The recent economy has taken a toll on a lot of consumers this year, but the unexplainable fact still remains that people still want to retire or relocate. Some homeowners don’t have a choice in that matter. Military Orders are given and let’s face it, for most people that means a move is in the near future.
For some people that are fortunate they get to stay at their current command. For those that are not so fortunate means “Now I have to sell my home”. You will want to find a competent real estate company to list your home that way you can get the maximum amount of money for your investment. Historically, homes are solid long-term investment. For the past 40 years, real estate has delivered the most consistent positive return over any investment. Then there are the people who want to relocate due to retirement or they are baby boomers that want to relocate to a quiet coastal community. Then you’re probably looking to buy a home in this area and if you are then I have some exciting news for you. It is a Buyers market. Buyers who are pre-approved have incredible negotiating power. Interest rates are at historical lows, lower rates equal lower payments or a larger home that you can buy. Buyers with good credit, a steady income and a realistic view of what they can afford are excellent candidates for a mortgage, even in this market. Prices are right, rates are low and there are plenty of homes on the market NOW. As the economy improves and more people look for homes, prices will rise. If you’re playing the waiting game, remember that the market will come back around – it always does – and you could miss your opportunity for a fantastic deal. Take advantage of today’s market you’ll be glad you did.
Don’t just dream about purchasing a home; make your dreams a reality. Right now is the time to Buy, visit our web page. The Royal-Skies Team will solve all of your real estate questions. Our Professional approach to handling your real estate inquires will leave you satisfied. Please feel free to come by and see us. We are located at the ERA Kings Bay reality office off of hwy 40 in Kingsland, GA.
Home-equity snapshots paint a bright picture.
Many Americans have taken a hit to their home equity over the past couple of years, and some may wonder if it’s really the smartest financial decision to own a home. A recent analysis of Federal Reserve data by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® shows the answer is yes. In comparison with renters, home owners have much greater household wealth, says NAR’s April commentary on the Fed’s Survey of Consumer Finances. Owners’ wealth exceeds that of renters by a factor of 50-to-1: a median of $205,200 versus a median of $4,200. The main wealth difference between the two is home equity, of course. No news there. But even for households who’ve owned their home only since 2003, home equity gains are the rule rather than the exception—and in some cases, equity gains have been significant. Households who bought five years ago in Honolulu, for instance, already average nearly $272,000 in equity. In Northern California (San Francisco and Oakland), the comparable figure is $105,000.
Times are tougher for home owners in a handful of economically struggling markets like Detroit and other parts of the industrial Midwest. Households in these areas who’ve owned their home for five years or less are facing negative equity, although typically not a lot. Hardest hit are households in Detroit who have been owners only since 2003; they’re underwater by a typical $39,000. That’s significant. But in other markets where equity is negative, the numbers tend to be much smaller—$1,000 in Indianapolis, for example. Yet the doom and gloom ends there. In all 150 markets tracked by NAR, including hard-hit markets, households who’ve owned their home for 10, 15, and 20 years have uniformly enjoyed strong equity gains despite the recent downturn. In Honolulu, 20-year owners have accumulated $485,000 in equity; in Northern California, the comparable figure is $481,000. Even markets in the hard-hit industrial Midwest are holding up well. In Detroit, equity for 10-year owners is more than $10,000; that figure jumps to $60,000 for 15-year owners and to $78,000 for 20-year owners. In Indianapolis, the 10-, 15-, and 20-year equity gains are $19,000, $47,000, and $68,000, respectively. The data clearly show that homeownership remains the biggest store of wealth for the typical household, even when markets are buffeted by some admittedly very rocky years.
So if you are interested in buying a home in Kingsland, GA or surrounding areas such as Saint Marys, GA or Kings Bay, GA please check out Kingsland GA Homes For Sale or Saint Marys GA Homes For Sale. If you’re looking for relocation due to military orders check out Stay Navy Homes. Looking to list your home for sale then check out Your Home Listing Specialist, and for all your real-estate needs be sure to look us up at The Royal-Skies Team at ERA Kings Bay Realty.
