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Open House Sunday, May 6th, in Highland Creek of Nashville, Tennessee

May 2, 2012 Posted by | Nashville, open house, real estate, tennessee | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

May 2012 Newsletter Highlights: Home Invasion Deterrent Tips and UCP’s Casual Day

May 1, 2012 Posted by | charity, real estate, security | , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

March Pending Home Sales Rise, Market Recovering

Article by: National Association of REALTORS®; Daily Real Estate News, Thursday, April 26, 2012

MARCH PENDING HOME SALES RISE, MARKET RECOVERING

Pending home sales increased in March and are well above a year ago, another signal the housing market is recovering, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 4.1 percent to 101.4 in March from an upwardly revised 97.4 in February and is 12.8 percent above March 2011 when it was 89.9.  The data reflects contracts but not closings.

The index is now at the highest level since April 2010 when it reached 111.3.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said 2012 is expected to be a year of recovery for housing.  “First quarter sales closings were the highest first quarter sales in five years.  The latest contract signing activity suggests the second quarter will be equally good,” he said.

“The housing market has clearly turned the corner.  Rising sales are bringing down inventory and creating much more balanced conditions around the county, which means home prices will be rising in more areas as the year progresses,” Yun said.

Pending Home Sales Index by Region:

  • Northeast: slipped 0.8 percent to 78.2 in March but is 21.1 percent above March 2011.
  • Midwest: declined 0.9 percent to 93.3 but is 16.9 percent higher than a year ago.
  • South: rose 5.9 percent to an index of 114.1 in March and are 10.6 percent above March 2011.
  • West: increased 8.7 percent in March to 108.0 and is 9.0 percent above a year ago.

Source: NAR; Daily Real Estate News (April 26, 2012) | Blog distribution provided by Kenneth Bargers and Bargers Solutions, a proud member of Pilkerton Realtors, residential real estate services located in Nashville, Tennessee

April 26, 2012 Posted by | economy, real estate | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Open House this Sunday in Courtside at Southern Woods of Brentwood, Tennessee

April 19, 2012 Posted by | open house | , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Buyer Urgency Improves, More See Now Good Time to Buy per MSN Real Estate

Article by: Daily Real Estate News (April 11, 2012); MSN Real Estate (April 9, 2012)

Buyer Urgency Improves, More See Now Good Time to Buy

More home buyers may jump off the sidelines this spring as they get more urgent about purchasing a home, fearing that home price and mortgage rate increases are on the horizon.

Housing surveys in recent weeks have shown that more Americans are seeing now a great time to purchase a home. In the most recent survey, 73 percent of Americans say now is a good time to buy, according to the latest Fannie Mae Housing Survey conducted in March. That’s up from 70 percent in February who said it was a great time to buy.

“Conditions are coming together to encourage people to want to buy homes,” says Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae’s chief economist. “With an increasing share of consumers expecting higher mortgage rates and home prices over the next 12 months, some may feel that renting is becoming more costly and that home ownership is a more compelling housing choice.”

Indeed, more buyer urgency is evident in the market. Thirty-three percent of those surveyed by Fannie say they expect home prices soon to increase, which is the highest percentage in a year. What’s more, nearly 40 percent say they expect mortgage rates to rise in the next year too, which is also up from previous surveys.

Coupled with that, 48 percent of Americans say they expect rents to continue to climb, and 44 percent say they expect their financial situation to improve in the next year.

Source: “More Americans Think It’s Time to Buy a Home,” MSN Real Estate (April 9, 2012); Daily Real Estate News (April 11, 2012) | Blog distribution provided by Kenneth Bargers and Bargers Solutions, a proud member of Pilkerton Realtors, residential real estate services located in Nashville, Tennessee

April 12, 2012 Posted by | real estate | , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Charming Updated/Move-in Ready Cottage for Homeowner or Investor’s Dream in Sylvan Heights!

April 9, 2012 Posted by | Nashville, real estate | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Amazing Deal in Fountainbrooke of Brentwood – Motivated Sellers!!!

April 5, 2012 Posted by | real estate | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Spring, a new beginning… a Great Time to Move!

April 4, 2012 Posted by | Nashville, real estate, relocation, tennessee | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Business and Life is Good: Greater Nashville Area!

Business and Life is Good: Greater Nashville Area!

The Greater Nashville area continues to be a national leader for relocation of businesses and home buyers. The consistent success of our reputation is credited to the joint efforts of our business, community, government and neighborhood leaders.

Janet Miller, Chief Economic Officer, with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has kindly submitted her observations of Business is Good: Nashville Leads Nation in Economic Recovery.  I joined this month’s conversation with Life is Good: Explore and Discover the Greater Nashville Area.

CLICK LINK: NEWSLETTER

Many thanks to Janet for taking the time to share with us the most recent economic development news. I invite you to share the April 2012 newsletter, IN THE NEWS, with your friends. As always, thank you for your continued feedback, support and referrals. – Kenneth Bargers, REALTOR®

April 1, 2012 Posted by | economy, Nashville, tennessee | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

30-Year Mortgage Rates Slide Back Below 4%

30-Year Mortgage Rates Slide Back Below 4%

Mortgage rates were down across the board this week compared to last week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage market survey.

After posting a big jump last week, 30-year mortgage rates were back below the 4 percent mark this week, offering another boost in home affordability for buyers.

Here’s a closer look at rates for the week ending March 29:

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.99 percent, with an average 0.7 point, falling back from last week’s 4.08 percent average. A year ago at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.86 percent.
  • 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.23 percent, with an average 0.8 point, also slipping from last week’s 3.30 percent average. Last year, 15-year rates averaged 4.09 percent at this time.
  • 5-year adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.90 percent this week, with an average 0.8 point, dropping from last week’s 2.96 percent average. The 5-year ARM averaged 3.70 percent last year at this time.
  • 1-year ARMs: averaged 2.78 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, dropping from last week’s 2.84 percent average. A year ago, 1-year ARMs averaged 3.26 percent.

Source: Freddie Mac; Daily Real Estate News (March 30, 2012) | Blog distribution provided by Kenneth Bargers and Bargers Solutions, a proud member of Pilkerton Realtors, residential real estate services located in Nashville, Tennessee

March 31, 2012 Posted by | economy, real estate | , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

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