Tag Archives: South Salem Realtor

What To Expect From Housing In The Second Half Of 2013

The U.S. housing recovery continues to make gains. New home sales have surged 38% since last year, hitting a five-year high in June, according to the newest figures from the Commerce Department. And despite a monthly drop in activity, sales of previously owned homes remain 15% higher than last year as well, according to the National Association of Realtors.

 

If housing in the first six months of 2013 could be summed up in one sentence, it would go something like this: Inventory is painfully tight, sales activity is surging and home prices have jumping.

 

Now real estate experts are sounding off on the trends that will help shape the sector in the second half of 2013. Here’s what you need to know.

 

We Are Not Re-inflating A Bubble

 

Home prices have clocked double-digit price appreciation this year. Prices across the 20 major U.S. metro markets were 12% higher in April than they were a year before, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Other indexes have registered similarly dramatic gains. The last time prices appreciated by double digits were during the last housing bubble, motivating to question whether a new bubble is beginning to inflate.

 

It isn’t.  The current pace of growth, while certainly unsustainable for long term market health, is nothing to worry about just yet. “Prices are now rising as fast as they were during the bubble years, but they are still low relative to the levels where they were back then,” explains Jed Kolko, chief economist of Trulia TRLA -0.65%, a San Francisco, Calif.-based real estate site.

 

He says prices are actually undervalued across most of the country, lower not just than their bubble-era peaks but also lower than their historical norms when adjusted for inflation.

 

“You can sort of think of it as we overshot on the way down and this is sort of a correction back to something more normal,” adds Mark Fleming, chief economist of CoreLogic, an Irvine, Calif.-based real estate data firm.

 

 

What To Expect From Housing In The Second Half Of 2013 – Forbes.

4 sexy trends to add fun and inspire visitors to your real estate website | South Salem NY Homes

Sometimes it’s just too easy to let your website presence slack off a little. Especially with today’s fast-moving market. There are many mixed messages about what you should have on your website; content; videos; or even if you should HAVE a website. Blogging falls off; we don’t add our listing photos or videos; and there it sits. Yawn.

But, there are some exciting new trends happening, and, truth be told, agents are business owners who need to market their services online. It’s the billboard, the storefront, the treasure trove of your expertise and personality. It could be time to find ways to inspire your website visitors in NEW ways, with new content, and shift the perspective of the old website. Engaging your visitors in new ways can increase traffic, inspire them to take action, and give them a little fun at the same time. Below are some colorful finds with fresh ideas that turn old websites into new, sexy, trendy places to find a home.

1. Check out the newest website trends: FUN! Color! Action!

DCLifestyles.jpg

DC Lifestyles by Real Living at Home

Some of the newer WordPress or Tumblr themes (or custom-developed ones) have fun new layouts. For the most part, they take the “categories” of your website and turn them into visual destinations, rather than the old drop-down menus in navigation menus. Add in some fun graphics or photography, and suddenly you have eye-catching calls to action that are discoverable rather than just “Communities.” Check out DC Lifestyles’ new home page. As a site visitor, my eye draws me in to all the things I can search; I want to stay and play, and see what’s under all the fun “windows.”

2. Bring in your reviews from other sources.

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GlendaleandBeyond.com

Reviews on sites like Google, Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia and Yelp are yours and yours to keep. Display them proudly on your website. Kendyl Young of GlendaleandBeyond.com has integrated her reviews with a WordPress plug-in, and then LINKS BACK to the original review on the associated site. This is a great way to add some extra SEO juice to your site as well. Alternatively, using your own user-generated reviews through a service like RealSatisfied, you can bring in widgets, plug-ins, and other tools to display your great service. Make your visitors search easier by giving them exactly what they want: information about you.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/4-sexy-trends-to-add-fun-and-inspire-visitors-on-your-real-estate-website/#sthash.UxHJVeH5.dpuf

 

4 sexy trends to add fun and inspire visitors to your real estate website | Inman News.

The Real Estate Market Meets the Internet: How Zillow Came to Be (Z) | South Salem Real Estate

The Fool is exploring Seattle. Today, CEO Spencer Rascoff introduces us to Zillow  (NASDAQ: Z  ) , telling us how the online home and real estate marketplace works, what he considers its greatest strengths, and what investors should know about it.