Like the federal $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, the State of Georgia is implementing and an additional tax credit for Georgia home buyers.
Governor Perdue signed House Bill 261 creating a Georgia income tax credit up for the purchase of an eligible single-family residence. It is a credit of 1.2% of the purchase price, up to $1,800, spread out over 3 years. Although the bill was signed the credit is limited to eligible purchases made between June 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009. The credit created by House Bill 261 can be claimed one time per taxpayer and is completely independent of the federal first time homebuyer tax credit. The final version of the bill contains the GAR amendment to clarify condominiums and residences occupied at the time of sale are eligible for the credit. In addition eligible single family residences include 1) new single family residences; 2) previously occupied residences that were for sale prior to May 11, 2009 and are still for sale after May 11, 2009; 3) owner-occupied residences with respect to which the owners acquisition debt is in default on or before
March 1, 2009; and 4) residences where a foreclosure has taken place and are owned by the mortgagor or the mortgagors agent.
This news is great to know and means that it is a great time to buy a new home or research Kingsland, GA Homes For Sale, and Saint Marys, GA Homes For Sale. This information compliments of The Royal-Skies Team at ERA Kings Bay Realty.
Buyers and Sellers dealing with real estate in Kingsland and St. Marys, Georgia area now have the opportunity to search for Kingsland GA Homes / St. Marys GA Homes and then view the surroundings by using Google ® Street View. The Royal-Skies Team at ERA Kings Bay Realty has completely reinvented their site providing tools to allow buyers to see homes as if they were standing in front of them…even take a walk down the street through a virtual experience.
The results have been so positive from web surfers that we placed this new technology on each of our sites. Home Buyers can research homes (sellers can see their homes) on each of our sites, including our Kingsland, GA Homes For Sale, St. Marys, Georgia Homes For Sale, Kings Bay Homes (specialized Navy site), and our site directed at retiring in St. Marys, Georgia.
Constantly researching and providing this type of useful technology is what has made the Royal-Skies Team the Internet Leader for Camden County, Georgia.
The Internet has revolutionized how real estate is sold. This applies nationally as well as in our local Kingsland and St. Marys, Georgia real estate markets. Websites are popping up left and right as agents claim to be “the trusted source for real estate” in the community. As potential home buyers research website after website they find so many of the sites start to sound alike.
Research shows that nearly 80% of home buyers begin researching homes for sale in their market of choice by accessing the Internet and browsing homes from the comfort of their home office. I’ve been following this trend for years and watched the number of home buyers using the web climb from the minority to the current state with 8 out of 10 using the web.
So with this many people using the web to begin their research it raises the question: “Are home buyers influenced by the Internet?”
Before I give you my opinion on the question please let me qualify where my opinion comes from. As a licensed Georgia real estate agent and a long standing member of the Board of Realtors, it is my job to know “Georgia Real Estate” and how to handle “Georgia Homes For Sale”. BUT IT IS MY PASSION to understand how to serve home buyers and home sellers through the Internet. I have been studying Internet based real estate information for years and am widely acknowledge as the Kings Bay area Internet Expert for Real Estate by nearly all of my peers and competitors.
Again the question: “Are home buyers influenced by the Internet?”
The home buyers that are looking for guidance and education are influenced by the Internet in a very positive way. They research specific Kingsland, Georgia homes for sale or St. Marys, Georgia homes for sale (or whichever city they are relocating to), learn about financing and why getting pre-qualified is important, find a quality website that gives them an educational view of the process, and find an agent that will take care of them. The impact on these buyers is substantial as they use the Internet to become an informed buyer followed by researching and finding a quality agent that will guide them through the process. The process is less stressful for these buyers and they generally get a better deal on their home purchase.
