Real Estate Marketing Forum

How Fannie / Freddie Reform Will Affect You (Soon)

This interesting article from Wise Bread's Janey Osterlind concerning the status of the goverment reform of lending giants Fannie and Freddie is telling me something:  It's time to act  if you're thinking of buying anytime soon!

Taxes on Home Sales

Many of you have been emailing me articles about dumped concerning being charged tax when you sell your home. This article from the MetroTex Association of Realtors should assuage those worries:  Home Sale Tax Truth

Shadow Inventory: What Is It?

Not Yet on the Market

There has been a lot of talk lately about "shadow inventory" in the financial community.  This is the term applied to the current supply of homes held by banks and other lending institutions where the homeowners are behind on their mortgages, or that have been foreclosed on, but are not yet on the market.  There are a lot of fears surrounding "shadow inventories" and the perceived potential for a "flood" of foreclosure inventory being brought to market, creating a dampening effect on the housing recovery.  

I found three articles which debate the point, but I must admit I'm more personally aligned with this one by Larry Nusbaum, a resolution assistance contractor for the FDIC.  More pessimistic views can be found in these two articles found in the Wall Street Journal and iStockAnalyst.com.  Admittedly, my optimism may have a lot to do with where I live.

"The problem is largely concentrated in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada", WSJ.com

If you are in one of these states, the shadow inventory threat would certainly seem far more credible than for other major markets around the country.  In Texas, for instance, we are seeing inexpensive inventory snapped up in a matter of days by investors.  I even saw one last week where the investor buyer wrote a full price offer for a property that had only been on the market two hours, and delivered his offer with a 100% earnest money check.  He got the property, but it turns out there were eight other offers written and delivered to the selling agent within a 24 hour period from the time it went on the market.  

What does that mean to me, today?

If you currently have your home for sale, you still need to be aggressive in getting it sold.  While we are seeing improvements in most price ranges over the first two months of 2010, there is still a surplus of inventory, and a smaller pool of buyers due to increased lending restrictions and continued unemployment.  Bearing all that in mind, my goal is to be the next home that sells in my subdivision.

 

Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended / Expanded

Legislation to extend the Home Buyer Tax Credit has been adopted and sent to President Obama for approval, who is expected to sign it into law.  The extension was part of legislation to extend unemployment benefits.  The bill extends the current first time home buyer tax credit and expands to current homeowners who have been in their current residence for at least five years.

Click here for a summary of the extension and expansion of the Home Buyer Tax Credit:  Download Homebuyer Tax Credit

Calm Your Real Estate Panic!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Great advice from Barbara Corcoran to calm your real estate nerves in this market!