Is the Housing Market Out of ER and in Recovery?

Is the Housing Market Out of ER and in Recovery?

Area realtors are reporting an increase in activity across the board, new construction, sales and listings.  KC leads the metro area in new housing starts for 2012.  The area of Kansas City that is in the Northland accounts for most of this growth in permits.  Homebuilders had an overall growth of 43% increase compared to 2011.  No need to call the doctor anymore, call me!

Time for Spring Cleaning

Well it is that time of the year again....calling it "spring cleaning" or just a time to find what is in all the drawers and closets that make them so ugly....I love to clean out drawers for the mere delight in finding things I have lost....or misplaced....or someone took it....But it is always fun... Here is a great article on organizing you might like... Read More.

New App for Homebuyers

New APP for Homebuyers

Sitegeist is a new app for both home buyers and real estate agents.  A map pops up for you to select a location then it pulls data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the 2010 American Community Survery (whatever that is).  Info given includes median age of people living in the selected area, average number of kids per household, average incomes and % of renters vs. homeowners.

Interesting info to use as you look for a home to buy.

What is an FHA loan?

What is An FHA Loan?

A Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan is a mortgage guaranteed by the U.S. government.  The FHA was created to help homebuyers with less than perfect credit or those who don't have a lot of cash for a down payment.

A conventional loan typically requires a 10% down payment where an FHA loan is 3 1/2% down.  You can see why these have become very popular, especially with first time buyers.  Other requirements are usually easier to meet also.

Give me a call and I'll give you some names of lenders who can determine if an FHA or other type of loan program is the best fit for you.

Are You A Procrastinator?

Quote of the Day:

  “Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until

            You get the bill.”

                 Christopher Parker, (b. 1983) English actor

Ever have a problem with procrastination?  Often when I look at how hard I am “working” I realize there is nothing getting done….so decided to try some tips I have heard over the years..

• <!--[if !supportLists]-->       <!--[endif]-->Make the task bite-size…easier to complete small portions of job…
• <!--[if !supportLists]-->       <!--[endif]--> Decide to do the task or ditch it..
• <!--[if !supportLists]-->       <!--[endif]--> get more info as may make the job easier and
• <!--[if !supportLists]-->       <!--[endif]-->Promise someone you will get the job finished as we always hate to disappoint others….
• See if any of this works for you……. 

Kids Rule

KIDS RULE !

Homeowners are always trying to make their homes more kid friendly so their kids and/or grandkids will enjoy being with them.  These homeowners have taken this philosophy to the extreme in building their new homes.  

Read more.....

Housing Crisis Turns Some Ex-Homeowners Into Lifelong Renters

Housing Crisis Turns Some Ex-Homeowners Into Lifelong Renters

You couldn't pay Mark Williams to own a home again.

"Give me the money for it," he said. "I'm still not buying a house."

It's not that he always felt this way. Williams (pictured at left) did profit handsomely from the housing market's boom years, selling a Sacramento home in 2005 for more than twice as much as he purchased it for in 2001. He also bought, rehabbed and sold several homes with his friends.

"We literally flipped a crack house for a $40,000 profit before the first mortgage payment," he said.

But after he lost his job as host of a political talk show in 2006, the conservative activist began to struggle to pay the mortgage on a McMansion that he moved into that same year in Lincoln, Calif. Three years later, Williams and his wife, Holly, filed for bankruptcy and sold the house in a short sale for $260,000, he said, adding that he had paid $564,000 to build it. Now Williams, who had a controversial tenure as spokesman for the Tea Party Express, leases a condo in Sacramento.

Williams is just one person in a group of homeowners-turned-renters who have emerged from the wreckage of the housing crisis: People who have sworn off home ownership -- forever.

"We stupidly played by the rules," Williams said. "We wiped out our retirement and everything trying to keep this thing afloat."

Read More of this Article Here

What is MY House Worth?

What's MY House Worth?

You've probably been on websites that show your home's estimated value listed.  Did you know most realtors never go on those sites?  While interesting they are not always accurate and up-to-date.  The information we use to give you a true market analysis is updated daily.  Our Multiple Listing Service (MLS) has strict guidelines on how home info is entered.

The value of your home also depends on:  the condition, updates and even the smell.  Factors those websites can't calculate.  When you're ready to sell you home or even if you're just curious about your home's value, call me.

I'll come give it a sniff!

Welcome to My Blog

 

 

Hi.  Welcome to Your House Hunter.  I hope you enjoy checking in, having a laugh, being inspired and maybe learning something about buying and selling homes along the way.  That's secondary though.  For now I will be publishing on MWF, don't want to overwhelm myself.

 

Please email me with contributions, suggestions, pictures for "Jack's Jollies" or questions you have about real estate.