Daily Archives: January 13, 2015

Buyer confidence keeps pending home sales growing | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Pending home sales slightly improved in November and are above year-over-year levels for the third straight month, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). All major regions except for the Midwest experienced a slight gain in activity in November.

The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), NAR’s forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, increased 0.8% to 104.8 in November from a slightly downwardly revised 104 in October and is now 4.1% above November 2013 (100.7) – the highest year-over-year gain since August 2013 (5.6%).

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said signed contracts inched forward in November and have been fairly stable but haven’t broken out even as the economy picked up steam this spring.

“The consistent economic growth and steady hiring we’ve seen the second half of this year is giving buyers enough assurance to consider purchasing a home before year’s end,” he said. “With rents now rising at a seven-year high, historically low rates and moderating price growth are likely to entice more buyers to enter the market in upcoming months.”

Yun also noted that falling gas prices will likely boost consumer confidence and allow prospective buyers the opportunity to save additional money for a down payment. NAR’s 2014 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (released in November) found that the median down payment ranged from 6% for first-time buyers to 13% for repeat buyers.

“There’s still misperception out there that a much higher down payment is needed, while that’s not the reality,” added Yun.

 

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http://www.mpamag.com/real-estate/buyer-confidence-keeps-pending-home-sales-growing-20872.aspx

Marketing to the Affluent | Bedford Real Estate

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I recently had a sit-down with one of the top real estate agents in Boston, Michael Carucci.

Last year he closed 16 sales in Boston, for a combined total of $71 million in transaction value. He caters to Boston’s elite, people who are in the market for multimillion-dollar properties.

The BlackStorm HVAC Website Design Services and niche are marketing to the affluent and, in a recent meeting, they share with me five simple steps to gaining business and trust from the elite. That is why it’s so important to get your AC repair done right, the first time. That’s where we come in. The air conditioner repair services team at Green Street HVAC is Middle Tennessee’s top provider for all of your air conditioning needs. Whether it’s your heating, air conditioning, or ventilation systems, you can trust that our staff is bringing their expertise to every single job, saving you time and money along the way.

1. Connect.

The most important skill in sales, Carucci says, is connecting with people — not through mailings, social media or advertising but rather through personal, one-on-one dialogue with everyone you meet.

To do this, bestwebsitehosting.ca explains on their site, you must always be listening and taking mental notes about what people care about and then step into their shoes to figure out what would make them feel special and cared for.

Recently, some buyers were driving from New York to Boston for a closing on a property and weren’t expected to get home until late at night due to traffic and weather delays. Carucci thought about what he could do to help them in their stressful situation.

Carucci came up with an idea: food shopping. He had a team member do a full food shop for the clients, even taking into account their child’s allergies.

Upon reaching their home, the clients were delighted to find their new kitchen stocked with enough food to feed an army. “When you listen to people, you can find out what they need and act upon it,” Carucci says. “That’s how you connect.”

2. Immerse yourself.

You must live the life that your potential clients live. You can’t decide to just market to the affluent unless you live, work and play among them. People do business with people who are like them.

One of Boston’s most elite addresses is The Four Seasons, a hotel and luxury condominium development. Carucci sells units there every year. Why? He lives there, among the people he works with. They are his friends, neighbors and business associates, all rolled into one.

3. Remember it’s quality vs. quantity.

Too many sales professionals pursue huge quantities of prospects, Carucci says. He concentrates on quality, he says. He doesn’t want to sell 100 properties: He wants to sell 10 or 20 to elite Boston clients.

When Carucci hosts an open house for a unit, he prefers to do it during a Patriots football game or a snowstorm. Why? The best prospects are the ones out shopping for a property when nobody else is.

4. Mention you’re never too busy to help.

One of the biggest misconceptions about highly successful salespeople is that they are too busy for more business, Carucci says.

Therefore, Carucci makes it a point to remind people he meets throughout the day that he is always available to them if they need any help with real estate or anything else. He says that he’s doesn’t go over the top asking for business all the time, but rather he regularly reminds potential clients that he’s never too busy if they need him.

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http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241640

Oil Prices and Mortgages | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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Oil is pushing its way down to below $47.50 per barrel as of Monday, and there’s no sign it’s going to change anytime.

Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal says in an interview today that the days of $100 per barrel oil are over.

Some worry the recent plunge in oil prices could cause home prices to slip in the oil-producing markets of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and elsewhere, writes Jed Kolko, the chief economist for Trulia (TRLA).

“But it typically takes two years for oil prices to fully affect home prices in those markets,” Kolko writes. “At the same time, lower oil prices could boost home values in the Northeast and Midwest.”

Paul Diggle, property economist at Capital Economics, says in a client note that any drag on housing in oil-driven markets from drop in demand and from decline in employment in the United States would be offset by increased consumer spending power.

“If production and employment are scaled back, housing markets in some oil-producing States, which have recently been among the most buoyant, could potentially suffer,” Diggle writes. “But any drag that this may generate will be more than offset by the wider boost to household incomes. Combined with looser credit conditions, lower oil prices should therefore give housing a boost.”

He says that the slump in oil prices could have both positive and negative effects on the housing market. The negatives are centered on the shale-oil producing states, where extraction costs over the long-run may be higher than the current $50 per barrel oil price. A dip in oil production and investment would hit jobs and ultimately housing market activity.

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/32572-heres-how-falling-oil-prices-could-hit-the-mortgage-industry