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer who made strategic price reductions that led to the sale of a Wisconsin property. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Bankrate.com, REALTOR® Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, business, personal finance, and legal topics.

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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Keep Your Home Sale from Falling Apart



If something falls apart before a home sells, the sellers are responsible for fixing it.


Finding a buyer for your home is just the first step on the homeselling path. Tread carefully in the weeks ahead because if you make one of these common seller mistakes, your deal may not close.


Mistake #1: Ignore contingencies

 

If your contract requires you to do something before the sale, do it. If the buyers make the sale contingent on certain repairs, don’t do cheap patch-jobs and expect the buyers not to notice the fixes weren’t done properly.

Mistake #2: Don’t bother to fix things that break

 

The last thing any seller needs is for the buyers to notice on the pre-closing walk-through that the home isn’t in the same condition as when they made their offer. When things fall apart in a home about to be purchased, sellers must make the repairs. If the furnace fails, get a professional to fix it, and inform the buyers that the work was done. When you fail to maintain the home, the buyers may lose confidence in your integrity and the condition of the home and back out of the sale.

Mistake #3: Get lax about deadlines

 

Treat deadlines as sacrosanct. If you have three days to accept or reject the home inspection, make your decision within three days. If you’re selling, move out a few days early, so you can turn over the keys at closing.

Mistake #4: Refuse to negotiate any further

 

Once you’ve negotiated a price, it’s natural to calculate how much you’ll walk away with from the closing table. However, problems uncovered during inspections will have to be fixed. The appraisal may come in at a price below what the buyers offered to pay. Be prepared to negotiate with the buyers over these bottom-line-influencing issues.

Mistake #5: Hide liens from buyers

 

Did you neglect to mention that Uncle Sam has placed a tax lien on your home or you owe six months of homeowners association fees? The title search is going to turn up any liens filed on your house. To sell your house, you have to pay off the lien (or get the borrower to agree to pay it off). If you can do that with the sales proceeds, great. If not, the sale isn’t going to close.
After finding a buyer, all you have to do to make it to closing is to avoid these five traps.



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