 

Spencer recounts how the idea for Zillow was born of his time at Expedia, and how far the company has come since then. He also offers some insight on what investors should look for when evaluating any tech company.

 

The Real Estate Market Meets the Internet: How Zillow Came to Be (Z).

CoreLogic: 4.2 million homes in path of hurricane storm-surge | South Salem Real Estate

More than 4.2 million U.S. homes are located within the risk-zone of hurricane-driven storm-surge along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, CoreLogic concluded in a study this week.

After analyzing residential property risk on the national, regional, state, metro and ZIP code level, CoreLogic ($26.430%) produced a Storm Surge Report, noting that $1.1 trillion in U.S. property is situated within at-risk areas.

Unfortunately, risk-prone areas are only increasing.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency released a revised flood map for New York suburbs, adding another 35,000 homes and businesses to the list of at-risk properties along the coast.

“Public awareness of the risk hurricane-driven storm surge poses to coastal homeowners has never been higher coming off the heels of Hurricane Sandy last fall,” said Dr. Howard Botts, vice president and director of database development for CoreLogic Spatial Solutions. “Sandy was a harsh reminder of the potential destruction associated with storm-surge flooding, and of just how many communities are vulnerable to that risk, in areas typically assumed to be relatively safe from hurricanes along the northeastern Atlantic shoreline.”

Of the $1.1 trillion in property at-risk, $658 billion is located in 10 major metro areas.

States high on the list include Louisiana with 411,000 homes in storm-surge zones. Not to mention, New York with $135 billion in property at risk.

Long Island, N.Y., alone has an estimated $200 billion in residential property exposed.

CoreLogic says for the first time the report incorporates a climate-related rise in sea levels – a factor putting more neighborhoods at risk.

“These findings show that the Miami area could potentially have the highest increase in the number of homes at risk of the cities discussed in the report,” CoreLogic said. “Given a one-foot rise in sea level, total properties at risk would nearly double from just under 132,000 to almost 340,000, and estimated value would increase from an estimated $48 billion to more than $94 billion overall.”

 

CoreLogic: 4.2 million homes in path of hurricane storm-surge | HousingWire.

Purchase loan demand eases as mortgage rates rise | South Salem Real Estate

 

With rates headed up, demand for purchase loans fell a seasonally adjusted 4 percent from the week before during the week ending May 10, but was still up 10 percent from a year ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in releasing the results of its latest Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey.

After declining for seven weeks in a row, rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($417,500 or less) averaged 3.67 percent, up from 3.59 percent the week before, the MBA said. Points also increased to 0.41 from 0.33 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.

Applications for refinancings were down 8 percent from week to week, but refi requests still accounted for 76 percent of all mortgage applications. Source: mbaa.org.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/purchase-loan-demand-eases-as-mortgage-rates-rise/#sthash.WkQbJNTm.dpuf

 

 

Purchase loan demand eases as mortgage rates rise | Inman News.

5 Reasons Social Workers Need to Work with Social Media | South Salem Realtor

ID 100109457 5 Reasons Social Workers Need to Work with Social MediaWhile some social workers are afraid to get involved in social media, they don’t want to break down important boundaries between social workers and their clients. But there are professional ways to use social media to improve your knowledge, connect to your clients, and gather support from your colleagues. Here are 5 ways social media will help social workers:

1. Get Informed

Social workers can learn from reading books about social work, but the fact is, the field of social work changes as fast as people do. The best way to keep up with the changing practices is to stay plugged in to social media. You can follow Twitter feeds such as those from LSE Impact Blog to learn about the practices of other social workers in other areas of the country. If you’re working with people who have been affected by recent disasters, you can see what those affected are saying about their situations and emotions rather than depending on the ways in which various “local authorities” report those things.

2. Reach Out and Touch Someone

ID 10046751 5 Reasons Social Workers Need to Work with Social MediaSocial Media allows you to connect to your colleagues and to your clients.  You can also connect with those who have disabilities or other limitations that prevent them from reaching out to social workers because they have a hard time getting around.  If you’re listed in social media outlets, they can find you and get help when they otherwise wouldn’t get the help they need. Social media also allows you to connect with more people since it takes less time and energy than making several phone calls to check in on people.