In contrast, buyers that use the Internet simply to find homes for sale are not improving their personal understanding of the process and get little-to-no benefit…in fact they stand an 80% chance of harming their financial opportunity. These home buyers are much like the buyers from ten years ago; they get in their car (get online) drive neighborhood to neighborhood (surf the web) and stumble across a home they fall in love with. They have made the process more about the home and as a result the agent selection process is left to chance. They use whatever agent happens to be in the right place at the right time. This is surely part of the reason why 80% of home buyers will not use the same real estate agent twice. As a result they pay more, get poor terms on their contract, and often wish they had used a different agent or taken a different approach.
The beauty of this insight is this: You get to decide how you will buy a home. You can go with the old ways and leave your real estate agent to chance, or you can select an agent that is a solid educator, quality communicator, and cares more about your home buying goals than they do their personal income. Bottom Line – You get to decide if the Internet will impact how you buy your next home.
Having a niche or target market in your real estate practice benefits the Georgia home buyer / seller and the Georgia real estate professional. This is especially true when you market your real estate services online.
For example: When a buyer is researching homes for sale in Georgia they typically use search phrases that apply directly to their goals. Search terms like NSB Kings Bay Relocation or Kings Bay Area Homes provide results for a site sponsored by a former Navy service member that has made various military transfers and now serves the community as a real estate agent in the Kings Bay community.
Home buyers looking specifically for Kingsland GA Homes will find them on a site tailored for the Kingsland real estate market, just as a buyer looking at neighboring St. Marys GA Homes will find them on a site tailored for the St. Marys real estate market. Home buyers can also find free access to the Georgia Multiple Listing Service by searching for MLS access where they can search all of the area homes.
Home owner’s that are looking to sell their home are more inclined to use someone they know or are referred to, but an agent that specializes in listing Georgia homes for sale can be found easily with a simple search. Home seller’s can also find companies or real estate brokerages like DitY Realty that specialize in Flat Rate MLS listing for Georgia home sellers which contrasts the traditional 6-7% commission structure.
My last example is Traci Nelson’s website. I know Traci personally and she loves working with people that are heading towards retirement. Her site, St. Marys Retirement Living is designed for people that are moving to the area as a second home, vacation home, or as a retirement home. Traci focuses on learning about gated communities, golf communities, low maintenance communities, etc. All from the retirees point of view. Her clients love her and many become adoptive or surrogate parents / grandparents to her.
Because buyers and sellers search the web to accomplish a specific real estate goal, make sure your website describes your specialization in that niche. This will provide them the confidence to work with you as a “specialist”. It will also allow you to focus your marketing dollars on a target and become more proficient than your competition. The point is that “if your marketing speaks to everyone it impacts and attracts no one!”
Make sure you love your niche and be specific enough to be the expert. Just don’t get so specific that you are only targeting igloo buyers with three legged spotted dogs that answer to the name lucky…chances are that you will capture that individual as a client but then you’ll have served 100% of your client base very FAST and then be out of business!
Share your experience…what niche are you filling or have you used?
Do you find yourself getting that urge to drop-into Open Houses, even when you’re busy? You’re not alone. Many homeowners visit open houses to get design ideas, or to see how their home compares in the neighborhood.
Buy if you find yourself attracted to Open Houses frequently, you might want to ask yourself “why”. You might find that even though you are happy with your current home, you might be subconsciously searching for your dream home. Perhaps you want a bigger yard…a quieter street…a gourmet kitchen, etc.
Whatever the reason, if you are looking at homes for sale in the Kingsland or St. Marys, Georgia area, I can help. Gas prices have come down significantly, but with the increased quality in web searches you can search Kingsland or St. Marys, Georgia homes from a quality site without driving all around town. Of course the only down side is that you lose the fun of personally touring other peoples homes.
Original post on Royal-Skies Team Blog hosted by Point2.
You wake up one Monday morning to find Fannie (FNMA) and Freddie (FHLMC) no longer exist - that was a scenario that NAR staff have been contemplating over the past month. Well, the government has in effect taken over Fannie and Freddie this weekend and it is in fact Monday morning. The federal government had no choice because the capital situation of two organizations was insufficient to face the upcoming realities of rising mortgage defaults. Now what?
