http://www.azcentral.com/business/realestate/articles/2009/10/21/20091021phx-neighborhood1021.html

http://www.azcentral.com/business/realestate/articles/2009/10/21/20091021phx-neighborhood1021.html

Are Rising Home Prices a sign of Recovery?

House prices rose 1.4% in June 2009 following a 0.5% increase in May as the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20 city house price index registered it's first consecutive monthly increase in over three years. " For the second month in a row we're seeing some positive signs", said David Blitzer, chairman of S & P's index committee. Only 2 cities, Detroit and Las Vegas, in the 20 city HPI experienced price declines from May through June. If you look only at these narrow statistics to base an opinion, like is frequently portrayed by the main stream media, you might think the housing market has hit bottom and the recession is at an end. Is this 2 month price rise really a sign of recovery?

Yale University professor Robert Shiller cautions that it may not be a turning point due to high unemployment and the large inventories of foreclosed homes weighing on the market. Despite the upward momentum in house prices,"I would express great reluctance in forcasting where we are going from here, because we have conflicting signals right now", Mr. Shiller said.

Atlanta Fed Cheif Dennis Lockhart expressed his opinion that the July 2009 jobless statistic of 9.4% nationwide would move closer to 16% "if one considers the people who would like a job but have stopped looking - and those who are working fewer hours than they want". The employment environment is not showing signs of improvement yet.

Keep in mind that the June Home Price Index shows that house prices are down 15.4% from one year ago and down 30.2% from their peak in the second quarter of 2006. But, Freddie Mac reported that the percentage of loans 90 days or more past due and in foreclosure rose to 2.95% in July 2009, up from 1.01% a year ago. We have to take a look at the price range of homes going into foreclosure and who the buyers of these homes are.

Subprime mortgages have been leading the default surge since early 2007. Their prices, mostly REO properties, have dropped so significantly that investors with cash have started buying them up because they will cash flow as a rental, even if prices continue to decline. They can get a rental return of $500-700/month on a home that only cost them $35,000. That's a better return than most stocks, CD's or other paper assets. But is this up tick in purchasing really a sign that the housing market is improving? What about the Prime Loan market and Jumbo Loans? Since February 2009, default and foreclosure rates on option ARMs have passed those of subprime mortgages, according to the research firm First American Corelogic. Many option ARMs are not eligible for refinancing and because they tend to have higher balances, compared to subprime loans, resets often double the payments. First American Corelogic anticipates 600,000 option ARMs will reset in the next four years and Diana Olick of CNBC believes it will be even higher, at over a million. What impact do you think this will have on the prices of homes overall when higher priced properties going into default are increasing and financing of jumbo loans is still extremely difficult to get?

Don't let a couple of months of home price increases fool you in to believing that the housing crisis is over and recovery is on the way, at least not yet. There are still several factors that would indicate otherwise.

If you have a home to sell and you have it on the market VACANT, Arizona Vacant Home Solutions offers a FREE service that will give you the edge you need to sell more quickly, and bring a higher price at closing, in this competitive market. Read about it on: http://azvacanthomesolutions.com/ than contact us to discuss what we can do for you.

Banks Hiding Tsunami of Foreclosures

Banks Hiding Tsunami of Foreclosures: "© 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved."

Unbelievably valuable site for everyone - you should keep on hand. Contains useful information on economics, social indicators, household units, density, marital status, household income, occupation, unemployment, poverty, demographics, race, age and more.....
Investigate your potential home location before purchasing, renting, or investing...

http://zipskinny.com/

Try out a neighborhood before purchase a home. Preview our site to see if you qualify as a home manager.

Vacant homes are a huge problem in all neighborhoods. Please read enclosed article from USA today http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-01mosquitos_N.htm . How can you solve this issue? Keeping homes occupied and the home maintained is number one, also if you plan to move or have neighbor's who are selling and they need to have the home occupied please check out our free services to homeowners at www.azvacanthomesolutions.com.

Mortgage Firms to Step Up Loan Modifications

In a letter to 25 loan processing firms, Timothy Geithner, the Treasury Secretary, and Urban Development Secretary, Shaun Donovan, have urged the firms to modify more home loans. Analysts say the Obama administration's loan modification program has not done enough to stem the rising tide of foreclosures so far. The program's effectiveness has been hampered by mortgage firms not being able to keep pace with the applications received for loan modifications. " We believe there is a general need for servicers to devote substantially more resources to this program for it to fully succeed and achieve the objectives we all share," wrote Geithner and Donovan in their letter.



