According to a study released at the 2009 Realtors Conference and Expo, first time homebuyers reached an all time high of 47 percent during this past year beating the 1991 high of 44%. There are many reasons for this that include the tax incentives that the government actually extended into April 2010 as well as the affordable housing conditions that came into play due to the record foreclosures over the past year to eighteen months.
One of the things this does is to take in a lot of the available inventory that has been sitting on the market as well as freeing owners to upgrade into larger homes. Others have bought homes that need a little TLC (tender loving care) and this has helped to stimulate the renovation and repair business and companies as well as other related goods and services. While no one has a crystal ball as to the future of first time home buyer tax credits, we do know that there is still a window until April 30th 2010 for them as well as existing homeowners purchasing a new home. With interest rates still historically low it is a great time to purchase a new home as a first time buyer, a moving up buyer or downsizing into a smaller home. There is inventory and I am ready to show you property. Let me know when you are ready to go.
Recently, Business Week went out to find the best places in America to raise kids. They picked the top spots in each state based on criteria that included school systems, affordable housing, and accessibility to jobs and has a friendly atmosphere. It was great to see that while Clarksville was the top pick, Hendersonville was the top runner up!
Those of us who live and work in Hendersonville know why this is a great place to raise kids; we have a wonderful school district, housing is certainly affordable as well as plentiful right now and we are a hop, skip and a jump from many areas that provide our citizens jobs. Then there is the friendly atmosphere question; you won’t be able to find a place that is friendlier and more open to welcoming people into our town. Hendersonville still has the old town feel with modern day shopping and conveniences as well as having a great access to jobs and offices by freeway. It’s just a great place to live and we are here to help you find the perfect home for you and your family!
Every year I read about some poor soul that spends some time in the hospital due to accidents around hanging up the Christmas lights especially outside on the house. Just because it’s Christmas does not mean you don’t have to be careful when climbing up and down ladders or crawling around on your roof! The electrical lines are also in the same place this time of year so know where they are before you place your ladder.
The one year I will never forget was when all the lights were strung; the plugs were plugged in and everybody was anticipating the beauty and majesty of a well lit house when the switch was made and a poof of smoke bellowed up from the outside outlet followed by a spark and flash of fire. Luckily, the house did not burn down but we all learned not to overload the circuits that year. So be happy and merry as well as careful and safe as you prepare for the holiday season with family and friends.
Since many of us will be making a purchase or two online this Christmas, it’s important to know what to look for on a website that can assure you that you will get good service. One of the first thing to look for is a phone number to call the company if need be. I never really looked for this until someone I trusted told me to always make sure there was a published phone number and address on the website.
The next two things are to look for a security seal as well as the BBB (Better Business Bureau) logo. The security seal lets you know that the website checkout goes through a security gate to prevent fraud or theft while the BBB logo lets you know that the business is part of the Better Business Bureau and is dedicated to making sire your shopping experience is a positive and successful one. You can also contact the BBB if there are any problems and they can help get them solved if for some reason the company is unable too.
By looking for these three things you will be able to identify online companies that are legit and ready to do business with you.
With Thanksgiving a little more than a week away it’s time to start getting ready for this wonderful holiday that is sometimes overlooked because of Christmas being right around the corner. But I would like you to think of Thanksgiving this year and give it all the attention it deserves. After all, it is about “giving thanks” and that is always a great thing to do.
We all give thanks for our families and friends as well as jobs and good economic times. This year you get the chance to give thanks even if times have been more difficult than they have ever been before. You get to give thanks for our military men and women and their families that have sacrificed so much over the last eight to nine years and kept us all safe. You get to give thanks for being alive and breathing because as long as you are, you have the potential to do anything you choose and you get to give thanks for that as well. So this year, think past all the rote things you always say and give thanks for at Thanksgiving and dig deep for what you can be thankful for this year.