Mortgage rates will trend down over the short run. But how much of a decline will depend on how actively the government - more specifically the Treasury Department and the FHFA - loosens their mortgage liquidity spigot. For over the next 12 months at least, the FHFA has the authority to purchase more than the normal amount of mortgages from lenders to put into their portfolio holdings. That means all conforming loans, including the newly conforming jumbo loans up to $625,000, will qualify for purchase by the FHFA. That will help drive down mortgage rates. In about two year time, when the housing recovery is assumed to be well underway, the government will trim its mortgage portfolio. Then Fannie and Freddie will be completely restructured. It will be up to the next administration and Congress to determine that structure in for which NAR will make our 1.3 million voices heard.
The credit spread between the 10-year Treasury and the 30-year mortgage rates has greatly widened in recent past months due to uncertainties surround the fate of Fannie and Freddie. The typical historic spread has been about 150 to 180 basis points. That means if the 10-year Treasury yield is 4%, then the 30-year mortgage would be about 5.5% to 5.8%. Rather, we have seen the spread at 250 to 300 basis points in recent months. With the government takeover, the spread will surely narrow and hence result in lower mortgage rates.
One legitimate concern is over taxpayer bailout. It is certainly possible that the Treasury will be forking over federal dollars if the default situation worsens. It is also possible for the Treasury and the taxpayers to come out ahead if the mortgage defaults slow down. The defaults will depend heavily on the direction of home prices and the home prices, in turn, are driven heavily by whether or not housing inventory gets trimmed. Assuming there are notable declines in mortgage rates from the federal takeover, then the demand for homebuying will return to the market place and help lower inventory. Therefore, it is very possible that this unprecedented move by the federal government may not cost the taxpayer a dime.
We should also be mindful that even if some taxpayer funds are used in the end, it was just not permissible to have Fannie and/or Freddie go under without any government backstop. The global economy would no doubt have entered one of the harshest recessions in recent memory. Loss of income and jobs would have been brutal, unnecessary collateral damage to ordinary people from the mistakes of the flawed mortgage lending model (which included no down-payment, no documentation, unloading the risk to the secondary market after originations, exuberant credit ratings by Moody's and Standard and Poor's, etc.)
Over the long term, after the above time-out phase of government activism, we need to ensure continuous flow of capital into the mortgage market to help consumers. The restructuring of Fannie and Freddie must meet this important criterion.
By Lawrence Yun, NAR Chief Economist
For Real Estate Information in the Kingsland, Georiga and St. Marys, Georia Areas please visit our website.
This article was copied from an email circulated to Realtors for informational and educational purposes. We have provided it so you may develop an opinion on the real estate market based on insights from a legitimate Economists vice only hearing opinions from the national media outlets.
(from Yahoo News on real estate)
Houston, we don't have a housing problem.
The city's $152,500 median home sale price is up 6.6% from 2005. It boasts a low vacancy rate and an oil-rich economy. Throw in a bubbling entrepreneurial tech scene, and you've got four factors that put Houston on the top of our list of best places to buy a home.
San Francisco, Calf, Charlotte, N.C., Jacksonville, Fla., and St. Louis, Mo., are other areas buyers can feel safe investing in.
We examined the country's 40 largest metropolitan areas and looked at cities where home prices have appreciated over the last two years. We also measured tightening vacancy rates. These metrics indicate places where buyers are investing in homes in order to live, not just make a quick buck, and where the housing market is relatively solid. We culled our vacancy and home price information from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Association of Realtors...(end of Yahoo article quote)
The article went on to discuss other solid areas of the country, but the reason I pointed this article out is because Jacksonville, Florida ranked 4th on their list of cities in which to buy a home. Since Kingsland/St. Marys, GA are "bedroom" communities of Jacksonville, we often feel the impact of what happens in their real estate market. The southern cities in Florida may still have some concerns, but it is great to see Jacksonville getting such attention. Our market has gotten very busy this summer so if you are thinking of buying a home you may want to consider doing it before interest rates and prices climb.
