Home Improvement
Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Existing-home sales fell in January 2010 but are above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of Realtors. Existing-home sales- including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops- dropped 7.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.05 million units in January from a revised 5.44 million in December, but remain 11.5% above the 4.53 million-unit level in January 2009.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said there is still some delay between shopping and closing that affected current sales. “Most of the completed deals in January were based on contracts in November and December. People who got into the market after the home buyer tax credit was extended in November have only recently started to offer contracts, so it will take a couple months to close those sales,” he said. “Still, the latest monthly sales decline is not encouraging, and raises concern about the strength of a recovery.”
Total housing inventory at the end of January fell 0.5% to 3.27 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 7.8-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 7.2-month supply in December. Raw unsold inventory is 9.6% below a year ago, and is at the lowest level since March 2006.
“Activity should be picking up strongly in late spring as buyers take advantage of the tax credit, which is critical to absorb distressed properties reaching the market and to continually chip away at inventory,” Yun said. “With a downtrend in the number of homes on the market, especially in the lower price ranges, values are beginning to firm but with great variance around the country.”
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $164,700 in January, unchanged from a year earlier. Distressed homes, which accounted for 38% of sales last month, continue to downwardly distort the median price because they typically are discounted in comparison with traditional homes in the same area.
A parallel NAR practitioner survey shows first-time buyers purchased 40% of homes in January, down from 43% in December. Investors accounted for 17% of transactions in January, up from 15% in December; the remaining sales were to repeat buyers. The survey also shows that buyer traffic increased 9.4% in January.
NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox & Associates in Tucson, Ariz., said buying a home in the current environment has become more challenging. “First-time buyers and others who need a mortgage are increasingly losing out to all-cash investors for the best bargains in many areas, particularly for foreclosed homes where cash is king,” she said. “Inventory conditions vary by price range, and of course there are major differences depending on location. Realtors are the best buyer resource for strategies on winning bids in increasingly competitive markets,” Golder said. “The bidding for more desirable homes will only accelerate between now and the April 30 contract deadline to qualify for a tax credit of up to $8,000.”
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage edged up to 5.03% in January from 4.93% in December; the rate was 5.05% in January 2009.
Single-family home sales fell 6.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.43 million in January from a level of 4.76 million in December, but are 8.6% above the 4.08 million pace in January 2009. The median existing single-family home price was $163,600 in January, down 0.4% from a year ago.
Existing condominium and co-op sales dropped 8.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 620,000 in January from 675,000 in December, but are 38.1% above the 449,000-unit level a year ago. The median existing condo price was $172,400 in January, which is 1.4 % higher than January 2009.
Northeast
Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 10.9% to an annual pace of 820,000 in January but are 22.4% above a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $245,300, a gain of 8.8% from January 2009.
Midwest
Existing-home sales in the Midwest declined 6.9% in January to a level of 1.08 million but are 8.0% higher than January 2009. The median price in the Midwest was $130,300, which is 1.0% below a year ago.
South
In the South, existing-home sales dropped 7.4% to an annual pace of 1.87 million in January but are 12.0% above a year ago. The median price in the South was $140,200, down 2.0% from January 2009.
West
Existing-home sales in the West declined 5.2% to an annual rate of 1.28 million in January but are 7.6% higher than January 2009. The median price in the West was $203,400, down 5.8% from a year ago.
Tags: Buying a foreclosed home, Consumer Awareness, Disclosure, Draper Real Estate, Existing Home, Existing Home Sales, First time home buyer, Foreclosure, Home Buyers, Home Improvement, Home Inspection, Home Mortgage, home price, Home Sales, homeowners, homeownership, Investment, Investment Property, Market Research, mortgage, New Home, Priorities for Homeowners, Questions Homebuyers Should Ask, Real Estate, Recession, Salt Lake City, Sandy Real Estate, Short Sale, Utah Real Estate
Posted in Apartments, Appraisal, Builders, Buy a House, Commercial Real Estate, Community, Condos, Estate, First Time Home Buyers, Foreclosures, Home Builders, Home Improvement, Homes, Homes for Sale, Housing Market, Luxury Homes, Mortgages, Neighborhood, Property, Property Investment, Questions and Answers, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent, Townhomes | No Comments »
Friday, February 26th, 2010
Sales of new U.S. homes plunged 11.2% in January 2010 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 309,000, the lowest rate on record dating back to 1963, the Commerce Department recently reported.
