Wichita home sales increased 11 percent in March, according to recent numbers from the Wichita Area Association of Realtors.
A total of 678 homes sold during the month, up from 609 in March 2009.
It’s the third month in the last six in which home sales have increased year over year. That followed a period of about two years where home sales lagged.
The regulations are meant to minimize the risk of lead poisoning to residents and to people who work with paint.
The Kansas Department of Heath and Environment administers the new rules, which take effect Friday.
They apply to contractors, property managers and others who disturb painted surfaces in homes, apartments and child-occupied structures built before 1978.
Before starting renovations, those working on surfaces covered with lead paint will have to receive special training, certification and licensing.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Home foreclosures in Sedgwick County shot up during the first three months of the year, more evidence that financial stress levels in the community are growing.
More than 1,100 homes were scheduled for foreclosure sale by the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office during the quarter that ended March 31.
That's 60 percent above the level of the first quarter of 2009 and a third higher than the fourth quarter. However, foreclosures in Sedgwick County remain about half of the national rate, and just a fraction of such housing bubble victims as Las Vegas and Miami.
There's no surprise as to why foreclosures are rising in Sedgwick County, say those who deal with foreclosures: layoffs, plus time.
A sudden drop in income from a layoff makes an affordable mortgage payment unaffordable, said Ryan Deitchler, housing counselor for Consumer Credit Counseling Service.
The most recent local unemployment rate, for February, was 8.1 percent, which is nearly twice what it was a year ago.
Property owners who renovate, repair, or prepare surfaces for painting in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must, before beginning work, provide tenants with a copy of EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB). Owners of these rental properties must document compliance with this requirement — EPA's sample pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 36K) may be used for this purpose.
After April 22, 2010, property owners who perform these projects in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must be certified and follow the lead-safe work practices required by EPA's Renovation, Repair and Remodeling rule. To become certified, property owners must submit an application for firm certification (PDF) (9 pp, 642K) and fee payment to EPA. EPA will begin processing applications on October 22, 2009. The Agency has up to 90 days after receiving a complete request for certification to approve or disapprove the application.
Property owners who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs in rental property should also: