Weekly Economic Summary – September 28, 2011
September 28, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog
(From Bank of America)
Last week in review
(September 19 – 23, 2011)
The week began with speculation that the Fed would announce “Operation Twist” after its two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. Essentially, Operation Twist is where the Fed sells its holdings of short-term securities and notes and then purchases longer-term notes and bonds in order to try to lower longer-term rates even further.
The Fed did announce Operation Twist, but with some key surprises:
To Buy or Rent – Now’s the Time to Follow the American Dream
September 2, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog
With home prices dropping, minimal interest rates and the cost of rental properties on the rise, now may be the time for renters to seriously consider buying a house, according to HouseSavvy, a premier real estate and relocation organization headquartered in Massachusetts.
When the housing bubble burst in 2006, the cost of buying a house was considerably higher than renting that same house in most areas. Today, the opposite is true in many states, particularly those hit hardest in the housing crash—namely Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada and right behind them, Illinois, New York and New Jersey.
Weekly Economic Summary – August 31, 2011
August 31, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog
From Bank of America
Last week in review (August 22 – 26, 2011)
—
Last week, Fed Chair Ben Bernanke spoke at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Symposium at Jackson Hole and discussed the near-term and long-term economic situation. His message was optimistic, stating that regardless of “the crisis and the recession, the U.S. economy remains the largest in the world.” He stated that the Fed expects “a moderate recovery” to continue and even strengthen as the country goes forward.
Homeownership Still Good Long Term Decision, Survey Reveals
July 1, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog, Homeowners
The recently released study, American Attitudes about Homeownership, conducted by Harris Interactive for the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) reveals that homeownership still ranks high among the list of smart financial decisions.
Ninety-five percent of owners and a whopping 72 percent of renters believe that over a period of several years, it makes more sense to own a home than not. Seventy-seven percent of homeowners believe that homeownership will help them meet long-term financial goals.
Making Your Home Picture Perfect
June 27, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog, Homeowners
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s why getting the right photos of your home are critical.
Before having your home photographed or, in some cases, videotaped, you’ll want to make sure that it’s in the best possible shape. But what exactly does that mean?
Common Impediments to Selling and How to Overcome Them
June 24, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog, Homeowners
Even with the economy improving overall, it would be false to say the real estate market is booming, especially for home sellers. Unfortunately, negative financial headlines are causing some potential sellers to needlessly hide in fear. For many, it truly is not the ideal time to put their home on the market. But, even in a less-than-robust economy, you might be in the right—perhaps even the ideal—situation to sell. Unfortunately, some common impediments may make you run from doing so. Here are a few of those mental roadblocks, and how to overcome them:
Homeowners Decide to Deconstruct, Not Demolish, When Rehabbing
June 20, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog, Homeowners
If you’re remodeling your kitchen or want to build your dream home on property with a not-so-idyllic house, there’s a way to tear down that doesn’t involve the wrecking ball.
Should I Buy A Home Now?
June 17, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog, Homeowners
The Zillow Home Value Index fell 26% since its peak in June 2006. That’s a greater decline than seen in the Depression-era years of 1928 to 1933.
According to Zillow.com, “November marked the 53rd consecutive month of home value declines, with the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) falling 0.8% from October to November, and falling 5.1% year-over-year.”
Survey: One-Stop Shopping Still Going Strong
June 15, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog, Homeowners
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and Harris Interactive partnered again to conduct a public opinion study of consumer preferences when it comes to real estate services to see if home buyers’ perceptions have changed given the economic challenges over the past two years. Since the original study in January 2008, the real estate and mortgage markets have seen challenging times. Surveying over 1,100 recent and future home buyers in November/December 2010, NAR and Harris Interactive discovered that usage of and interest in one-stop shopping has held steady over the past two years and, in some cases, increased, as availability of mortgage credit has tightened.
Demographic Shifts Shaping Future of the Housing Market
June 8, 2011 by themathercompany
Filed under Blog
With the great recession driving unemployment, foreclosures and vacancy rates to historic highs, the housing market has certainly been on one wild ride the last few years.
Today, we see the confluence of a deep recession driving behavioral change and shifts in the demographic distribution of the population poised to impact the real estate market in unexpected ways. Americans who have experienced or witnessed the loss of jobs, homes and home values have grown skeptical about the benefits of homeownership. Not only will the financial impacts of the housing meltdown burden the real estate market for years to come but so too will the emotional impact. More than ever, Americans of all ages are considering their options.
Columbia, SC Real Estate
