November 2009 Click here to sign up to receive this newsletter regularly via email. Looking Ahead.
Hello Everyone,Just to keep you updated; the real estate market is improving. According to Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtor's chief economist, existing home sales bounced back strongly in September with first time home buyer's driving much of the activity. This program has definitely helped many seller's buy another home. For more detailed information read BIG REBOUND IN EXISTING HOME SALES!! Presently their are various financial programs being developed as we speak for future home buyer's. We are awaiting word on the continuation of the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyer's. As soon as we get the information I'll be sending it out to all of you. Also OHFA,the Ohio Financing Agency, has come out with another downpayment assistance program called "Grant for Grads". Program provides 2.5% downpayment assistance for people who graduated from high school in Ohio and have graduated from an accredited college or university anywhere in the United States. It is fairly limited but may fit some buyer's. Call me for more information on this program and with any other questions you may have. In the mean time take care and stay warm! Nancy Davis & Jill Higgins
Davis - Higgins Team
BIG REBOUND IN EXISTING HOME SALES !!
Existing-home sales bounced back strongly in September with first-time buyers driving much of the activity, marking five gains in the past six months, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.Existing-home salesĦincluding single-family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops jumped 9.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million units in September from a level of 5.10 million in August, and are 9.2 percent higher than the 5.10 million-unit pace in September 2008. Sales activity is at the highest level in more than two years, since it hit 5.73 million in July 2007. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said favorable conditions matched with a tax credit are boosting home sales. Much of the momentum is from people responding to the first-time buyer tax credit, which is freeing many sellers to make a trade and buy another home. We are hopeful the tax credit will be extended and possibly expanded to more buyers, at least through the middle of next year, because the rising sales momentum needs to continue for a few additional quarters until we reach a point of a self-sustaining recovery.¨ Even with the improvement, Yun said the market is underperforming. Despite spectacular gains in the stock market, principally from the financial sector recovery, most of the 75 million home-owning families have more wealth tied to their homes. Home values could soon turn consistently positive and help the broad base of middle-class families, but we are not there yet. Conditions for First-Time Buyers
Early information from a large annual consumer study to be released on Nov. 13, the 2009 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers,shows that first-time home buyers accounted for more than 45 percent of home sales during the past year. A separate practitioner survey shows that distressed homes accounted for 29 percent of transactions in September. NAR President Charles McMillan said affordability conditions remain historically high. Potential first-time buyers can take heart in that affordability conditions this year are the highest on record dating back to 1970, but with the first-time buyer tax credit scheduled to expire at the end of next month, people could hold back from entering the market, he said. Our read is that housing overshot on the downside because homes are selling for less than replacement construction costs in much of the country, and the home price-to-income ratio has fallen below the historical average. Inventory Falls
Total housing inventory at the end of September fell 7.5 percent to 3.63 million existing homes available for sale, which represents an 7.8-month supply at the current sales pace, down from an 9.3-month supply in August. Unsold inventory totals are 15.0 percent below a year ago. The current housing supply is the lowest we've seen in two and a half years, Yun said. If we could continue to absorb inventory at this pace, home prices would return to normal, modest appreciation patterns next year. According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 5.06 percent in September from 5.19 percent in August; the rate was 6.04 percent in September 2008. Home Sales Breakdown
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $174,900 in September, which is 8.5 percent lower than September 2008. Distressed properties continue to downwardly distort the median price because they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes in the same area.
H1N1 Virus, Information and Precautions To Take.
The flu season is upon us and due to the additional threat of the H1N1 virus,
otherwise known as Swine Flu, it's more important than ever that you take
precautions to protect yourself, family and your coworkers.
What is the H1N1 virus?
The H1N1 virus is a new strain of flu that is spread mainly from person to person
when infected people sneeze or cough around others, or by touching something
with flu viruses on it and then touching your eyes, mouth or nose. Symptoms of
swine flu are similar to seasonal flu symptoms and include fever or chills and a
cough or sore throat. Infected persons may also experience runny or stuffy nose,
body aches, headache, fatigue, diarrhea or vomiting.
What steps can you take to protect yourself,family & coworkers?
We recommend that you take the following actions to prevent the spread of the
H1N1 virus.
If you are ill, please stay home and do not come to work. The most
important step you can take to protect yourself, family & co-workers is to
stay home when you are ill until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours (without
the use of fever-reducing medicines).