The third-straight drop in sales on a month-to-month basis was unexpected. “The housing market remains very, very distressed,” wrote Dan Greenhaus, chief economist for Miller Tabak & Co.
“There may have been some weather-related issues playing havoc with the sales data but clearly, these results are extremely unnerving,” wrote Jennifer Lee, an economist for BMO Capital Markets. “There is nothing positive to glean from this report.”
U.S. stock markets fell after release of the report, which coincided with release of congressional testimony by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who said the economy remains fragile and needs low interest rates for an extended period of time.
Data on sales for December 2009 were revised higher to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 348,000, up from 342,000 previously reported.
Sales of new homes are down 6.1% compared with January 2009’s 329,000 units, which was the previous record low. The number of homes for sale rose 0.4% to 234,000 in January. At the January sales pace, it would take 9.1 months to sell that inventory, up from 8.0 months in December and the highest monthly supply since May.
Government statisticians have low confidence in the monthly report, which is subject to large revisions, and large sampling and other statistical errors. In most months, the government isn’t sure whether sales rose or fell. The standard error in January for instance, was plus or minus 14%. The government says it can take up to five months to establish a statistically significant trend in sales. Over the last five months, sales have been on a 362,000 seasonally adjusted annual pace, down from 382,000 in the five-month interval through December.
Sales had risen fairly steadily in the first half of 2009 before plateauing last fall. Seasonally adjusted sales have now fallen three months in a row.
With mortgage rates still very low and prices down, most analysts had concluded that the recent decline in sales was due to the impending expiration of the first-time home buyers’ credit in November.
As it happened, Congress extended the tax credit through June and expanded it to include repeat buyers. But the tax credit didn’t help sales in January. Sales of new homes are recorded once a sales contract is signed, not at closing. Some homes are sold before ground is broken on construction.
Details
Home builders had been slashing their inventory of unsold homes for more than a year to a 38-year low before January’s 1,000 increase. The number of homes for sale that are under construction fell to a record low of 100,000.
Builders have cut back on production of new homes, but they still face headwinds from unsold existing-homes as foreclosures continue to mount up. If a home isn’t sold before it’s finished, it’s taking a record 14.2 months to sell it after completion—a reflection of the mismatch between more expensively priced homes in the inventory and lower-priced homes that have been selling.
The median sales price of a new home sold in January was $203,500, down 2.4% compared with a year earlier. Cheaper homes were selling better than expensive ones: 47% of sales were for less than $200,000, up from 43% in December. Meanwhile, 38% of sales were for $200,000 to $400,000, down from 41% in December.
Sales were down in three of four regions: down 35% in the Northeast, down 12% in the West and down 10% in the South. January’s sales were up 2% in the Midwest, the government’s data showed.
Tags: Buying a foreclosed home, consumer, Consumer Awareness, Disclosure, Draper Real Estate, Due Diligence, First time home buyer, Foreclosure, Home Inspection, Home Mortgage, Home Sales, Investment, Investment Property, Market Research, Property, Property Value, Real Estate, Recession, Salt Lake City, Sandy Real Estate, Short Sale, Utah Real Estate
Posted in Appraisal, Builders, Community, Condos, Estate, First Time Home Buyers, Foreclosures, Home Builders, Home Improvement, Homes, Homes for Sale, Housing Market, Mortgages, Neighborhood, Property, Property Investment, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent, Townhomes | No Comments »
Friday, February 19th, 2010
Rachel Nacion-Ograyensek and her husband are getting nervous. The house that the two apartment dwellers want to buy—the one with the double oven, pool and tiled patio—may slip away from them.
It’s on the market as a short sale, so the owner can’t act until the mortgage holder approves the discount price. But the Altamonte Springs, Fla. couple insists on buying their first home in time to take advantage of the federal government’s home buyer tax credit, which now expires April 30, 2010.
“The house is our dream house—it’s perfect for us,” Nacion-Ograyensek said. “We are trying to get in on the tax credit, but it’s done in April, and it’s already February. We’ve gotten to the point where we’re passively looking for other houses, but none are quite right.”
