Displaying blog entries 11-18 of 18
The National Association of Realtor's recent reports for the first quarter of 2009 are not too thrilling.
The first quarter showed a national decline of around 10.7% but from a year ago we are down 29% in Oregon.
Here is the median sale price chart:
Median sale prices are down around 13% from first quarter 2008.
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS!
From the book "Wellsprings of Wisdom" comes this story:
A sturdy but diffident young man asked a farmer for a job as a farm hand. "What can you do?" inquired the farmer. "I can do whatever needs to be done, and I can sleep when the wind blows," replied the applicant. Although mystified by the phrase "sleep when the wind blows," the farmer did not press the question but hired the young man.
Some nights later a violent storm awoke the farmer. He got up and tried unsuccessfully to arouse the farm hand, then with considerable annoyance went out himself to see if all was well. He found the barn locked, the chicken coop properly closed up, a wagonload of hay covered with a tarpaulin that was securely battened down, and all else in a condition of safety from the elements. Then the farmer realized what his new farm hand meant when he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows."
Think how often the storms of life give us a wakeup call. How many times have those storms caught us with our guard down and our barn unlocked? The hired hand knew that simple precautions practiced on a daily basis could render impotent the howling winds of uncertainty in life.
Stephen Covey, in his "Seven Habits," talks about being proactive - heading off problems before they arise. While the hired hand never read the book, he understood the practice of closing up the chicken coop every evening. So, how are YOU sleeping when the wind blows?
Here are five home maintenance issues you want to pay attention to in order to keep your home in great shape. These five items come direct from Consumer Reports.
Yahoo Finance had a reportfrom Zillow and it's a big eye opener. Unlike the Case-Shiller Home Price Indices that use 20 metro areas, Zillow takes a wider swipe and uses a much greater pool of data with 160 plus metro areas. Here are some of the highlights of the article.
Around 20% of homeowners in the US. owe more than the current market value of their homes.
Over the past twelve months, 20.4% of home sales were foreclosures and nearly 12% were short sales.
Home values declined from 3rd quarter 08 to first quarter 09 by 3%.
From one year ago values have dropped 14% in the entire US.
Many areas have seen a 50% or more drop over the past five years such as areas of Florida, Phoenix, Stockton and Modesto.
Over the past five years 85 of 161 metro areas have seen no change or negative values from 2004.
About one third of potential sellers will place their homes on the market if they see any sign of an improved market for real estate.
If this one third place their homes on the market, naturally, that will extend the recovery and continue to supress prices.
To sell in today's market you must be agressive and realistic in pricing your property to sell.
If you need to sell today, give me a call for market knowledge and an agressive marketing plan.
Could it be that FHA and USDA loans will create the next sub-prime loan mess? Both of these loans are 100% government backed and guaranteed.
Currently, nearly one in three of all new mortgages are FHA and in Oregon, where 99% of homes qualify for the USDA loan, according to a seminar I went to with their representative, it looks a bit scary. Why does it look scary to me, well, FHA and USDA loans have very low downpayments and high risk borrowers.
One source, the Mortgage Bankers Association, tells us that 7.5% of new FHA loans are in serious delinquency. Serious Delinquency means the mortgage is at a minimum three months over due. One in eight FHA loans are delinquent-recently missed a payment. this is about three times the rate for conventional loans.
What does this mean? Hopefully, not another government bail out down the road. There's no doubt about it, buyers need loans to purchase homes but not at the expense of creating yet another problem!
May 13 at 3:00 pm. the Clackamas County Board of Commisssioners will be celebrating the new over pass in Government Camp. This project was accomplished by the Government Camp Village Revitalization District. The celebration will take place on the North side of the Multorpor overpass.
The artwork is amazing on the bridge. Many panels were done by blacksmith Darryl Nelson. The new bridge notonly provides a backdrop of art but increases the access over to Multorpor which was badly needed with a dated narrow overpass.
SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE!
Ever notice how those around you sometimes keep their best ideas to themselves? Perhaps it's you who calls for information from a supplier about a hot new prospecting idea . . . and asks that the information be mailed to your home so others in the office won't see it. Even if the shoe fits, you're not alone and won't be condemned for not sharing.
On the other hand, have you noticed how those who are most successful rarely mind sharing and teaching others their best moves? It's like lighting a candle. Those who are comfortable with their own success rarely feel threatened if they light someone else's candle. They know they will lose none of their own shining light by igniting the candle of opportunity for someone else.
How is candle-lighting best accomplished? First, it takes an understanding of your own strengths. Perhaps you're blessed with a beautiful smile and a never-ending supply of good attitude. If so, the candle you light for others may be words of hope and encouragement. Maybe time management and efficiency in your work ethic are your forte. If so, be a teacher and mentor to those who are not so focused.
The list of possibilities is long, but you probably get the point. Give your strength to others with no thought of reward. Do it every day. The simple candle you carry, when shared, may turn another's life into a multi-colored roman candle of health, happiness . . . and success.
According to the U.S. Censes Bureau the number of people moving from 2007 to 2008 declined to 11.9%. This is the lowest rate since they began keeping records in 1948.
Most movers were in the South and in the West.
Stats for 2008:
65% moved within the same county
18% moved to a different county within the same state
13% moved to a different state
3% moved to the U.S. from abroad
Displaying blog entries 11-18 of 18
