No major surprises in the New Home Sales index for April. Sales of single-family houses saw a 0.3% advance to an annual pace of 352,000 in April, according to the Census Bureau on Thursday.
The gain is minor, but some believe the housing market has shown signs of stabilization recently.
“Unit new home sales continue to show signs of bottoming during the year's peak Spring selling season,” said John Herrmann, president of Herrmann Forecasting. “However, given our outlook that the unemployment rate could reach 11.0% in early 2010, we remain cautious in our outlook for unit sales in the second half of 2009 and in early 2010.”
Since April 2008, the pace of new home sales have fallen 34%.
The median price of for a new home was $209,700, a higher price than the prior month’s $209,200.
On Wednesday, Existing Home Sales showed a monthly gain of 2.9% in April. The gain was better than expected, but inventories moved up to a 10.2-month supply, indicating too much overhang.
If you or someone you know is thinking of purchasing or refinancing a home or commercial property in the near future - Call me for a no hassle, Free mortgage analysis to see exactly how much you qualify for and the best rate and program for your specific needs! Rates are LOW still under 5% for 30 year Fixed!!
Save Money on Energy Costs during peak Summer months by reflecting sun away from windows;"When you are faced with unwanted heat coming through windows, yes, you can buy lots of different things on the market to keep the heat out. But if you go to the camping section at your discount store, for approximately $2.50 you can buy a solar camping blanket, all folded up. "One blanket will do three typical windows and reduces heat by 40 percent or more, making the house dramatically cooler. If you use air conditioning, this makes it work less hard.
I read about this on an article submission to Bankrate's website; A mid Western woman won their Frugal $ense contest with this recommendation. I wanted to pass it along to my Blog readers to save a buck too!
For More Tips on Green Things to do for your Home, please visit our website at; www.LowMortgageRatesOnline.com
(In a Blog Post from several days ago, I wrote about How the New HVCC Law will prove to be a huge Mistake and to e-sign the petition for it's Repeal, ASAP)
Here's what Mortgage News Daily Just Reported on June 26th.
Sales of existing homes saw their first back-to-back increase in nearly four years last month, but while the percentage gain in May was encouraging, the actual level of sales was lower than expected due to downward revisions.
The pace of all existing home sales rose 2.4% in May to 4.77 million, up from the April pace of 4.66 million. Compared to May 2008, the sales pace has fallen by 3.6%.
The National Association of Realtors said demand is up due to falling house prices, the first-time buyer tax credit, and Low mortgage rates ? the average 30-year rate was 4.86% in May.
However, Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the NAR, said sales were less than anticipated because poor appraisals are delaying transactions. “Pending home sales indicated much stronger activity, but some contracts are falling through from faulty valuations that keep buyers from getting a loan,” he said.
Yun added: “In the past month, stories of appraisal problems have been snowballing from across the country with many contracts falling through at the last moment. There is danger of a delayed housing market recovery and a further rise in foreclosures if the appraisal problems are not quickly corrected.”
NAR President Charles McMillan also said shoddy appraisals were hurting the market. “To maximize the potential for a housing recovery and subsequent economic recovery, we need realistic appraisals that are based on proper comparisons and done by a local specialist,” he said.
The report also said that at the current sales pace, there is a 9.6-months’ supply of inventory on the market, compared to 10.2-months in the previous report and 10.9-months in March.
In May, the median price for a home was $173,000, though that figure is distorted downwards a third of sales were foreclosure-related.
Please e-sign the Petition to Repeal this New Bureaucratic red tape Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC). There are already over 40,000 signatures but every single one helps! You can find a short video and the Petition on this Blog Page's Previous Post from June 22nd. It Effects Us All !!
Thousands of Americans across the U.S. are wondering if they would be better off somewhere else. But where?
As unemployment and foreclosures continue to rise, stocks keep fluctuating, and cash-strapped state and city governments move to increase taxes and trim services, many people are finding that careers and communities they once believed secure are no longer dependable. Either they have lost jobs, are in fear of losing a job, are stuck paying more mortgage balance than their homes are currently worth, or have seen their family's quality of life evaporate. For those troubled Americans who are willing to relocate, the U.S. can still be a land of opportunity.
More from BusinessWeek.com » The Best Places to Start Over» Best Job Markets for Recent College Grads» Best Small Cities for Startups
No state is totally buffered from the downturn, but several have gotten a boost from energy, military, and agricultural sectors. The healthiest states include Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. In the Washington area, federal government and defense jobs have given the economy a boost. And Iowa, which has seen its economy somewhat deteriorate, has also benefited from agricultural and alternative-energy jobs.
Looking for a fresh start? Read on to find the best places to start over.
1. Anchorage, AlaskaCompanies planning to hire in next quarter: 28%Best job prospects: Construction, Durable Goods Manufacturing, Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information, Financial Activities, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality, Other Services, GovernmentPopulation: 279,243Average home price in January: $313,796Unemployment rate: 8.1%
Anchorage has been somewhat buffered from the recession, but it has been hit by low oil prices. The local economy benefits from the state's rich oil and natural gas supplies, tourism, and U.S. military presence.
2. Provo-Orem, UtahCompanies planning to hire in next quarter: 24%Best job prospects: Construction, Transportation & Utilities, Information, Financial Activities, Education & Health Services, Other Services, GovernmentPopulation: 90,857Average home price in January: $195,333Unemployment rate: 5.1%
The Utah Valley economy has weakened in recent months but the area has benefitted from its technology jobs and jobs at Brigham Young University, and Utah Valley University.
3. Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, Wash.Companies planning to hire in next quarter: 24%Best job prospects: Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality, GovernmentPopulation: 794,555Average home price in January: $133,134Unemployment rate: 8.8%
The Tri-Cities metro area is made up of the principal cities of Kennewick, Richland, and Pasco. Kennewick, the largest of the three, has a strong manufacturing, food processing, retail trade, and services economy. Fast-growing Pasco's economy is based around food processing, and Richland is home to Washington State University-Tri-Cities and the Energy Dept.'s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
4. Yakima, Wash.Companies planning to hire in next quarter: 24%Best job prospects: Construction, Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Financial Activities, Professional & Business Services, Leisure & Hospitality, Other ServicesPopulation: 82,805Average home price in January: $125,231Unemployment rate: 10.4%
About 75% of all hops are grown in the sunny Yakima metro, which is a rich agricultural area that also produces apples and wines.
5. Omaha, Neb.-Council Bluffs, IowaCompanies planning to hire in next quarter: 22%Best job prospects: Construction, Durable Goods Manufacturing, Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Information, Financial Activities, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Leisure & HospitalityPopulation: 419,545Average home price in January: $114,977Unemployment rate: 5.1%
The Omaha-area economy is one of the nation's bright spots. It's home to a number of large corporations including Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA), Union Pacific (UNP), ConAgra Foods (CAG), and Kiewit. It also has a low cost of living, low pollution, and museums, theaters, and other entertainment.
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