Visit us on the web at http://www.royal-skies.com or visit my personal site at http://www.kingslandgahomesforsale.com
Kings Bay now has a Navy relocation site dedicated to local submarine base sailors, civil service employees and federal contractors. As sailors (employees or contractors) move in and out of the Kings Bay area they can search homes for sale, request a home value analysis, reach MWR information and more. This web source was created to provide the Kings Bay Navy personnel a safe, quality, no pressure resource and the information was provided by real estate professionals that were once in the military themselves.
Although it does not exclude any branch of service, the site was spearheaded by a local entreprenuer that once served in the Navy. This local businessman has a heart for educating and guiding Kings Bay Navy personnel. Because he has experience with PCS moves, Household goods headaches, BAH factors, the concerns of dependents, etc., and also has the education and experience in real estate markets around Kings Bay, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, and Groton, he created the site with knowledge from both Navy and Real Estate exprience. This makes the Stay Navy Homes website a great resource for relocating Kings Bay personnel.
To preview the site visit http://www.StayNavyHomes.com where you can learn about the Kings Bay area real estate market and homes for sale.
On February 7, 2008, the Senate reached an agreement and passed their economic stimulus package by a bi-partisan vote of 81-16. Within hours, the House accepted the Senate's measure by a vote of 380-34 and sent the final bill (H.R. 5140, as amended) to President Bush for his signature.
The soon to be enacted economic stimulus package includes several important housing provisions, including increases in the loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and also FHA. Congress and the Administration view strengthening the housing market as key to improving the national economy. Included in the package are:
The FHA limit will increase to as much as $729,750 in high cost areas (to 125% of local median home prices) for loans approved on or before December 31, 2008. In addition, the measure gives the Secretary of HUD the discretion to raise any individual area loan limit by an amount not to exceed $100,000.
The GSE limit will be increased up to $729,750 for loans originated after July 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008. Currently Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are capped at $417,000. It appears the formula mirror that used by FHA, with GSE loan limits increasing to 125% of the local median home price, but not to exceed $729,750.
The tax centerpiece of the stimulus package is a tax rebate provision. The rebate will be $600 ($1200 for those who file a joint return). In addition, individuals with children (generally minor children or some older dependents) will receive rebates of $300 per child, with no limit on the number of eligible children. The rebate will phase out for those with adjusted gross income above $75,000 ($150,000 on a joint return). The IRS will likely begin sending the rebate checks in late May, following the 2007 income tax filing season.
In addition to the rebate, two business tax provisions will provide benefits to small business. The first would permit a business to deduct as much as $250,000 of the cost of otherwise depreciable property. This expensing provision applies to property acquired and placed in service during 2008. A second provision would provide a "bonus" depreciation deduction for the cost of leasehold improvements and certain other equipment. The bonus will be 50% of the cost of the improvement. The provision is effective for improvements placed in service during 2008. Improvements placed in service during 2009 will be eligible for the bonus deduction, but only if they are made pursuant to a contract entered into 2008.
President Bush signed the legislation about 20 minutes prior to my posting this blog. For many people this law will be a boost of income in the short-term and the real estate / housing related portions may help with the housing problems that have been experienced across the country.
For more information on
Kingsland GA Real Estate, Kingsland GA Homes For Sale, St. Marys GA Real Estate, or St. Marys GA Homes For Sale feel free to visit our home page.
We have started hearing about recession worries over the past few weeks. Recessions are, and should be, a genuine concern for our economy. When we are in a recession people have a tendency to slow down on spending due to real or perceived financial concerns.
The positive impacts of a recession, at least on our own personal levels, is that we will scrutinize our spending behavior and not splurge or impulse buy as much as we might during a booming economy. The habits and lessons we learn during the recession can serve us well during a booming economy if we take them to heart. Personally, I think we should be prudent and conservative with our finances regardless of media input or economic indicators.
There are some things that are smart buys during recessions and should be considered. Although you may not see sticker prices drop on new cars, you may see rebates get larger during a slower economy. You may also find you get lower financing rates as lenders and manufacturers use the lower financing as a tool to stimulate purchasing.
