Carolyn and Karen

Kansas City, MO Makes the LIST

Carolyn and Karen — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:49:50 +0000

List of Improving Housing Markets Expands to Nearly 100

RISMEDIA, Tuesday, February 07, 2012— The list of housing markets showing measurable improvement expanded by 29 metros in February to include a total of 98 entries on the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), released today. Thirty-six states are now represented by at least one market on the list.

The index identifies metropolitan areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months. The February index adds some metropolitan areas that have been particularly weak; this is due to the fact that the IMI measures improvement from a bottom, and some of the hardest hit markets are showing signs of coming off of extreme lows. Keeping this in mind, notable new entrants to list in February include Miami, Fla; Boston; Detroit; Kansas City, Mo.; Portland, Ore.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Salt Lake City.

“The number of improving housing markets has risen for six consecutive months, and 36 states now have at least one metropolitan area on the list,” noted NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder from Reno, Nev. “This indicates that despite the many challenges that continue to drag on a housing recovery – including the tight lending environment for builders and buyers – improving conditions are slowly but surely spreading from one housing market to the next.”

“While many of the markets on the February IMI are far from fully recovered, the index points out where employment, home prices and housing production are no longer retreating and have held above their lowest recession troughs for six months or more,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “This is a sign that a large cross section of the country is starting to turn the corner as local economic conditions stabilize.”

“The fact that there are nearly 100 markets now on the improving list shows that the momentum is building for a housing recovery and that more buyers and sellers are starting to feel confident enough to return to the market,” said Kurt Pfotenhauer, vice chairman of First American Title Insurance Company.

The IMI is designed to track housing markets throughout the country that are showing signs of improving economic health. The index measures three sets of independent monthly data to get a mark on the top improving Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The three indicators that are analyzed are employment growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, house price appreciation from Freddie Mac, and single-family housing permit growth from the U.S. Census Bureau. NAHB uses the latest available data from these sources to generate a list of improving markets. A metropolitan area must see improvement in all three areas for at least six months following their respective troughs before being included on the improving markets list.

Seven markets dropped from the NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index in February as they experienced softening house prices. These metros include San Jose, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; Kankakee, Ill.; New Orleans; Worcester, Mass.; Jackson, Miss.; and Sherman, Texas.

A complete list of all 98 metropolitan areas currently on the IMI, and a separate breakout of metros newly added to the list in February, is available at: www.nahb.org/imi.

More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com. For more information about NAHB visit www.nahb.org.

4 Bedroom in Lone Jack

Carolyn and Karen — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:50:55 +0000

Fresh interior paint, newer roof & gutters, tile flooring in kitchen/dining with island, open to vaulted great room with fireplace, double vanity, whirlpool & shower in master plus walk-in closet & double closet, large family room in walkout, plus 4th bedroom and full bathroom, 13×9 deck off dining area and 10×10 patio out walkout, fenced backyard, within walking distance of the elementary school.

Check out the listing information through the link below!

http://portal.heartlandmls.com/de.asp?ID=1935671406

Great Rates!

Carolyn and Karen — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:46:47 +0000

Rates remain near historic lows, so it is an excellent time to purchase homes. From Conventional to FHA and MHDC options, we are ready to help you take advantage of this unique market at Realty Executives of Kansas City in Lone Jack, MO!

JANUARY 2012 Newsletter by Carolyn & Karen

Carolyn and Karen — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:45:11 +0000

Welcome to the most current Housing Trends eNewsletter. This eNewsletter is specially designed for you, with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general.

Please click on this link to view the Housing Trends JANUARY 2012 Newsletter:
http://carolynandkaren.housingtrendsenewsletter.com

The Housing Trends eNewsletter contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau, Realtor.org reports and other sources.

Housing Trends eNewsletter is also filled with local and national real estate sales and price activity provided by MLSs and the National Association of Realtors, U.S. Census Bureau key market indicators, housing market video reports, blogs, real estate glossary, maps, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, community reports that map shopping, schools, recreation and more.

If you are interested in determining the value of your home, click the “Home Evaluator” link for a free evaluation report:
http://carolynandkaren.housingtrendsenewsletter.com/dispContent.cfm?loadid=2&loadtype=0

Sound decisions can only be made with accurate and reliable information, and I am happy to be a trusted resource for you. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with this monthly eNewsletter, and I look forward to answering any questions you may have and to the opportunity to be your REALTOR® in the future.

Going it Alone: Do You Need an Agent?

Carolyn and Karen — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:03:59 +0000

Posted by Realty Executives

Representing yourself can be a lonely, expensive road.

Representing yourself can be a lonely, expensive mistake.

It’s 2012. You can find nearly anything and anyone on the Internet. Do you really still need a to put an agent in the middle of your real estate transaction? What’s to stop you from finding a home online, going straight to the source, and saving yourself a few percent on the commission?

Nothing at all. But before you decide to buy or sell a house without an agent, take this to heart: You’ll probably lose money on the deal. A lot of it. We’ll repeat that for emphasis. Even if you save on commission, you’ll probably lose money in the end. Why? For the same reason you don’t represent yourself in court, or fix your own transmission. You’re not an expert.

There’s nothing shameful about that. No one can be an expert in everything. You should certainly educate yourself as much as possible about your market (it’s your house, after all), but you don’t spend all day, every day working in the field. You may have researched comparable homes in your area, but you don’t know what other buyers and sellers are thinking. You don’t know what’s hot, what’s not, and what other opportunities might be steering prices up or down.

A real estate agent is a negotiator who knows the ins and outs of your market. She knows what buttons to push, how to remain objective, and when to move on. She’s also done this dozens of times before, and can guide you through legal and regulatory issues that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars. If you’re dealing with a short sale, a foreclosure, a rental unit, or any other property with special guidelines attached, this guidance is critical.

