How Inflation and the Dollar are Hurting Your Chances to Sell Your House

May 14, 2008

Paying a mortgage bill is one of the largest monthly bills the average family faces. When the economy dips into a recession, the mortgage payment can seem increasingly daunting. Our current economic situation couples the recession with increasing gas prices and a falling dollar. What does this mean for your mortgage interest rate, your monthly payments and your house value?

Currently, Fannie Mae is allowing some homeowners to refinance their house if they owe more than what their house is actually worth. How could they have gotten into this situation? The answer is interest rates and the decrease in the value of houses. If the interest rate on the mortgage was variable or subprime, the interest rate and consequent mortgage payments can jump vastly higher than what the actual value of the house is worth. Also in almost all major cities across the nation home prices have dropped, meaning now homes have mortgages that are higher than the value of the house. This move by Fannie Mae is significant because in essence, it means that Fannie Mae is willing to take some loss on the current mortgage loan situation for some homeowners rather than let them default and lose their home entirely.

This move by Fannie Mae may help people in many areas in the nation. Cities like Las Vegas, Stockton California, Detroit Michiga, Boise Idaho and others have seen a dramatic decrease in home prices. The bad news is not all home owners will quialify for the refinance help. In order to qualify you have to meet standerds like good credit, have an certain type of existing mortgage and that mortgage had to be put in place at a certain time.

Homeowners and new home builders are in a pinch. Census data seems to have underestimated the number of new homes that have not been sold and foreclosure rates are steadily climbing. In addition, the inflation rate is growing. This pinch on the everyday homeowner can be significant, causing some homes to question whether they can survive during this treacherous time to keep their home through this recession. With the falling dollar in the market, investors are pulling funds from national banks and putting their money abroad, causing national banks and investments to feel the pinch as well. Mortgage rates are unlikely to spike any time soon, but even a small increase could spell bad news for those homeowners just holding on to making their payments on time and avoiding foreclosures.

What else could possibly affect our mortgage interest rates and the housing market overall? The weak labor market plays a large role in the housing market. The economy is in a virtual hiring freeze, while some companies have already started laying off workers. Job loss has always precipitated trouble in the housing market. In addition, overall job loss in the community makes workers and homeowners scared, limiting the housing sales. Any time the general feeling is to hold onto the house you have instead of try to sell it or take on a larger mortgage payment, we are experiencing a weaker housing market. As employers and workers feel more confident about their employment possibilities, the housing market will improve as well.

Interest rates will be dictated by the Federal Government. In early May 2008, the Fed cut the interest rate, which pushed the 10-year treasury rate up. The 30-year mortgage rate follows the treasury rate, so an increase in the payments due would have accompanied this move in the financial sector. In general, homeowners and workers are trying to maintain what they have instead of pushing to take on something new and stagnant movement like this can spell trouble for mortgage rates.

If you are in a financial situation and thinking how can I sell my house fast, then contact your local home buyer. Every major metropolitan area has professional home buyers that help solve home seller problems. They help people avoid foreclosure, with short sales, sell because of divorce, cash out of investment properties, or sell if you have no equity. So contact your local home buyer and receive a free offer for your house, you have nothing to lose.


Home Inventory Continues to Climb – How Can You Sell Your House?

May 9, 2008

A recent survey conducted by a California based real estate company reported a 1.3 percent increase in housing inventory. These are houses that are for sale on the multiple listing service or MLS through the month of April 2008. The survey was conducted on 29 major metropolitan areas across the United States.

The results of the survey show a continued supply of houses for sale on the market in most major metro areas. This increase in housing inventory will further depress home prices. After all, the supply for homes has definitely not increased.

The major cities who saw and increase in the number of houses for sale hit the market were Austin Texas at 7.1 percent, Chicago Illinois with 5.9 percent, Boston Massachusetts with 5.6 percent and Philadelphia with 5.4 percent increase.

Interestingly enough Las Vegas, currently the capital of the foreclosure crisis saw a decrease in the number of homes on the market. This in contributed to many banks accepting shorts sales and selling homes on their books they receive from foreclosure. It is also contributed to the fact that Las Vegas has one of the fastest drop in home prices in the nation.

If you own a home in Las Vegas this news is like a double edge sward. You now may have a better chance of selling your house but you obviously will be selling for much less. In some cases 25 to 30 percent less than you could have sold last year. The good news is the news of a decreased number of houses for sale in your area could be a start of a real estate bottom.