If you become ill at work, go home. We hope that you elect to do this
anyway, but your supervisor may also send you home if you are
experiencing flu-like symptoms at work. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Be sure to
vigorously scrub for 15-20 seconds before rinsing. If soap and water are
not available, alcohol-based sanitizers are also effective.
Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Cough into a tissue or
your sleeve rather than your hand to prevent the spread of the virus. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are commonly
spread this way!
Clean hard surfaces and items that are likely to come in contact with
hands. The flu virus can live up to eight (8) hours on hard surfaces, so it
is important to clean these surfaces and items often.
Get vaccinated if your physician deems it appropriate. Seasonal flu
vaccine is available now. The H1N1 vaccine is projected for release in
October. The initial availability may be limited to certain high-risk
populations including pregnant women, people who live with or care for
children younger than six (6) months of age, healthcare and emergency
medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and
24 years old, and people age 25 through 64 years of age who are at
higher risk because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune
systems. More information regarding the H1N1 vaccine will be distributed
as it becomes available. As always, we recommend that you follow the
advice of your physician regarding the appropriateness of these
vaccinations; however, if your doctor deems it appropriate, we encourage
you to get vaccinated!
Prepare for school or child care closings. Develop alternate child care
plans that can be implemented if your child's school or day care closes.
Stay in good health by getting plenty of sleep, eating nutritious
foods, managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids and being
physically active!
From Nancy's Kitchen
As you might of guessed I come from an Italian family. The recipes I send out to all of you have originated from my great great Grand Mother, Grand Mother and my Mom ,the best cooks in the world!I love soup, all varieties! It's always been a favorite of my family either as an appetizer, main dish or when my children we're sick. My favorite is home made chicken soup. It really has a warmth that soothes your body,mind and actually has a medicinal effect for cold and flu symptoms. CHICKEN SOUP
1 PLUMP CHICKEN ( 2-2 1/2 POUND BROILER)
2-3 CELERY STALKS CUT UP
1-2 CUPS OF CHOPPED OR SLICED CARROTS
1 LARGE SWEET CHOPPED ONION
PEPPER TO TASTE
CHICKEN BASE FOR SOUP ( JARS AVAILABLE AT GROCERY STORES)
PASTA NOODLES PLACE CHICKEN IN A LARGE POT(6- QT. KETTLE)
ADD CHOPPED CELERY,CARROTS & ONION
BOIL TILL CHICKEN IS TENDER ( 1 HOUR OR MORE )
REMOVE CHICKEN FROM BROTH TO A COLLANDER, LET COOL
SHRED CHICKEN AND PLACE BACK INTO BROTH, ADD A LARGE TBSP OF CHICKEN BASE TO TASTE, MAY NEED A LITTLE MORE FOR A GOOD CHICKEN FLAVOR AND KEEP WARM OR A LOW BOIL BOIL NOODLES YOU PERFER, ADD SOUP TO BOWLS WITH NOODLES OR ADD NOODLES TO SOUP. MY FAVORITE IS PASTINA( A VERY SMALL PASTA) ANY LEFT OVER CHICKEN MAKES A GREAT CHICKEN SALAD, FREEZE ANY LEFT OVER SOUP FOR A QUICK MEAL WITH SANDWICHES OR WHEN YOUR FAMILY IS UNDER THE WEATHER, BELIEVE ME IT'S THE BEST CURE FOR EVERYTHING. COMFORT FOOD!!
ENJOY!
Build the Perfect Home Office
As more and more companies are allowing their employees to work from home, the need for a sufficient home office space is becoming increasingly important to homeowners. The following tips will help you create the perfect home office.
Create a House Hunt Checklist
Are you on the house hunt? Touring dozens of homes can be an overwhelming process for anybody. If you find yourself asking whether it was the second or the ninth house with that great fireplace, then you may need a better way to organize your observations. One of the best ways to do this is by creating a checklist. Consider ranking elements like the home, neighborhood and schools on a scale as either "good", "average" or "poor".
Prepping Your Home for Sale
Preparing your home to be listed can be an overwhelming task for some. But with "94.6% of Associate Staged Professional (ASP) Staged Homes selling on average in 35 days or less", according to StagedHomes.com, taking the time to prepare your home for sale is an important task.
Savory Seasonal Dishes
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we wanted to bring you and your family some savory seasonal dishes to enjoy throughout the month. These recipes come from the 50th anniversary edition of Real Living's cookbook. Enjoy!
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