Best Time to Sell and Buy

Winter Is Best Time to Sell and Buy
The housing market doesn’t hibernate in the winter. Sellers who list and buyers who buy often find the winter season the most advantageous time to make a move in real estate, according to a new study by the real estate brokerage. The winter season officially takes place between Dec. 21 and March 20, and real estate professionals should be ready for a season that often brings in more focused and active sellers and buyers. The study found that February is “historically the best month to list, with an average of 66 percent of homes listed then selling within 90 days.” The winter tends to net sellers’ more than their asking price during the months of December, January, February, and March than listings from June through November, read more.

Paving the Way for More First-Time Buyers in 2015
A new year is about to dawn—and the outlook on the housing market is definitely brighter. After all, 2014 was the best year in the U.S. economic recovery since 2008-2009. Even as the housing market gets back on track, the numbers of first-time buyers continue to disappoint. This is strongly associated with the tight credit requirements facing would-be buyers. The new standards should lead to thousands more consumers being able to get a mortgage and should also speed up the underwriting and approval process. Measures of mortgage credit availability from the Mortgage Bankers Association already indicate a slight loosening of credit in November prior to these rules going into effect. Housing Market Predictions for 2015:

Curious About Containers?

Salt Lake City, UT Customized Container Homes
Curious About Containers? There's been a lot of buzz lately about the sustainable, design-forward world of shipping containers turned into livable spaces. The Pros weigh in on Container Homes Affordability, Sustainability. Utah, knows quite a bit about container homes and has demonstrated how the shipping container can be used as an affordable, environmentally friendly housing
option. The most surprising thing about shipping container homes is how different and varied these structures can be. They don’t have to look like giant rectangles. They can be customized to look like traditional homes. There are many different options to choose from, such as pre-fab homes, commercial office designs, and a wide variety of floor plans and design styles, Learn more.

Gap Between Appraiser and Homeowner Narrow

 Appraisers Getting on the Same Page
The discrepancy between appraisers' and home owners' opinions of home values is narrowing. In November, appraisers valued homes 1.56 percent higher than home owners, according to  Home Price Perception Index. ."Mortgage financing often hinges on whether the appraised value coincides with the home values agreed upon by the home buyer and seller in the case of a home purchase, and the home owner's estimated value in the case of a refinance," says Chief Economist Bob Walters. "It is reassuring to see the gap between appraiser opinions and home owner opinions narrow, and if we had to choose a side of the fence, it makes for a much smoother mortgage process if appraisers are valuing homes above home owners' estimates like we're seeing, as compared to the opposite." Read more.

Foreclosure-Free Holiday
A gift from Fannie, Freddie : Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced they plan to 
suspend evictions on foreclosed single-family properties nationwide during the holidays, from Dec. 17, 2014 through Jan. 2, 2015. Shows Foreclosure Crisis Isn't Over Legal and administrative proceedings for evictions may continue, as well as pre-foreclosure activities, but families who are living in foreclosed homes will be allowed to remain in their homes during that time. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Treasury have announced enhancements to the government's Making Home Affordable program to assist homeowners who are struggling to make monthly mortgage payment, read more.

During the Off-Peak Selling Season

Listing During the Off-Peak Selling Season
House Hunters: Winter Doesn't Scare Us Off, There's a perception that listing a home for sale over the winter months in a northern state is foolhardy. However, recent research has pointed to the opposite: Listing during the "off-peak" selling season can actually be the perfect moment for sellers to get attention from serious buyers in less time than usual.  Here's one of the most encouraging signs for the housing market's future: Consumers' personal financial outlook is improving. 
 Just listed Salt lake City Utah at $193,000 MLS: 1270543, see video .

Officially Lower Down Payment

Officially Lower Down Payment - Loans With Maximum 97 % LTV
3 Percent for Qualifying First-Time Homebuyers: Following months of talk and speculation, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced on Monday they will begin allowing qualifying first-time borrowers to purchase homes with just a 3 percent down payment. By lowering the down payment down to 3 percent, leaders from the GSEs and the Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA) hope to increase home ownership and particularly household formation by offering loans to those who can afford mortgages but lack resources to make a 20 percent down payment plus closing costs.Likewise, Fannie Mae is now offering mortgage loans with a maximum 97 percent LTV ratio to qualifying first-time homebuyers, Read more.