Another interesting fact is the number of home owners who have dropped the sale price on their home. Of the 29 metro cities where the survey was conducted, Orange County California tops the number of homes who had a reduced sale price last month with over 49 percent of the homes dropping price. Other areas that top the home price reduction survey are Las Vegas Nevada, Jacksonville Florida, Bakersfield California, Las Angeles California, Miami Florida, Washington D.C. and Sacramento California.

If you do need to sell your house quickly I suggest you get in touch with a local real estate investor who knows your local market and can buy your house quickly. ExpertHomeOffers.com is a company who connects home sellers with professional home buyers. They have a very large network of real estate investors who are always purchasing homes and increasing their real estate portfolio. 


Foreclosure Prevention Act 2008 – Stop Foreclosure Fast Help

May 6, 2008

The government is doing all they can to stop the slowing of the economy. On February 13th 2008 the Foreclosure Act of 2008 was introduced to congress. Heading up the bill is Senator Harry Reid, a democrat in Nevada. You should not be surprised that Nevada holds the record for the highest foreclosure rate since the real estate market peak in summer of 2005. Along with the senator from Nevada there are 25 cosponsors of the bill all of which are democrats or independents.

Highlights of the Proposed Bill:
The law will increasing preforeclosure counseling funding by and additional 200 million dollars. It is estimated this additional funding would help more than 500,000 additional families connect with their lenders and work out a solution to stop the foreclosure process.

If passed the bill would allow housing finance companies to use proceeds from mortgage revenue bonds to refinance short term and adjustable rate mortgages. This will provide an additional 10 billion dollars of tax exempt money for refinancing first time home buyers houses and multiple tenant rental properties.

The bill could help over 600,000 people stop the foreclosure process by allowing them to file for bankruptcy, then the bankruptcy judge has the option to modify the home owners loan. Only nontraditional and sub prime mortgages would be considered for this loan modification process. Home owners would also need to prove they can not repay the mortgage and it would only primary residential homes would be considered.

Other items on the proposed bill include 4 billion in funding for communities with high rates of foreclosure. The communities or cities would buy vacant houses that are in foreclosure, fix them up and rent them or sell them. The law also proposes making mortgage documents more clear at the closing table.

The likelihood of this bill helping people falling into foreclosure in 2008 is not likely. The process for a bill to be passed into law is time consuming and filled with political setbacks. This does not mean the foreclosure prevention act of 2008 will not help stop foreclosure for many home owners, it just means the people in foreclosure right now or in the near future are not likely to see relief from this bill.

The proposed foreclosure prevention bill still has a long way to go until it becomes law. It was introduced in February, next it will be voted on by the Senate, then voted on by the House, then considered by Mr. president himself. Only after the president accepts the bill does it become law. This is another interested thing about this bill. It is being proposed and supported by democrats, so the question is will our current Republican president accept a bill proposed by all democrats?


Housing Prices Will Rebound in 2009 – Can You Wait To Sell Your House?

May 5, 2008

The real estate market peak, summer 2005 was a great time to be selling a house. All you had to do was post a For Sale sign in the front yard and you could expect multiple offers within days. Many times you would receive offers from individuals searching for homes FSBO and also offers from home buyers who had representation by a real estate agent.

Well summer 2008 is just around the corner and the real estate market is very different from three years ago. If you take an afternoon walk in any major subdivision you will see real estate for sale signs lining the front yards of houses like mail boxes. In cities like Las Vegas, Nevada, Stockton, California and Detroit, Michigan you will be lucky if you find a house with out a for sale sign. These are the cities that have the largest declines since the market peaked in 2005.

So how long will it take for the real estate market to rebound? Real estate economists estimate that home building and prices of existing homes will not stabilize and start to increase until the middle of 2009. This corresponds to the history of real estate cycles. If you research real estate cycles you will find that they typically last 3 to 5 years. That is 3 to 5 years for the real estate market to go down and hit market bottom, and 3 to 5 years for the real estate market to rebound and hit a new peak.

If you own a home and can not afford to hold out for another the real estate cycle then you may be wondering, how can I sell my house now? Well, you are not alone in this predicament. With home buyers waiting on the side lines for home prices to bottom out you will have a hard time selling your home now. There is one way to sell your house if you are very motivated to sell.

You can sell your house to a local we buy houses company. They are basically local entrepreneurs who make a living by owning real estate. They are very knowledgeable in real estate and solving complicated home selling issues. If you are going through a divorce, need to stop a foreclosure, sell your house before your bank takes your property, or if you home is 100 percent financed and you have no equity, they have a home selling solution.