3. Develop a Professional Identity

Social workers sometimes face the challenge of developing a professional persona. Social media provides a platform for the building of a professional. You can share useful links to credible organizations.  You can show that a sometimes overlooked profession should get more attention and credibility. You can draw in the clients who best match the skills you have to offer.  Many social work organizations, such as Advanced Social Work Practice Network, that connects professionals across the world.

 

 

http://www.dreamgrow.com

Trulia reveals best home-searching season | South Salem NY Real Estate

Online real estate marketplace Trulia ($24.32 0%) revealed its latest survey findings Wednesday, showing the seasonal patterns of home search activity based on its search traffic.

The research, which was based on all home searches on Trulia from 2007 to 2012, was used to determine whether a state’s search activity in each month is above or below the annual average for that state.

The study revealed that post-holiday motivation pushed many potential homebuyers and renters back into full-on search mode at the beginning of the year. Nationally, online real estate search activity surged in January and usually reaches its peak around March or April.

Typically May sees a slight dip, but is directly followed by a second yearly peak during the summer months. Home searches usually dip the lowest in December.

“Home-search activity swings with the seasons in every state. Buyers and sellers can use these ups and downs to their advantage,” said Jed Kolko, chief economist of Trulia. “Sellers looking for the most buyers should list when real estate search traffic peaks. Buyers, however, should think about searching off-season, when there is less competition from other searchers.”

While most online home searches at the state level correspond with typical seasonal patterns, local markets are completely different depending on the market.

In Hawaii and Florida, January has home search activity 10% above the average; however, Maine reports a 10% decrease in activity compared to the average.

Typically, search activity peaks during the summer in the South and for a few states in the Northwest and Northeast. However, Montana and Oregon don’t peak until August. By the time October rolls around, every state is below its annual average in search activity, and every state drops even lower in December.

“Local weather patterns have a big impact on when people search for homes online. If it’s too cold or wet to check out open houses, people search less online,” said Kolko. “Search activity in warm-winter states, like Florida and Hawaii, peaks in January and February. But for most of the country, search traffic is highest in March or April, especially in regions where summer brings rain. In general, people search more online when it’s warm and dry outside.”

How—and Why—to Make Your Blog Print-friendly | South Salem Realtor

When crafting your blog, it is easy to neglect how it might look to someone who wants to print your articles and posts.

After all, with huge monitors, smart phones, tablets, and the bevy of other ways people can access your content, who’d want to print it out on a piece of paper like it’s 2004?

Well, it’s the hallmark of a good designer to not assume how someone will want to digest what you have to offer, and it’s so easy to make your blog print-friendly that there is really no reason not to.

You’d be surprised by how many people will choose to print useful articles, especially if they contain some useful information that they would like to refer to when they’re not near a computer.

Printing from scratch

For the code-skittish, there are some special tools and plugins you can use to help get your print-ready blog set up, and we’ll get to those shortly. If you want to customize it exactly how you want—for example, adding a print-only message to the bottom of the page—the best way to do it is coding it yourself with CSS.

Start in the file called header.php in your theme, and look for the line below:

<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”<?php bloginfo(‘stylesheet_url’); ?>” type=”text/css” media=”screen” />

That line tells the browser what style it should use based on the way the user is viewing the page. Most of the time, it will be viewed on a screen. Below that line, add this one:

<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”<?php bloginfo(‘template_directory’); ?>/print.css” type=”text/css” media=”print” />

This directs the browser to use a different stylesheet, called print.css, if the content is being printed. Of course, print.css does not exist yet, so open up your favorite text editor and save a new file called print.css, dropping it into your theme’s directory (the same place you can find your theme’s main stylesheet).

If someone is printing your article, they want just the content of the article. Excessive images that don’t add real value to the content usually wreak havoc on printers and ink supplies, so you’ll want to remove your site’s header, menus, and advertisements (you won’t be making any cash from printed out Internet ads, anyway).

How can you do this? Take a look at your page code, and find the div id of the section you would like to remove (e.g. <div id=”comments”>). Then, simply add the following rule to your print.css file:

#comments {display:none;}.

The reader wants the article formatted to fit the piece of paper it is being printed on, so scrap any sidebars and footers that might cause unnecessary white space and extra pages.

Finally, remove anything that a reader of a printed sheet cannot use. This includes comment sections (as we’ve just seen), navigation bars, and anything else that requires some sort of user action, like related articles links.