Under pressure from the real estate industry, Congress extended and expanded the tax credit last fall. It was to have ended November 30, 2009 and benefit only buyers who had not purchased a home in the past three years. Like the original, the latest version is worth as much as $8,000, but it gives both first-time buyers and qualified existing homeowners until April 30 to secure a contract on a home, and until June 30 to close the deal.
Though real estate agents and homebuilders hope the measure boosts sales, as the previous version was credited with doing, some fear that buyer’s intent on getting a short sale bargain will not make the new deadlines.
In the Orlando area, 67% of Realtors’ existing-home sales in December 2009 were distressed sales—and about half of those were short sales, known for taking at least three months to complete. Even buyers who nail down a contract with the seller by the April 30 deadline can’t be sure the purchase will close within the required two months. “That’s where you get into that riverboat-gambling mentality,” said Jim Ruddy, the longtime real estate agent representing Nacion-Ograyensek and her husband. “Is it worth gambling that $8,000?” At this point in the tax credit countdown, buyers interested in purchasing a short sale must decide whether they are really committed to that property—enough that they would still want to purchase it if they miss the June 30 tax credit deadline, Ruddy said.
Nacion-Ograyensek said she and her husband recently revisited the short sale house in Altamonte Springs and decided it was worth the gamble. The kitchen is ideal for cooking, and the backyard is large enough if they have children or adopt a dog. They have decided to stick with their plan; still, each day that passes makes them more anxious.
In hopes of capturing tax credit-motivated buyers who aren’t focused on distressed properties, Florida’s real estate agents have scheduled an unprecedented statewide open house of properties listed for sale. The event, organized by the Florida Association of Realtors, is set for April 10-11—just two weeks before the tax credit deadline.
Kathleen McIver-Gallagher, chairman of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, said buyers intent on getting the tax credit should be concerned if they are trying to purchase a short sale through lenders known for slow responses to short sale offers.
As the April tax credit deadline nears, buyers will probably become more interested in homes other than distressed sales, McIver-Gallagher said. “There are plenty of regular homes out there,” she added.
Compounding the delays are new reporting rules that lenders must now follow. Nate Morris, vice president of Thomas Mortgage and Financial Services, said the new requirements involve good faith estimates and HUD closing documents. “It certainly could further complicate things,” said Morris, a board member of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida. “I don’t see this working out till the middle of the year. Everyone in the mortgage business talks about it on a daily basis.”
Tags: Buying a foreclosed home, consumer, Consumer Awareness, Disclosure, Existing Home, Existing Home Sales, First time home buyer, Foreclosure, Home Buyers, Home Mortgage, home price, Home Sales, homeowners, homeownership, Investment, Investment Property, Market Research, mortgage, prevent foreclosure, Property, Property Value, Questions Homebuyers Should Ask, Real Estate, Recession, Short Sale
Posted in Apartments, Builders, Buy a House, Community, Estate, First Time Home Buyers, Foreclosures, Home Builders, Home Improvement, Homes, Homes for Sale, Housing Market, Mortgages, Neighborhood, Property, Property Investment, Questions and Answers, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent, Rent, Townhomes | No Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Experts fear a new wave of foreclosures will hit this year as prolonged unemployment makes it difficult for millions of homeowners to pay their mortgages—and many of them aren’t likely to get much help from a federal program aimed at keeping them in their houses.
Banks participating in the Home Affordable Mortgage Program, announced a year ago this week by President Barack Obama, have been slow to turn temporarily reduced mortgage payments into permanent ones.
“The overarching sense is that the mortgage modification process has not worked that well,” said Bert Ely, an independent banking consultant. Obama administration officials admit the $75-billion program, which offers banks cash incentives to reduce payments, has had growing pains, and they said they are considering revisions to make it more effective.
Still, the program is expected to show continued progress when data from January is released after a strong push by Treasury Department officials to get banks to make more of the modifications permanent. For example, Bank of America, one of the nation’s largest servicers of mortgages, said recently it had increased the number of permanent mortgage modifications to 12,700 last month from 3,200 in December 2009. BofA said an additional 13,700 permanent modifications were in their final stage. But that’s a drop in the bucket considering BofA holds about 1 million mortgages that are at least 60 days delinquent. About 4 million homeowners nationwide are 90 days or more delinquent on their mortgages or in foreclosure proceedings, according to Moody’s Economy.com, which analyzes data from the credit reporting company Equifax.