Sell My House to a We Buy Houses Professional

May 4, 2008

This article is to inform home owners of the best way to sell their house given the current real estate market. Everyone knows by know that the real estate market is very slow and anyone who wants or need to sell a home has a very large task ahead of them. The problem is some people need to sell their house, not just want to.

If you are a home owner and need to sell your house for what every reason you do have options. You see, I know that life happens. There are many life changes that can turn your house from your largest asset into your largest liability. If you are going through life changes like, loosing your job, need to stop foreclosure, needing to move out of state, going through a divorce, receiving a home through an inheritance, or any other life change that results in you needing to sell your house, then contact your local home buyer.

Local home buyers are real estate investors who buy houses quickly from people who need to sell them quickly. Many people make the mistake of assuming that real estate investors all need to get large profits from home sellers. This is not true. Even if you own more for your house than what it is worth, you can sell your house to a real estate investor.

Yes, even if you owe more for your house than what it is worth you can sell it. Have you ever heard a real estate agent say that they would buy your house. probably not. Real estate agents are compensated by home sellers paying them a percentage of the sale price of your home. Well if you have no equity how can you pay a real estate agent. That is why if you have no equity you need to contact a local real estate investor who is fluent in short sales and will buy your house.

A real estate investor who is fluent in short sales will negotiate with your lender and buy your house for what you owe. You can walk away from your house after the short sale and not have a nasty foreclosure on your credit. Foreclosures last 10 years on your credit you know. That means not being able to buy another house, cars, getting credit cards, etc. When you finally convince a company to lend you money you will pay a higher interest rate because you have a foreclosure on your credit.

So, you only need to due one thing to get the process started. Complete our home seller form and we will get you in contact with a professional home buyer in your area. You definitely need to make sure you work with a professional. Don’t make the mistake of calling those we buy houses signs on the side of the road. Work with a professional and you will have a very good change of selling your house fast. 


How Can I Sell My House For Free Fast

April 29, 2008

When needing to sell a home many people want to know the least expensive way to sell their house and if they can possibly sell it at no cost. Well the answer is yes, but there is only one way.

When selling a home there are typically three ways to sell, FSBO, with a real estate agent or to a professional home buyer.

If you sell your house FSBO you will have out of pocket expenses. You will have to come up with money to get your home in good condition, money to marketing your home which includes, signs, flyers, placements in magazines, placement in news papers and so forth.

If you sell your house with a real estate agent you will obviously have to pay for their services, after all who can work for free. The typical real estate commission charged to home sellers is 6 percent. Depending on your homes current condition your real estate agent may want you to spend some money up front to fix up your house. 

The one way to sell your house for free is to sell it to your local home buyer. Local home buyers are professional real estate investors who are always looking for ways to increase their real estate portfolio. They can buy your house quickly and with cash if needed.

The great thing about selling your house to a professional home buyer is that you have no out of pocket expenses. You do not have to fix your property up or market your property. Another large benefit is that you can have your house sold in a matter of days, not months like you would have if selling your home another way.

So if you are need to sell your house quickly in this slow real estate market and do not have the money to market it yourself, get a free offer from your local home buyer. They have home selling options for people in all home selling situations. They can help you stop foreclosure, sell your house quickly because of divorce, pay cash for a house that needs work, or buy a home because you are moving out of the area.

You can get in touch with someone who wants to buy your house by completing an online home seller form. You should receive an offer with in 48 hours and have no obligation to accept it. So, even if your home is over financed and you can no longer afford the payments you should contact your local home investor, you have nothing to loose.


Sell My House – How Much Is My House Worth – Get My House Value

April 28, 2008

Given the recent decline in the real estate market many home owners are wondering how their homes value is holding up and how it has been affected.
 
Now days there are great ways to tell your homes value but you have to know which ones you can trust, which ones are accurate, and which ones are quick and easy.
Here are the fastest and easies ways to find out what your house with worth if you were to sell it today.
 
The best and fastest way to find out what your property is worth is to complete a quick online form to receive an offer from your local home buyer. Many people do not realize that local home buyers exist in every major metropolitan area across the United States.
 
The easy online form will take you less than 1 minute to complete and is very quick. Once you complete the online form your information will be forwarded to a professional local home buyer in your area that is very knowledgeable with your local real estate economy. You will typically be contact within 48 hours to give you details on how much your house is worth if you would like to sell it today.
 