The administration exhorted the firms to provide "an escalation path for borrowers dissatisfied with the service they have received" and suggest ways of improving the design of the program. Industry experts have been disappointed with the pace of the program so far. "We are not getting anywhere near the level of resolutions we expected," says Bruce Dorpalen, national director at Acorn Housing Corp. Housing councelors say there is a need to raise homeowners' awareness of the program. "Homeowners on their own are not able to navigate the system," says Maeve Elise Brown, executive director of Housing and Economic Rights Advocates.



AZ Vacant Home Solutions can assist homeowners in finding a company that can get the loan modification completed successfully, in most cases, when the homeowner has not been able to make any progress on their own. Get information on this topic by requesting it at info@azvacanthomesolutions.com



If your home is not selling as fast as you'd like and you need to move due to job relocation or other reasons, they can provide a home manager to stage the home and give it an edge in this difficult real estate market. Staged and occupied homes are proven to sell faster and often bring a higher sale price than a 'cold and vacant' home. Find out more about the company at http://azvacanthomesolutions.com/

The State of the Nation's Housing

Despite the current slump, the long-term prospects for the housing industry are not bleak, according to "The State of the Nation's Housing 2009" report, released by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS). The report details factors such as unemployment and the credit crisis leading to problems in the sector. Home equity is positively correlated with consumer spending, and plunging home values have pulled down consumer spending and economic growth in the last couple of years. Analyst say that the current recession provides a painful but much needed correction to the housing market.

So, what does the future hold? The so-called echo boomers, who are the children of the baby boomers, will be a big source of housing demand in the next year and beyond, according to the report. "Echo boomers are larger than the baby boomer population. Couple that with immigration and you have the seeds, the possibility of a housing recovery", said Nicolas Retsinas, director of JCHS. The report states that minorities will drive 73% of of household growth in 2010-2020, with Hispanics leading the way at 36%. Given the lower average incomes and wealth of minorities, the increase in minority households "could add significantly to the nations already widespread housing affordability challenges, according to the report.

What does this mean if you have a home to sell that is in the mid to upper price range, say $300k and up? Although the media reports may start to show an increase in home sales, the majority will still be lower priced homes. That means it will be more important than ever to have an "edge" when your home is competing for less buyers in the higher price brackets.

Using a Home Manager to stage and maintain your home in 'model home condition' will help your home show better and, statistically, these homes sell faster than homes with renters or vacant homes. They also tend to close for a higher price than their vacant competitors.

Vacant Home Issues

Did you know?

Up to 25% of Americans will move to a different home this year - many before their previous home is sold.

According to USA Today

"1 in 9 homes are vacant today" !

Consider some of the vacant home problems:

1. Insurance is more costly and may have limited coverage.

2. Vacant homes show poorly and can take much longer to sell, usually for less money.

3. Cities and HOA's may impose fines for unkempt yards and pools.

4. Green pools or standing water can attract mosquitoes, posing a potential health risk.

5. Vacant homes are prone to vandalism and theft.

6. There is frequently water damage and general deterioration.

These are just a few of the numerous issues associated with vacant homes today. In this current economy with rampant foreclosures, an inability to sell when needed because of lower home values, and an inability to get financing due to stringent new financing rules, more and more homeowners are being forced to leave their homes vacant.

What options does a homeowner have?

They may try to rent the property until they are able to sell it. Although the idea of getting some income from the home is tempting, this option can present a whole other set of problems for an inexperienced landlord!

1. Renters typically want a long-term lease which can interfere with a sale.

2. Landlord/tenant laws apply, often favoring the tenant.

3. Appointments to show the home must be made at least 24 hours in advance, even if you have a ready buyer in the car.

4. May have uncooperative tenants.

5. Closings can be delayed.

6. Home and yard may be messy or dirty.

7. No control over how the tenant furnishes or maintains the home.

Renting is not always the best solution for a homeowner who wants to sell the home.

There is another option!

In Arizona, there is a company called Arizona Vacant Home Solutions that has a perfect solution to the problem of vacant homes. They provide "Home Managers", who are independent contractors, that will stage the home with nice house furnishings that match the style of the home. They also keep the home tidy and in 'model home condition', ready for showings at any time. Utilities are on, yards and pools are maintained and small maintenance problems can usually be addressed before they become bigger or more expensive. Homes in this condition statistically sell faster and for more money. Insurance cost and other vacant home issues are reduced. Best of all, the service is provided to the homeowner at no cost!

It is important for all of us to do what we can to tackle the vacant home problem that is growing in the United States today. This is one solution that can help to prevent further decline of home prices and neighborhood deterioration.