Trial modifications and other delays have kept many of those mortgages out of foreclosure, but by the end of this year, 2.4 million borrowers are expected to lose their homes, said Celia Chen, a housing economist at Economy.com. That would be up from 2.1 million foreclosures and short sales last year and five times the annual numbers earlier in the decade. It is unclear when those distressed properties would hit the market, but their large numbers are likely to push home prices back down this year, hitting bottom in the fourth quarter, Chen said. And that would make things worse for the 25% of homeowners who already owe more on their mortgages than their houses are worth.
The biggest blows will be felt in California, Florida, Nevada and other states where home prices have dropped the most and the ranks of struggling homeowners have swelled.
Despite an increasing number of foreclosure-prevention efforts, lawmakers and community advocates say they haven’t yielded the hoped-for results. “Outreach isn’t happening,” said Hyepin Im, president of the Korean Churches for Community Development, a Los Angeles group that has sought to help hundreds of Asian-American borrowers who are struggling to avert foreclosure. At the outset, banks didn’t screen borrowers before giving them trial modifications, she said. “Then at the end, they don’t give very clear answers why they’re not getting permanent modifications. There’s very little transparency.”
A report last week by Moody’s Investor Services called the Obama administration modification program’s impact “underwhelming.” But administration officials said it is on track to reduce payments for 3 million to 4 million homeowners through 2012. As of Dec. 31, the program had helped get 787,231 home loans modified for three months and had helped make an additional 66,465 modifications permanent.
Officials noted that not all homeowners are eligible—the program is only for owner-occupied homes, and excludes a variety of mortgages, including jumbo loans. And the administration continues to make changes, including a requirement added last month requiring homeowners to document their income before a trial modification is granted.
But the program continues to draw criticism. Banks have complained they’ve had trouble getting homeowners to provide the necessary documents. Frustrated homeowners have complained of bureaucratic runarounds from their servicers. Federal watchdog agencies have criticized the program. And last month the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced an investigation.
Tags: consumer, Consumer Awareness, Draper Foreclosures, Draper Real Estate, Existing Home, Existing Home Sales, First time home buyer, Foreclosure, Home Buyers, Home Mortgage, Home Sellers, Market Research, mortgage, New Home, prevent foreclosure, Priorities for Homeowners, Property, Property Value, Questions Homebuyers Should Ask, Real Estate, Salt Lake City Foreclosures, Sandy Foreclosures, Short Sale, Utah Real Estate, Utah residential
Posted in Appraisal, Buy a House, Community, Estate, First Time Home Buyers, Foreclosures, Home Improvement, Homes, Homes for Sale, Housing Market, Mortgages, Neighborhood, Property, Property Investment, Questions and Answers, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent, Townhomes | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
If you have a good job and good credit, the next few months might be a good time to go house hunting. Fence-sitters take the risk that Congress may let a rich tax credit expire, and that interest rates may rise. Buyers and sellers should consider the following factors as they consider jumping into the housing market.
(1) Mortgage rates are blissfully low, and that may not last. The rate on a 30-year mortgage averaged 5% last week, according to Freddie Mac. Rates are low in part because the Federal Reserve has been buying up about $3 trillion in mortgage-backed securities and mortgage agency debt. The aim is to hold down interest rates and keep mortgages available. But the Fed is slowly removing that financial crutch as the economy improves. It has no plans to buy any more past March 30, 2010. The likely result is an uptick in rates. Meanwhile, the recovering economy by itself should raise rates as the year goes on. Economists at the Mortgage Bankers Association expect to see a 6.1% rate by year end. Such a rise would add about $104 to the monthly payment on a $150,000 mortgage
(2) The home buyer tax credit expires on April 30, 2010 and no one knows if Congress will renew it a second time. Expect a clash between the real estate lobby and fiscal conservatives worried about the $1.35 trillion federal deficit. To qualify for the credit, you must sign a purchase contract by April 30, 2010 and close by July 1, 2010. First-time buyers get up to $8,000. “First-time” is defined as someone who hasn’t owned a home in three years. Move-up buyers get up to $6,500 when they purchase a new primary residence. To get the credit, you have to have lived in the old home for at least five out of the last eight years. The credits start phasing out at $125,000 in adjusted gross income for singles and $225,000 for joint filers.
