HOME PRICES CONTINUE TO GAIN STEAM

August 31, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

Atlanta is up 20% in home prices year over year but we are still 24.4% below the peak of June, 2006.  Collateral for underlying loans is appreciating in value, which should help lending standards with the banks.  It is imperative to remain diligent and not take our eye off the ball with our pricing, locations

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2013 Spring Selling Season Was Hottest Since 2004, As Recovery Accelerates & Widens

August 31, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

HOUSING OVERVIEW Zillow’s second quarter Real Estate Market Reports , released today, show home values increased 2.4% from the first quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2013 to $161,100 (Figure 1). This quarter marks the largest annual gain since August 2006 and largest quarterly gain since the fourth quarter of 2005. On an annual basis,

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NORMALIZED SALES AND HIGHER PRICES ARE BACK..

August 31, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

Metro home sales down, Prices rose in June Jul 18, 2013, 11:39am EDT Bloomberg   Metro Atlanta’s housing market stuck to the recent trend in June — decreased sales, higher prices. The Atlanta Board of Realtors’ monthly Market Brief, compiled by RealValuator, shows 4,065 single-family residential sales in June — down 12.4 percent year-over-year and

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HOUSING RECOVERY PRICING OUT FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS

August 31, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

First-time homebuyers are being squeezed out of the housing market recovery due to a sharp rise in home prices in some markets, a recent jump in mortgage rates, tighter lending practices, and competition from investors picking up lower-price property for cash, reports The Wall Street Journal. First-time homebuyers are more likely to be unemployed, underemployed,

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HOUSING MARKET DOING SO WELL ONLY CONGRESS COULD DISRUPT THE MOMENTUM

August 6, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

  Home builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes is at its highest level since January 2006. Kent Hoover Washington Bureau Chief Home builders’ confidence in the housing market hit its highest level since January 2006, rising for the third month in a row. The Housing Market Index compiled by the National Association

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FED GIVES COMMUNITY BANKS A FEW BREAKS ON NEW CAPITAL RULES

August 6, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

The real test for Basel III Rule is whether the rule makes it easier or more difficult for banks to serve their customers,” said Frank Keating, president and CEO of the American Bankers Association. “If it makes it harder, that’s not what our still-recovering economy needs For immediate release The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday

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Higher Mortgage Rates Won’t Kill Housing Recovery

August 6, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

Mortgage rates are back above 4% for the first time in a year, but the rate rise probably isn’t going to be enough to take the wind out of the sails of the housing market rebound. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported on Wednesday that rates jumped to 4.07% last week for the 30-year fixed-rate loan,

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Why No City Can Afford to Forget About Seniors

August 6, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

Traditionally, mayors and economic developers have focused their efforts on making their communities great places for families, emphasizing good schools, up-to-date infrastructure, and low crime rates. Over the past decade or so, increasing attention has been paid to attracting younger talent. But one age group has factored much less in the conversation: older Americans. 10,000

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: Real Estate’s 2013 Pivot Points: Interest Rates, Gen Y, Health-Care Demand

August 6, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

ATLANTA — Low interest rates, increasingly aggressive lending and Generation Y’s housing preferences are among the top factors shaping the U.S. real estate market this year, according to a group of leading real-estate experts. The Counselors of Real Estate, a Chicago-based global association of hundreds of real estate professionals and advisors, released the list Wednesday at the

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SINGLE FAMILY BUILT FOR RENT MARKET SHARE RISES

August 6, 2013 By In Uncategorized No Comment

  At the start of 2013, single-family starts built-for-rent were up on a year-over-year basis, with the market share rising to a new high. Despite some recent ups and downs, the share of single-family homes built for rental purposes continues to rise. But by and large, the construction market for these homes remains a niche market, even

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