Travel & Leisure has selected their list of “Great American Main Streets for 2012. At the very top of the list, York, PA. This is an excellent honor and a strong testimonial to the York City leadership headed by Mayor Kim Bracey. We have found that not only is York a great place to live-it’s great place to invest in real estate. See the entire list GREAT AMERICAN MAIN STREETS When considering places to invest in real estate, there are several factors to consider. Real estate values- property values in the Southern PA area, particularly the York area, have been [...] Click To Read More
First Time Home Buying Today
Many people believe that first time home buying today is ideal. Today home prices are lower than they have been in years and affordability levels are extremely reasonable with mortgage rates that are hovering at 60 year lows, just barely above 4%. First time home buyers are in a great position indeed. Of course first time home buyers need to have great credit, money for a down payment, and a steady income, but if all of these needs are met it’s a great time to start shopping for a home. What should a first home buyer consider when looking for [...] Click To Read More
“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.”
“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” That famous line from the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke certainly seems to apply to our leaders on Capitol Hill, as the debt ceiling debate rages on. Read on to learn how this could impact our economy, the mortgage industry, and home loan closings. Last week, the political gridlock and confusion within Washington DC around the debt ceiling and budget deficit debate prompted credit ratings firm Moody’s to announce that it was reviewing US Debt for a possible downgrade. Even though Moody’s acknowledged that the chances are low for a default, [...] Click To Read More
Cash is King!
A quick look a the sales numbers for the first 5 months in Southern PA. Cash sales almost equaled FHA contracts, underlying what we already knew. Smart investors are taking advantage of the great values in Southern PA real estate. We will be launching a new “investors site” shortly. It will feature hot picks and provide investors with the analytical tools to make informed buying decisions. In the interim, if you have any questions about investing or real estate in Southern PA, please do not hesitate to contact us. No. of Listings Dollar Volume Average Price Median Price Ave DOM [...] Click To Read More
New Employment Report
The Labor Department released the Employment report for March this morning and it showed a gain of 216,000 non-farm jobs and the Unemployment Rate moved to 8.8 % from 8.9 %. Expectations were for 185,000 new jobs, so this report is stronger than expected. The interpretation of this report seems to be that more jobs are being created, but that there are some aspects of the overall picture that still remain troublesome. The initial reaction in the interest rate market is up, as traders seem to be anticipating continued improvement in economy, higher inflation, (see the gas prices?) and less accomodative Fed policy going forward. All those things are [...] Click To Read More
Interest rates move higher in Southern PA
Rising Rates Could Get Buyers Moving Ironically, it could be rising interest rates that finally push home buyers off the fence and into the market. While Congress is debating the tax-cut compromise, the financial markets have interpreted the proposal as a development that will likely push mortgage interest rates higher than they have been for months. Analysts are predicting that buyers will move quickly when it looks like rates are going up and are unlikely to come down. “Once people see this might actually be the bottom, they’ll go for it,” says Paul Dales of Capital Economics. The average rate [...] Click To Read More
When It’s Right to Buy a Bigger, Better Home
It is not uncommon for homeowners to outgrow a home, but knowing when it makes sense to trade up to a bigger home is important when making such a move. Of course the biggest questions involve finances. Does your current home have enough equity built up in it to make sense? If you can sell your current home for a nice profit and have extra money to put down on your new home it will make your entire transition and easier one. Can you afford the mortgage on your new home? If you can take the equity from your current [...] Click To Read More
Say Good By to Tax Credit
We are rapidly running out of time to take advantage of the housing tax credit. This applies to both 1st time home buyers and buyers that have owned a home for 5 years or more. To qualify, you must have a ratified contract ( signed by both buyers and sellers) in place by April 3oth. You must plan to settle prior to the end of June. For 1st time home buyers the tax credit is up to $8500. TAX CREDIT The tax credit is not a reason to ruch into making a bad decision, but it does represent an unprecedented [...] Click To Read More
Shadow Inventory
Recently, you may have heard the term ”shadow inventory”. Shadow inventory refers to homes that have NOT been placed on the market . These are properties that Sellers would like to sell, but have refrained from listing. Generally, the reason is a combination of lack of urgency from the Seller and belief that market conditions will improve. I’m experiencing a sharp increase in listing appointments. Sellers are anxious to take advantage of the tax credit motivated buyers. The growing optimism on the economic front has also resulted in an increase in seller activity. We should see some excellent opportunities in the [...] Click To Read More
FHA Toughens Down Payment Rules
The Federal Housing Administration will raise the minimum down payment for its least credit-worthy borrowers, the agency announced Tuesday. The change is among a number of major changes the FHA is making to ensure its long-term financial soundness. Borrowers with credit-rating scores below 580 will be required to put down at least 10 percent. Those with a credit score above 580 will be able to continue to put down only 3.5 percent. The changes are intended to shore up the agency’s finances. The FHA also will increase its upfront mortgage insurance premium from 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent. The agency [...] Click To Read More
