Real Estate Investing Network Group meets tonight.
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: JP Weigand office, 6530 E. 13th
Anyone interested in investing in real estate is invited to attend.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Look for Home Sales to Rebound in 2009
Wichita’s home sale doldrums should end after the first quarter of next year, according to a housing report released today by Wichita State University.
In the report, WSU’s Center for Real Estate called the local market a “House of Illusions,” referring to the barrage of negative media stories about national housing trends and how they do “not reflect the reality of Wichita’s market.” Stan Longhofer, director of the Center for Real Estate, says that perception — and the disappearance of zero-down-payment financing — has kept buyers and sellers out of the local market this year.
Read Full Story
Source: Wichita Business Journal, by Chris Moon, Friday, September 12, 2008
In the report, WSU’s Center for Real Estate called the local market a “House of Illusions,” referring to the barrage of negative media stories about national housing trends and how they do “not reflect the reality of Wichita’s market.” Stan Longhofer, director of the Center for Real Estate, says that perception — and the disappearance of zero-down-payment financing — has kept buyers and sellers out of the local market this year.
Read Full Story
Source: Wichita Business Journal, by Chris Moon, Friday, September 12, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
8 Ways to Make Your Home Sell Faster
Simple fixes and staging practices can focus buyers' attention in the right places and keep them from getting sidetracked by personal items in the home.
Here are some staging suggestions from Deborah Ehrlich-Layne of Staging Plus in Tampa, Fla., Handyman Matters, and HGTV's The Stagers.
Here are some staging suggestions from Deborah Ehrlich-Layne of Staging Plus in Tampa, Fla., Handyman Matters, and HGTV's The Stagers.
- Eliminate countertop clutter. A countertop covered with small appliances and utensils looks crowded, not spacious.
- Pack up the too-personal. Don't leave toiletries on the counter. Stash family photos.
- Be prepared for snoops. Prospective buyers pull open drawers, look in closets and peek behind the shower curtain.
- Make sure things work. Dripping faucets, burned-out light bulbs, and squeaking hinges detract from the home's appeal.
- Think "white-glove clean." Mop, dust, vacuum, clean baseboards, wash windows. Make sure the house looks fresh and smells neutral.
- Make sure the front door is clean and the hardware polished. Power-wash walkways.
- Store furniture that makes rooms feel crowded.
- Show every room for the kind of room it is. Maybe you've turned your formal dining room into a home office. Get rid of the desk and computer, and bring back the dining table and chairs.
Source: The Dallas Morning News (09/05/08)
Monday, September 8, 2008
US Bails Out Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac
Officials with the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Housing Finance Agency seized control of embattled mortgage giants Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) on Sept. 7, in hopes of stabilizing the housing and financial markets.
Washington, D.C.-based Fannie Mae and McLean-based Freddie Mac purchase or guarantee most of the home mortgages in the U.S. A crisis of investor confidence in the companies sent their stocks spiraling downward earlier this summer.
Read Full Story
Source: Wichita Business Journal, by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Monday, September 8, 2008
Washington, D.C.-based Fannie Mae and McLean-based Freddie Mac purchase or guarantee most of the home mortgages in the U.S. A crisis of investor confidence in the companies sent their stocks spiraling downward earlier this summer.
Read Full Story
Source: Wichita Business Journal, by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Monday, September 8, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
End in Sight for Seller-Funded Down Payments
Prospective homeowners have until Oct. 1, 2008, to use down payment assistance from a seller to purchase a house.
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 signed into law in July bars such seller-funded aid on Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgages.
Lawmakers added the provision to the housing relief package because about 40 percent of FHA borrowers who went into foreclosure in the past year received down payment assistance from a seller.
However, some industry professionals are worried that the rule change will keep some buyers out of the market.
Scott Syphax, president of The Nehemiah Corp., which runs a privately funded down payment assistance program, cites a report by housing research firm Zelman & Associates.
The report found that 10 to 25 percent of potential home buyers will have no way of securing home ownership without seller-funded down payment assistance, and stated that the rule change will have far-reaching implications for the real estate industry at large.
You can learn more about the seller-funded down payment assistance portion of the Housing Stimulus Bill at REALTOR.org.
Source: Augusta Chronicle (GA), Tim Rausch (09/02/08), REALTOR.org
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 signed into law in July bars such seller-funded aid on Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgages.
Lawmakers added the provision to the housing relief package because about 40 percent of FHA borrowers who went into foreclosure in the past year received down payment assistance from a seller.
However, some industry professionals are worried that the rule change will keep some buyers out of the market.
Scott Syphax, president of The Nehemiah Corp., which runs a privately funded down payment assistance program, cites a report by housing research firm Zelman & Associates.
The report found that 10 to 25 percent of potential home buyers will have no way of securing home ownership without seller-funded down payment assistance, and stated that the rule change will have far-reaching implications for the real estate industry at large.
You can learn more about the seller-funded down payment assistance portion of the Housing Stimulus Bill at REALTOR.org.
Source: Augusta Chronicle (GA), Tim Rausch (09/02/08), REALTOR.org
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Give Cancer Patients Hope, Give Platelets
Cancer is one of those life altering illnesses that none of us want to come into our lives.
However, most of us know someone or will know someone in our lifetime that has battled with this awful disease.
Nearly all of those newly diagnosed with cancer and receiving chemotherapy or related therapies will need Blood or Platelet products sometime during their treatment!! In fact, the majority of Platelets used are needed by cancer patients.
The last thing a cancer patient and their families need to worry about is whether the blood they need is readily available!!
By donating on a regular basis you can make a difference!!
If you are well and eligible, please send us an email (wichitapl@usa.redcross.org) or give us a call, (316) 268-0875, toll free at (866)206-0694 and we will find a convenient time for you!!
Scheduling hours are 8:00-8:30 Monday through Friday and 8:00-4:30 Saturday.
Red Cross Website
However, most of us know someone or will know someone in our lifetime that has battled with this awful disease.
Nearly all of those newly diagnosed with cancer and receiving chemotherapy or related therapies will need Blood or Platelet products sometime during their treatment!! In fact, the majority of Platelets used are needed by cancer patients.
The last thing a cancer patient and their families need to worry about is whether the blood they need is readily available!!
By donating on a regular basis you can make a difference!!
If you are well and eligible, please send us an email (wichitapl@usa.redcross.org) or give us a call, (316) 268-0875, toll free at (866)206-0694 and we will find a convenient time for you!!
Scheduling hours are 8:00-8:30 Monday through Friday and 8:00-4:30 Saturday.
Red Cross Website
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Foreclosure Rates Spike in Wichita
Foreclosure rates for higher-risk mortgages in the Wichita area rose significantly between June 2007 and June 2008.
Delinquencies and foreclosures for conventional prime-rate mortgages are up in the Wichita area as well but don't appear to signal trouble, said one expert.
All local foreclosure rates were below national averages.
Read Full Story
Source: Wichita Eagle, by Dan Voorhis, Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Delinquencies and foreclosures for conventional prime-rate mortgages are up in the Wichita area as well but don't appear to signal trouble, said one expert.
All local foreclosure rates were below national averages.
Read Full Story
Source: Wichita Eagle, by Dan Voorhis, Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)