With the recent issues in the housing industry constantly on the front page of the paper and as a lead story in Saturday morning economics shows, we have seen the mortgage rates creep back down. This may not cause a refinance frenzy the way it did a couple years back because many current home owners already have a low rate, but it is an excellent opportunity for current home buyers.
If you are in a stable industry or are confident in your current job, this is a great time to be buying a home. Media continues to push the "fear" button and this keeps many people out of the home buying process. I actually heard a "professional" on one of the recent Saturday morning shows state: "no one should be buying a home right now. Home prices aren't expected to rebound until late 2008 or sometime into 2009".
I found myself asking - literally out loud: "Why would you recommend people wait until home prices rebound to purchase a home?" If you think about it, the so called expert actually told the nation to wait until home prices are proven they are higher before they recommend you buy. I don't know about you, but I kind of like the idea of buying while the home prices are low. I'm not going to wait around until home prices have proven to have gone up 5% to make a purchase. On an average Kingsland or St. Marys home (around $165,000 - $180,000) that is an increase of nearly $9,000 in purhase price or, at current interest rates, an increase of $54.00 per month in house payment.
If you are looking for long-term housing that you plan on living in for 3 years or more, then low home prices are a great opportunity for you. BUY!!!!! On the other hand, if you are looking for housing and are afraid what the value may be in twelve months when you move out of that property, you should NOT concern yourself with house sale prices but you should focus on what you can pay in rent!
For homes for sale visit http://www.royal-skies.com
For rental properties visit: http://www.royalskiespropertymgt.com
If you are considering selling your home and need information specific to listing visit: http://www.YourHomeListingSpecialist.com
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Lake Manor, The Lakes - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 133 Lake Manor Drive on October 13 from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM.
This Kingsland, Georgia Home For Sale will be open to the public for casual and relaxed viewing for two and half hours on Saturday. We encourage current home buyers, real estate agents, and people out for a Saturday drive to stop by the home. To see all the details of this Kingsland home (including a map to find it) View the Property Information and then feel free to stop by the open house.
Kingsland Georgia - On Friday, June 8th, 2007, Tommy Kennedy, the U.S. Open 9-Ball Champion (1992) officially put his Kingsland, Georgia home for sale through Royal-Skies Realty. At Royal-Skies Realty we were proud to serve Tommy and his family and are honored that he chose us out of all the local options and national franchises.
Learn more about Tommy Kennedy at http://www.tedharris.com/kennedy_22.htm or about how we market our client's homes for sale at http://www.royal-skies.com.
Tommy's home was on the market for a little over 90 days illustrating that homes can be sold effectively in any market if you know how to do it properly. When you have a well-thought-out marketing strategy and know how to implement it homes sell very well. We were proud to represent Tommy and Denise on their home sale and wish them well in Indiana. Tommy, thank you for your business and thank you for the autographed pictures...I will be hanging them in our new office.
Media claims that real estate is in the dump but at Royal-Skies Realty we have had our best June through September in our four year history. It has been a great summer and we are confident that real estate is still a great investment as well as a vital part of the American Dream.
As part of our commitment to be in the real estate business for the long-term we bought a commercial building with Highway 40 frontage in Kingsland. For long time Camden County residents you know the location as Satilla Board Sports (yes they are still in business we just have the other half of the building)...we are next to Badcock Furniture and across the street from Aaron's Rent to Own!
If you have not visited or moved to the area yet, you will discover our new location to be in the highest traffic count area of Camden County. We believe that our ability to buy this premiere location is a testiment to our success in real estate, mixing Superior Online Marketing with personal service for each home buyer and seller.
When coming into the area you can find us by the following directions: From I-95 exit 3, turn left and head East. Go approximately 1.5 miles and on the right hand side is our new commercial storefront. The address is formally known as 1965 Commerce Drive, Suite A, Kingsland, GA 31548.
Of course we can still be found at our best location at http://www.royal-skies.com where you will find the resources you need to buy or sell in Kingsland, St. Marys, or anywhere else in Camden County.