You can test your stylesheet as you modify it using your browser’s print preview function. Just keep removing stuff until it looks like something you’d want to come out of the printer!

Using tools and plugins

WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular blogging platforms, and for those who are not comfortable digging into code and writing a stylesheet themselves, both platforms have plugins that can quickly get you a serviceable print-ready page for every article on your blog.

For WordPress, the easiest option is WP-Print.

A very simple plugin, it gives you a few basic options about how your print page should look, including which links to include, what images should stay in the page, how to handle videos, and an option for a disclaimer.

Your user will simply see a Print button next to your articles exactly where they expect it to. Some other, more complicated tools might offer other functionality, such as printing a page to a PDF, emailing it to friends, or integration with social media like Twitter and Facebook.

If you run a Blogger site, the website printfriendly.com asks you to make a few simple choices, such as the appearance of your Print button and the inclusion or exclusion of features like email and PDF printing. It then gives you a link to download a Blogger widget you can install directly on your site, as well as code you can copy and paste directly where you want the button to show up.

Looking good … in print!

In the end, whatever method you choose, you will have an attractive print-friendly version of every page on your site with only a few minutes’ work.

It might not be the most used feature you ever offer, but for the occasions when a visitor does want to print out something you wrote, they will undoubtedly appreciate that you spent the time to accommodate them.

Real Estate Q&A: Lessons Learned | South Salem Realtor

Each month, San Diego State University lecturer and Zillow Blog contributor Leonard Baron will answer two questions from readers regarding buying, selling and investing. Have a question? Send it to Leonard@ProfessorBaron.com

Real estate lessons learned

Hi Professor — I enjoy reading the guidance you give in your Zillow blog and writings. I’m just getting started in learning about real estate investing, and I wanted to know more specifics about some of those “hard lessons” you’ve learned. Andrea R., Des Moines, IA

Hi Andrea — Oh there have been so many! Real estate is truly a business that we learn as we go. Where do I start? None of these will I ever do again:

  • Fixer-uppers: It seems like it will be fun and profitable to buy a fixer-upper and fix it up! It’s not. There are too many buyers chasing these, so the prices get pushed above what they are worth. Plus it always costs a lot more to renovate and takes a lot longer than you anticipate. Plus you have to pay for all the cost overruns right out of your own pocket. Some people can make these work, but I suggest leaving the fixers to the contractors who are skilled and in the business of renovating properties.
  • Prize, negative cash flow properties: I own a really nice beach property that I bought 10 years ago. I didn’t know that rents in prize areas are way too low for the prices the properties command. I’m just breaking even — almost — on the rent, less expenses, after a decade. Moderately priced properties can be cash-flow positive from year one. Buy those!
  • Vacation rentals: These are the worst. You’ll hear people say the monthly income pays the entire year’s mortgage, which may be true. The problem is there are all kinds of other expenses, and those expenses as a portion of rental income can approach 80 percent, just like a hotel. A normal rental property is typically 35-40 percent.
  • Land investment: Land is 100 percent speculative. Buy assets that pay rental income, dividends or interest, and skip assets where you don’t get some cash return back along the way.

Ask me again in a few months, and I’ll throw more mistakes onto the above list!

Selling one property to buy another

Hi Leonard — I am thinking about selling an investment property I have to buy another. The current one is a good property, pays me nice cash flow, has plenty of equity and has done well for me. But I want to sell and buy something bigger. Can I do a 1031 exchange. Bob M., Los Angeles.

Yes Bob, you can. But I’m wondering why you would. If you have a great property, that you know well, and it’s doing well, keep it! If you sell, even if you do a 1031 tax-deferred exchange, you’ll spend about 10 percent of the property value in transaction costs, so that equity is wiped out. Keep it! If you want to buy more real estate, find out about a cash-out refinancing on the existing one so you can add another property to your portfolio while keeping the great one you have.

Also, 1031 exchanges are complicated, and you have to be on tight timing. I’ve seen many people sell one property and rush to buy another one — even though it’s a really bad property — because that is the only one they can purchase in the IRS-allowed time frame, and their only goal is to avoid paying taxes. So they sell a good property to buy a real dog.

To summarize, if you have a good property, keep it!