(3) There are indications that home prices are near a bottom in some areas and may actually be rising a bit. That statement is dicey, because conditions vary by neighborhood and the data can be tricky.
Things might look different if you’re a seller though. Do you want to put your house on the market near the bottom of a price cycle? Homeowners who have a choice in the matter—those who can still pay their mortgages—are largely saying no. Inventories of homes for sale are down about 10% from this time last year, and 30% from the mid-decade peak of the housing boom. On the other hand, if you’re planning to move up to something grander, you might find a bigger bargain when you buy. And that $6,500 tax credit could swing a close decision.
Home sales peaked in some areas October and November, as buyers raced the expiration date of the original first-time home buyer’s credit. Congress later extended and expanded it. That rush satisfied some pent-up demand, but real estate agents are hoping for another rush around April. “People will wait to the very last second,” said Mike Travaglini, Vice President of Coldwell Banker Gundaker’s office in south St. Louis County.
Mortgage lenders have been tightening credit standards, which means fewer eligible buyers….its getting tighter and tighter.
Lenders are insisting on credit scores of 640 to 660 for loans sold to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and 620 for FHA guaranteed loans. Those standards are higher than the federal agencies themselves insist on. FHA—which guarantees loans for people with low down-payments—has been raising its own insurance charges to borrowers and demanding higher premiums from people with poor credit scores.
Tags: consumer, Consumer Awareness, draper, Due Diligence, Existing Home, Existing Home Sales, Factors To Consider Before Getting Into The Housing Market, First time home buyer, Home Inspection, home price, Home Sales, homeowners, homeownership, Investment, Investment Property, Market Research, Property, Property Value, Questions Homebuyers Should Ask, Real Estate, Salt Lake City, Sandy, utah, Utah Real Estate
Posted in Buy a House, Estate, First Time Home Buyers, Home Improvement, Homes, Homes for Sale, Housing Market, Property, Property Investment, Questions and Answers, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, February 5th, 2010
As real estate owners and investors do business throughout 2010, they will more than likely face many complex tax issues that could strain their resources and drain profits. They should keep in mind these tax tips that could help them save money in the long run:
1. Determine if your partnership qualifies for an income deferral for debt reacquisition transactions.
Has your business had debt forgiven? There is a tax election available that will allow you to defer cancellation of debt (COD) income until 2014, when it will then be recognized ratably over five years. Carefully consider the options before making this irrevocable election as your COD income could be fully excluded under other provisions.
2. Color your building green.
Take advantage of special deductions and credits for green, or environmentally friendly, buildings.
3. Determine if you are a dealer or an investor.
Do you know if you are a real estate dealer or an investor with regard to taxes? Proper planning will ensure the desired treatment upon disposition of the property.
4. Allocate land costs to your benefit.
To defer income upon the sale of parcels from a tract of purchased land, it is necessary to properly allocate the cost among the various parcels. The IRS requires that the cost be equitably apportioned, but how? Consider several methods when allocating costs.
5. Take advantage of lower property valuations.
Have you considered gifting real estate property or partnership interest for estate planning purposes? You may want to consider converting a corporation into an LLC since built-in gains may be low due to depressed real estate values.
6. Properly account for your lease income.
You may be accounting for your lease income based on the cash received or the terms of the lease agreement. However, an Internal Revenue Code section specifically addressing leases may require the income to be accounted for in a different manner.
Tags: consumer, Consumer Awareness, Existing Home, Existing Home Sales, Green, Home Improvement, Home Inspection, home price, homeowners, homeownership, Investment, Investment Property, Priorities for Homeowners, Property Value, Questions Homebuyers Should Ask, Questions Homeowners Should Ask, Real Estate, Salt Lake City, Salt Lkae City Foreclosures, Short Sale, Tax Tips for Real Estate Owners, Utah residential
Posted in Buy a House, Community, Estate, First Time Home Buyers, Home Improvement, Homes, Homes for Sale, Housing Market, Neighborhood, Property, Property Investment, Questions and Answers, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent | No Comments »
Monday, February 1st, 2010
New home buyers and existing home owners nationwide who are planning improvements in the next few months found top priorities to include price, energy-efficiency, organization and comfort.