Great Buy in Lone Jack!

Carolyn and Karen — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:54:24 +0000

Check out this new listing which is a great buy in Lone Jack!

Click on the photo to view the You Tube Video!

On half acre plus all major items replaced! Replaced 2011: steel siding, 30yr timberline roof, vinyl windows, exterior doors, gutters, furnace and a/c, carpet in family room put in 2010, insulated garage doors installed in basement by owners, redone 15×10 deck with stairs, 12×20 storage shed, newer interior paint, nice rock landscaping, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Lone Jack.

Click on the link below to see the listing information:

http://portal.heartlandmls.com/de.asp?ID=1870171128

2012 Home Sales: Positives on Many Fronts

Carolyn and Karen — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:13:40 +0000

NAR released its latest pending home sales index figure last week and for the second month in a row the index is up. But more than that, the index has broken 100. This is significant because the only time since the housing boom collapsed that the index has broken 100 is when the home owner tax credit was in effect. The fact that the index has returned to that level a year since the credit has been in effect means the housing market is strengthening completely on its own, without any stimulus.

NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun is upbeat about 2012 because in a number of areas indicators are pointing upward. Not only are home sales up but housing starts are up and home prices are stabilizing in many markets and heading up in some. In areas where they’re still down, the declines aren’t that great. More fundamentally, broader U.S. economic signs are looking positive, including the all-important jobs picture. About 100,000 job are being created a month, and that could rise to 150,000—still not a quick enough pace to get us back to where we were before the downturn but the headwinds are in the right direction.

DECEMBER – 2011 Newsletter Housing Trends eNewsletter

Carolyn and Karen — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:23:35 +0000

Please click on this link to view the DECEMBER – 2011 Newsletter Housing Trends eNewsletter:

http://carolynandkaren.housingtrendsenewsletter.com?Newsletter_ID=280&Period_ID=386

The Housing Trends eNewsletter contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau, Realtor.org reports and other sources.

It also includes press releases with charts and videos, key market indicators and real estate sales and price statistics, a video message by a nationally recognized economist, maps, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, plus local neighborhood information and more.

If you are interested in determining the value of your home, click the “Home Evaluator” link for a free evaluation report:

http://carolynandkaren.housingtrendsenewsletter.com?Newsletter_ID=280&Period_ID=386

Lone Jack, MO Buyers – Protect Your Credit

Carolyn and Karen — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:55:17 +0000

Protect Your Credit When Buying or Selling a Home

Great Advice from: Trisha Goodale
First Community Bank
1251 SW Oldham Pkwy
Lee’s Summit, MO 64081 816-554-5611
tmgoodale@fcbankonline.com

If you are listing your home for sale, and/or preparing to buy a home, it’s important not only to protect your credit, but to guard against credit or identity theft as well as the theft of valuables. From Bankrate.com, here is a checklist that can help you do that during the buy/sell transaction period:

• Apply with care –Be mindful when applying to multiple lenders. To some versions of the FICO software, all applications submitted within 30-45 days of each other only count as one hit on your credit report. However, many lenders may still use older versions of the software. Play it safe by submitting all applications in a 14-day period. This will ensure that your credit report doesn’t show multiple hits, which will in turn better your overall score.

Prepare for lookers – When selling your home, pack up small, valuable belongings before strangers begin to walk through the house. Additionally, all bills or financial papers should be put into a locked box or drawer. Protecting your finances and account numbers should be your number-one priority because identity and credit theft can happen.
Protect your documents: When buying a new home, only potential mortgage lenders need to see all of your personal information. Agents and sellers only need to know how much you can afford. When dealing with a lender, stick to the same representative to minimize the number of people who have access to your documents. Avoid sending any files with your social security number through email. Opt for mail or fax instead.
Stay on top of your finances: Even if you are on top of paying bills on a monthly basis, you may want to consider checking into your accounts weekly. By logging into your credit card accounts regularly, you can make sure that all of the charges are legitimately yours. Credit watch services are also a good idea. If a fraudulent charge is made, the service will pick up on it and alert you of the charges. It’s important to act quickly with regards to your credit.

Lone Jack Realtors Urge You to Purchase

Carolyn and Karen — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:51:57 +0000

Is Now the Right Time to Buy a Home?

Myth: Banks and Mortgage Lenders are not making loans.

Truth: The good news is that mortgage loans are being made. It is true that credit score matters more than before there are still loans being done with FICO scores as low as 600.

Myth: I can’t buy a house because I’ve heard I need 20% down?

Truth: Veterans quality for 100% Financing and FHA only requires a 3.5% downpayment which can be a gift from a relative. Missouri First Time Buyers could qualify for a 3% Downpayment Assistance requiring the buyers only bring in ½% Downpayment. Also USDA will loan 100% in certain areas, which include Lone Jack.

Myth: I can’t afford to buy a home.

Truth: It has never been a better time to buy a home. Mortgage Rates are lower than they’ve been in any time in recent history. Potentially a borrower could obtain a 30 year fixed rate at 3.75%. These low rates coupled with the homes selling below market provide extra buying power.

This scenario is an estimate, and actual interest rate will depend on the specific characteristics of the loan transaction and credit profile up until the time of closing. The displayed APRs include total points and additional prepaid finance charges but do not include other closing costs. For an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM), the Monthly Principal and Interest payment is based on the initial interest rate, which is subject to change after consummation, which may result in a different monthly payment amount. Rates available as of date of printing and subject to change without notice.

As you can tell, our sales in Lone Jack school district have been down, but are starting to rise in December…..let’s keep the trend going up!