The offer you receive is a no obligation offer and all your information is confidential. Most often attached to the offer will be a market analysis showing houses that are similar to  yours that have sold in the last 3 months. If you want to know your homes sales price would be if you sold your house today, contact your local home buyer and receive a free offer.  
 
Many people like to find out what their house is worth by driving their neighborhood to see how much their neighbors are selling their houses for. The problem with this method is every house is different and most people make the mistake of looking at active houses on the market for sale.
 
When you determine your homes value you need to consider what homes have sold for in the past, not what they are currently on the market for today. Many times the asking sale price of a home is not what the home actually will sell for. Especially in this real estate market where home buyer are offering low ball offers to see how much of a discount they can get.
 
Another way people try to determine the value of their house is to look up their tax assessed value of their home. The value of the home is based on two numbers, the land value and the home or structure value. Many tax assessors estimates are not accurate and are either over or under estimated.
 
If you are wondering how can I sell my house and you need to know how much your house is worth, contact your local home buyer. It is the fastest and easiest way to determine your homes value with no obligation or effort.  


What is My Property Worth and Who Will Buy My House

April 23, 2008

It is happening again. Every three to five years the real estate market goes through another cycle and pessimism creeps into many. When the market is going down is it mostly caused by demand for new houses falling. The continuation in falling housing prices changes the psychology of home buyers so they stop buying. This process further decreases home prices and the real estate market.

Recent surveys by many consumer groups are reporting that consumer confidence is decreasing, foreclosures are rising and homes fore sale are sitting on the market longer. This all plays into the psychology of home buyers. People do not want to purchase a home if the value is going to continue to decline.

So, what does this mean for the average home seller? Well if you do not have to sell you are in good shoes. You can wait for another two to five years for the market to bottom, then wait for another three to five years for the market to come back up, then sell. So if you can hold out for seven or so years in your current home, you are in ok shape.

The major problem is life happens and for what ever reason people need to sell their house. Could be divorce, lingering foreclosure, job relocation, family issues, ready to cash out of an investment, health issues, the list goes on.

For those home owners who need to sell, you are in a harder home selling situation. You can not afford to wait for seven or so years for the real estate market to come back around. The good news is there are still ways in this slow real estate market for you to sell your house and move on with your life.

It doesn’t matter if your home is over financed or you have lots of equity. There are still home selling solutions that can solve your particular selling need. The first question you are probably asking is how can I sell my house if I have no equity. Well for this reason professional real estate investors exist in every major city in the nation.

Professional real estate investors exist throughout the country to solve complicated real estate problems. Yes they do have to make a profit to keep their business running but that does not mean they are going to steel your house. Many professional long term real estate investor just want to add to their real estate portfolio and hold properties for long term.

As a home seller in this real estate market I know you have other questions like how do I find out how much my house is worth, or how much is my property worth?

Well, probably the largest benefit from contacting your local real estate investors or home buyer is to find out how much your house is worth with no obligation to sell your house. In fact you can input your information over the internet and receive a home value and offer in less than 48 hours.

So the first step in find a solution to your home selling need should be to contact your local home buyer who is an active buyer in your neighborhood to determine your best selling solution. They will give you a free, confidential, no obligation offer for your house and you will know how to move forward.


8 States With The Lowest Foreclosure Rate

April 9, 2008

The fourth quarter 2007 National Delinquency Survey results were released earlier this month and Idaho is ranked in the top 10 states with the lowest foreclosure rates in the nation. The National Delinquency Survey covers approximately 85 percent of more than 50 million loans in the United States housing.

The results show Idaho as having 268,029 residential mortgage loans being service, 3.86 percent of which are past due. 2.41 percent of the past due mortgages were at least 30 days late and .74 percent were at least 60 days late.

The report also sated at the end of 2007 less than 1 percent of Idaho home mortgages were in foreclosure, this is approximately 2,412 loans. With the continued real estate market slump, is estimated that the first quarter of 2008 will reveal higher numbers then the fourth quarter 2007 numbers.

The top 8 states with the lowest foreclosure rates in the fourth quarter of 2007 were;

  • Washington
  • Oregon
  • Alaska
  • Wyoming
  • Utah
  • Montana
  • Idaho

So the good news is Idaho is among the top 10 states with the lowest foreclosure rate in the nation.

If you are behind on your payments and the possibility of foreclosure is looming, contact your local real estate investor. Local real estate investors are still purchasing properties in some of the hardest hit areas of the nation. They know your local market and can show you many avenues to sell your house, lease options, short sales, owner finance, and cash offers are all possible solutions to your selling need.

This data was collected from the Nation Delinquency Survey report.


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