“Not surprisingly, we continue to see a ‘cents and sensibility’ approach when it comes to buying or improving a home, with practicality and price being top priorities,” said Nusbaum. “Today’s homeowner is also looking for a home that fits the entire family–from a multi-tasking home office, to expanding storage space needs, to a living room that can adapt to advancements in home entertainment and technology.”
Future Home Buyers
A Smaller and More Energy-Efficient Home
Continuing the “downsizing” trend, more consumers (36% in 2009; 32% in 2008) expect their next home to be “somewhat smaller” or “much smaller.”
A greener home will be a priority, with 87% planning to have high-efficiency heating/cooling in their next home and 86% planning to have high-efficiency appliances; 24.9% will have geo-thermal heat.
When asked how today’s housing market and economic turmoil have impacted priorities for their next home, 76% said energy-efficient heating and cooling systems will be “more important” and for 70%, Energy Star appliances will be “more important.”
Almost half (48%) say green building practices/materials will be “more important” when purchasing their next home.
An Organized, Multi-Tasking Home with No Wasted Space
The home office is a priority as 59% of consumers plan to have one in the home. Of those, only 28% want a separate dedicated home office space (compared to 64% in 2008), with one-third (33%) now wanting a more multi-purposed space, such as combined office/computer/hobby/craft/art room.
A well organized home is key, with 66% of respondents listing “no-space-wasted” design and 62% listing ample storage space as attributes that will take on more importance.
Also on the ‘wish list’ for the next home is: a separate laundry room (85%); an outdoor grilling and living area (68%); a kitchen with eating area (67%); and an extra bedroom with bath (65%).
America’s love affair with the large garage continues to flourish with 37% of consumers now wanting a 3-car or larger garage compared to 29% in 2008.
A Family-Friendly Home
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of consumers consider a comfortable family gathering space to be top priority in their next home.
Of lesser interest this year is a kitchen, family and everyday eating area combined in one space (49% vs 56% in 2008) replaced by significantly greater interest in a family room partially separated from the kitchen (42% vs 27% in 2008).
There is also an increased desire (51% vs 44% in 2008) for a wall-mounted flat screen TV in the main family living area and for networked computers/home entertainment center (48% vs 43% in 2008).
Home Improvers
“With the economy still a major concern, right now it’s more about the ‘got to’ improvements than the ‘want to’ improvements,” said Nusbaum. “The focus is now on low-cost improvements that will pack a big punch.”
With only 16% feeling “now is the right time to spend” on home improvements vs 38% saying “now is not the right time to spend,” 52% are focusing their efforts on needed repairs and maintenance.
Three-quarters (76%) say the economy has had an impact on their home improvement plans, with half (50%) having changed their home improvement plans during the last year.
Smaller projects prove to be the most popular, such as painting a room (54%), replacing/adding flooring or carpeting (38%), decorating/redecorating a room (35%) and landscaping the yard (30%).
Energy-efficiency is also a focus of future home projects, with respondents placing importance on installation of Energy Star windows/doors (34%), high-efficiency heating/cooling (31%) and Energy Star appliances (31%).
Tags: consumer, Consumer Awareness, Environmental Issues, Existing Home, Existing Home Sales, Green, Home Improvement, homeowners, homeownership, Landscaping, New Home, Priorities for Homeowners, Real Estate, Recession
Posted in Buy a House, First Time Home Buyers, Home Improvement, Homes, Homes for Sale, Property, Property Investment, Real Estate | 1 Comment »
Friday, January 15th, 2010
According to a McGraw Hill study, 70% of homebuyers would rather buy a green home than a non-green home in a down economy. The Management Information Services/ICMA has said that “landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent.”
Tags: consumer, Consumer Awareness, Environmental Issues, Green, Home Improvement, Home Inspection, home price, Home Sales, homeowners, homeownership, Landscaping, Property, Property Value, Real Estate, Recession, Utah residential
Posted in Home Improvement | 1 Comment »
Avg. Sales Price: 379,000
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