Home Resales Boom Into The End Of The Tax Credit; Home Values Seen Rising.

Filed under Existing Home Sales by on April 23, 2010 at 7:47 am {no comments}

rose in March, as expected. U.S. home buyers closed on 7 percent more homes as compared to February.

Furthermore, versus March 2009 — a month many people equate to the low point of the U.S. economy — sales volume was up 16 percent.

“Existing home sale” is the technical term for a home resale; a home previously inhabited by a person.  It’s the opposite of a “new home sale” which is a sale of a newly-constructed home.

Existing Homes Data is tracked by the National Association of Realtors® and a closer look at the March data reveals some other interesting notes:

  1. Year-over-year sales are higher for the 9th straight month
  2. Real estate investors represented 19 percent of all homes purchased
  3. First-time home buyers account for 44 percent of all buyers

Also worth noting is that the supply of available homes is down on a broader basis.  At the current rate of sales, the existing home inventory will be exhausted in 8 months.

Despite banks releasing and into the Chicago market, that’s still one half-month less from February.

When supplies drops, home prices tend to rise. It suggests an underlying strength in housing that should support home prices through the next few months — especially as the home buyer tax credit finishes working its way through the system.

That said, real estate markets are local. You shouldn’t assume that what’s happening on the national level is also happening here at home.  Be sure to check with your real estate agent about local market conditions before making a decision to buy or sell.

Tags: , , ,

How To Buy Bank-Owned Homes

Filed under Foreclosures by on April 15, 2010 at 7:47 am {no comments}

Foreclosure filings rose close to 20 percent nationwide last month versus February, according to foreclosure-tracking firm .com, and for the 13th straight month, total filings topped 300,000.

In addition, reached an all-time, quarterly record. Through the first three months of 2010, banks reclaimed more than 257,000 homes.

Nonetheless, 4 states dominated foreclosure activity nationwide.

California, Florida, Arizona and Georgia accounted for more than half of all bank repossessions. It’s a disproportionate distribution of . Together, the 4 states represent just 23 percent of the overall U.S. population.

The RealtyTrac report revealed some other interesting statistics, too.

  • Foreclosure activity was up in 40 out of 50 states last month
  • Bank repossessions rose 9 percent versus the same quarter last year
  • For the 13th straight quarter, Nevada topped the state foreclosure rate

Regardless of where you’re buying, foreclosures and are making a profound impact on pricing and product. Distressed homes are 35 percent of the overall resale market.

There’s excellent value in foreclosures out there if you know where to look, but keep these points in mind:

  1. Buying bank-owned homes can take 120 days to close or more. Be flexible.
  2. Foreclosures aren’t always listed for sale publicly. Some inventory is privately-held.
  3. Bank-owned homes are often sold “as is”. There may be defects that render the homes mortgage-ineligible.

The REO market can be different from the traditional “existing home” market.  Therefore, if you have an interest in buying REO, be sure to talk with an experienced real estate agent first.

Tags: , , , ,