Category: Retirement Real Estate
June 1, 2011 -- The U.S. real estate market took a severe pummeling after the long holiday weekend with the release of the latest housing figures. The widely watched S & P/Case-Shiller Index reported that national housing prices index fell 4.2% in 2011's first quarter, on top of a 3.6% decline in the 4th quarter of 2010. Prices across the country have hit new lows since the housing crash, and represent, according to economist Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics on the PBS Newshour, the most "unprecedented"...
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Published on June 1, 2011
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
October 18, 2010 -- If you have been considering snapping up a great home at a bargain price through a short or foreclosure sale - don't! The past few weeks have been filled with stories about banks who have stopped foreclosing on properties because of sloppy or incomplete paperwork. Bank of America has stopped foreclosure actions in all 50 states, and JP Morgan has stopped such actions in 41 states.The government is up in arms, bank stocks are being hammered, and many financial experts are worried that no one really understands the depth of the problem or how long it will take to solve. No one seems to have a solid grip on understanding the potential repercussions to buyers, sellers, and lending institutions.
The problem has gained so much attention that there is a growing groundswell to implement a national ban on foreclosures. Consider some recent headlines such as
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Published on October 18, 2010
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
Here’s a really good deal – at least for the developer of your new active adult community. A new fee being inserted deep into some convenants has this feature – when you sell your home someday, the developer will get 1% of the price. But wait – it gets better!…
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Published on September 29, 2010
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
July 6 — Results in the real estate market for 2010’s first quarter reflect a dismal picture for the most part. With $8000 tax credits a thing of the past (and which probably sucked up a lot of future demand), real estate sales hit the skids again. A report from…
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Published on July 6, 2010
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
May 11, 2011 -- The sky is falling in Greece and Europe, the stock market went so crazy last week that blue chips went from $30/share to 1 cent in 15 minutes, the Gulf of Mexico continues to spout millions of gallons of crude oil - and amidst this encouraging backdrop you have to decide what to do about your retirement. You might be excused to be a bit uncertain about whether you should you buy...rent...or stay. This article will discuss some of the important factors you should consider in making your decision.
Buy?
Buying a place for retirement is a dream and a plan for many baby boomers. Here are some of the factors
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Published on May 11, 2010
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
As 2010 begins most experts predict that record numbers of foreclosures will continue. That being the case, home prices will probably go nowhere until that distressed inventory is cleaned out.
Rentals are the way to go. The Wall Street Journal reports that apartment vacancies hit a 30 year high late last year, and landlords are scrambling to fill them. Reis, Inc., a research firm, said that rents fell 3% last year, led by declines in west coast cities. Conclusion - you might be better off renting than buying. Particularly in a lot of active adult communities, there are plenty of places to rent.
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Published on January 12, 2010
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
Nov. 5, 2008. Much to the glee of builders, bankers, and real estate agents, the bill to extend the tax credit for new home buyers was passed by both the House and the Senate. President Obama is expected to sign the legislation very soon.
But wait, there's even better news! Under the new law existing homeowners, not just first-time buyers, will be eligible. The legislation is expected to help keep recent economic momentum going, perhaps not at Cash for Clunkers levels, but positive nevertheless.
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Published on November 10, 2009
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
It's been a rough couple of days in the retirement real estate market. Fortunately, not all the news was bad, depending on your perspective. Here are few news stories crossing our desk:
- Prices are falling in many active adult communities, which is stimulating sales to at least some degree. According to a report in the Press-Enterprise, Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, a real estate research firm, prices in Del Webb's Solera Diamond Valley recently ranged from $170,000 to $291,000. Back in January 2008, similar houses were priced from $246,000 to well over $300,000.
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Published on October 12, 2009
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
August home starts were positive. Unfortunately sales of existing homes including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops declined 2.7 percent in August, breaking a four month streak of increases. That led to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.10 million units in August from a pace of 5.24 million in July.
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Published on September 24, 2009
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
The Commerce Department released August construction numbers last week to the great joy of economists and builders. Overall, construction of new homes and apartments increased 1.5%. Advanced construction permits also increased (2.7%). Construction levels are now almost 25% ahead of where they were in April. The good news in construction…
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Published on September 21, 2009
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