While most people will be shopping for Christmas over the next month and a half there are some that will be concentrating on selling their homes over the holidays. If you are one of those families you will want to make sure that you continue to keep your home picked up and clean just like you would anytime you would sell a home as well as making a few additional adjustments.
One of those adjustments is to tone down the holiday décor. Have fun and make it yours, just don’t get carried away and keep it tasteful and clean. Another thing you can do is make sure you have some wonderful natural decorations like evergreen wreaths. You can also keep those wonderful smelling candles out and about as well have some good smelling cookies or baked holiday items that make those buyers want to call your home theirs. The great news for you is that people who are actively looking to buy a home around the holidays are normally very serious about purchasing a home so you have a good chance to sell your home this time of year.
Think about that when the phone rings and you have to vacate your home for a showing. It might be hard to do during the holidays but it will be well worth the effort if you follow these few tips.
The first time home owner’s tax credit that has been in existence since January 2009 has been extended. There is also a new tax credit for move up buyers as well. President Obama officially signed the bill to extend the $8,000 credit but new rules apply. The new rules say the homebuyer must have a property under contract by the end of April, 2010 and closed on the new home by the end of July, 2010. Income limits have been raised to $125k for singles, and $225k if married. There is some additional required paperwork that will have to be done and the home price can not exceed $800k.
Move-Up buyers now qualify for a $6500 tax credit that has the same time-lines, income limitations, and sale price guidelines as the First-Time Buyer credit. This provision allows homeowners who have lived in their primary residence for at least 5 of the 8 previous years to sell and purchase a new home and claim a $6500 tax credit. If you have additional questions, talk to your accountant or the person that does your taxes.
So whether you are a first time homebuyer or want to move up into a more expensive home, it’s a great time to buy!
I have never considered eating a meatless diet but I have a friend who has pretty much cut meat from his diet for health reasons. Apparently, there are some people who have a higher than normal amount of cholesterol who cannot take any of the medications due to the side effects and my friend is one of those people. To cut down on as much cholesterol as possible he has started to eat a diet that consists of mainly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
What has surprised him is how satisfied he is after eating and how good he feels. When taking the medicines he had tremendous pain in his upper thighs and described it as “electric needles going through the muscles”. He tried another medicine and slept fourteen to sixteen hours a day. He now is happy and feels better than he has felt in years with his blood pressure back to normal and his cholesterol better though not as low as his doctor would like for it to be. I’ll keep you posted as to what happens over the next few months and see if the diet continues to help.
The short answer to the question above; when do you need a structural engineer is when you have a structural issue on the home you are selling or the home you are buying. In most cases, you will find out from your home inspector that there is a problem or potential problem with the structure of the home you are buying or selling. At that point you will have to decide whether you want to sell or buy the home as is or get the repairs made.
Many sellers would rather sell the property “as is” while most buyers want the structure to be repaired. This is just one example of the negotiation process that has to be undertaken on the transaction of a home and why having good representation on both the seller side and the buyer side is important. Once it is decided to get the work done you will need a structural engineer or structural engineering company to access the issue and get the job completed. Once completed a structural engineer’s report will have to be done in order for the sale to be completed. While no one wants to add to the expense of a sale, but it is very important to make sure the structure of a home is safe and sound when selling or buying a home.
Though the job situation is still not great and expected to get even grimmer before it turns around, there are a lot of things that are good about our economic situation today over this time last year! If you recall, the nation was told we were on the brink of financial collapse if the government didn’t move quickly and whether you like government intervention or not, it seems to have worked thus far. No one knows what the cost will end up being but if our economy can come back stronger than ever, we just might be able to get it under control.
Of course, I am an optimist. I still believe we can do anything we put our collective minds too. All I know right now is the life of those around me, while still tough, is slowly getting better. It will improve even more as soon as the jobs situation turns around. I have heard that this could happen sooner than later as well as toward the end of next year. Whenever it happens, we should be ready to celebrate and work together to improve the lives of all Americans.
