Weekly Article from This Week @ KW

2008-06-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

TOP STORY: Rates creep up

A recent survey and a rate increase could mean more competition for homes

Recent indication is that first time home buyers are getting tired of sitting on the sidelines. According to a recent online poll taken by the National Apartment Association, 17 percent of renters plan to make the jump to home ownership in the next year; 41 percent of the 2,041 respondents planned to be home owners within two years. Only 31 percent planned to still be paying rent five years from now.

Another factor that could very soon contribute to an increase in home buying could be rising mortgage costs. Fixed-rate mortgage rates rose to 6.32 percent, the highest it has been since October. After months of aggressively dropping interest rates, many lenders are worried that the Fed will be forced to raise rates back up. As interest rates rise, so do mortgage rates. According to a press release on freddiemac.com, Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist said that, "Mortgage rates jumped this week after a number of Federal Reserve officials, most notably Chairman [Ben] Bernanke and Vice Chair [Donald] Kohn, expressed concern over a threat of inflation." We may very well be seeing the beginning of the end of the super-low mortgage and potential buyers may realize that with rising rates, now may be the time to jump in. Nothaft added, "Moreover, pending home sales for April unexpectedly rose by 6.3% and mortgage applications for home purchases ... were also up last week."

Source: http://www.kw.com/kw/content/newspages/kwnews06162008.jsp#Leadstory

June Real Estate Newsletter

2008-06-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

A Monthly Newsletter from Rosa Gomez with Keller Williams

June 2008
Phone: 818-261-7007 Fax: 818-909-9236

School is out, the pool is open and the grill is on. Break out the swimsuits and burgers – It’s June!

If you have any family, friends, or loved ones this month looking to buy or sell a home, please give them my name!

Introduction
Hello, my name is Rosa Gomez from Keller Williams Realty. I am a real estate agent, and I am available to help answer any real estate inquiries that you may have. If you know of anyone that is looking to move to this area, please refer them to me, and I would be happy to help. I look forward in meeting and working with you in the future.

Loan Plan for Homeowners
Struggling U.S. homeowners could receive federal loans to pay down as much as 20% of their principal under a proposal introduced by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to help stem foreclosures. The plan would be run through the Treasury Department, which would make the loans.

The program would hinge on the willingness of mortgage servicers and investors to agree to restructure troubled loans, as well as to pay the financing cost of making the federal loans.

"Only the federal government is in a position to help arrest the downward cycle in housing markets by facilitating temporary aid to borrowers facing financial difficulty and encouraging widespread restructuring of unaffordable mortgages," the FDIC said in a document outlining the plan.

FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair acknowledged that servicing firms would receive some benefit through the program. She noted, however, that those firms would be required to cover the financing costs and would have to subordinate their claims to the federal government if they choose to take part in the program.
Source: Real Estate Journal

Save Money Cooling Your House
If your air conditioner isn't working properly, see if you can easily get it running. All it may need is to clean or replace your furnace or air handler filters.

If your system doesn’t have a programmable thermostat, install one. Raise it a few degrees when you'll be out, every degree will save you about 2% on your energy bill, and turn it off if you are going to be gone for two days or more.

Update your air conditioner if it's old. Though not a low-cost solution, old equipment may use far more energy than necessary, resulting in higher utility bills. Over time, the cost will be absorbed by the savings.
Source: Hometips.com

Green Your Office
Be a switch hitter. Turn off the lights when you leave your workspace for more than 15 min and when you leave for the day. Commercial buildings account for 18% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, a good portion caused by leaving lights on in vacant rooms.
Print to the finish. Each year, the average office worker uses 10,000 pages of copy paper. Save trees - use digital files. If you must print, use both sides of the page.
Chill. Heating and cooling systems suck up about 22% of energy in the commercial sector, so turn them off when you don't need them. Open a window! Wear a cardigan!
Push the envelope. Convince the powers-that-be to green up office supplies from toilet paper to electronic equipment to green power to, yes, envelopes. The payoffs include lower energy bills, reduced carbon footprints, happier employees, great PR, and even government recognition.
Source: MSN Green

June Recipe
Asiago Toasted Cheese Puffs
Ingredients
1 c grated Asiago cheese
1 tsp pressed garlic
1/3 c mayonnaise
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 French baguette, thinly sliced

Directions Preheat broiler. In a mixing bowl, combine Asiago, garlic, mayonnaise, oregano, thyme, parsley salt and pepper. Add more mayonnaise, if desired. On a baking sheet, arrange baguette slices in a single layer. Spread Asiago mixture on top. Broil for 3 min or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Source: All Recipes

Warranty Wisdom
A home service agreement can make your repair process easy. We make the call to arrange for a licensed and insured contractor to take care of your problem. With a home service agreement, you pay a small deductible for your covered repairs…without it you could pay hundreds. A 2-10 HBW ResaleSM home service agreement gives you the protection you need against breakdowns of covered appliances and major systems such as plumbing, heating, electrical and air conditioning.

June Quote
“What seems impossible one minute becomes, through faith, possible the next.”
-Norman Vincent Peale

New to Blogging!

2008-06-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

Hello There!

I am a real estate agent. I am barely starting out with this blog but it seems so exciting!!! I think it will make my business expand to new levels!

Daily Dose of Real Estate

Weekly Article from This Week @ KW

June Real Estate Newsletter

New to Blogging!