Local Housing Markets Place 1st and 2nd for 2012

The news from HousingPredictor.com is very welcome for those attempting to market their Lawrence KS Homes for Sale. This story tells us that there is hope for the Midwest and specifically the Kansas City and Topeka areas. My hope is that if Kansas City is ranked #1 and Topeka ranked # 2 for the best 2012 housing markets, that Lawrence KS Real Estate for Sale will also feel the positive impact.

Rank    City   Forecast    1.    Kansas City, KS      5.8%    2.    Topeka, KS      4.7%    3.    Charleston, WV      4.5%    4.    Oklahoma City, OK      4.3%    5.    Minot, ND      4.2%    6.    Overland Park, KS      4.2%    7.    Wichita, KS      4.1%    8.    Huntington, WV      4.0%    9.    Wheeling, WV      3.9%   10.    Bismarck, ND      3.6%   11.    Casper, WY      3.5%   12.    Lake Charles, LA      3.4%   13.    Rapid City, SD      3.2%   14.    El Paso, TX      3.2%   15.    Cheyenne, WY      3.2%   16.    Nashua, NH      3.1%   17.    Monroe, LA      3.1%   18.    Buffalo, NY      3.1%   19.    Houma, LA      3.0%   20.    Bellevue, NB      2.9%   21.    Rochester, NY      2.9%   22.    Concord, NH      2.8%   23.    Omaha, NB      2.8%   24.    Gillette, WY      2.7%   25.    Syracuse, NY      2.5%

 

It appears as though the strong farming influence has much to do with this forecast. Many are claiming that land values and specifically farm land values have been rising in the past few months. That is welcome news. Buyers looking to invest in something that has lasting and intrinsic value should consider making a move before the prices start heading back up. Homes for Sale Lawrence KS can also be purchased with a very low interest loan.

Click on the links below to see the two articles in their entirety. Please give me a call if you have any questions about the current market value of your Lawrence KS Homes or your land.

http://www.housingpredictor.com/2012/best-markets.html

http://www.housingpredictor.com/2012/kansas.html

Good Start for the Spring Market!

Couple the positive pending sales news with the increase in buyer inquiries that I've received the past few days and I see an early start to the 2012 spring housing market. Today the news coming from all the major news sources is encouraging. Great news for all those buyers looking to purchase one of the many Lawrence KS Homes for Sale currently on the market.

The National Association of Realtors reports that existing home sales rose in November and remain higher than this time one year ago. According to the Chief Economist for NAR, Lawrence Yun, the increase seems to be due, in large part, to home buyers finally taking advantage of an obvious "buyers market" going on across the country. With record low interest rates and extremely good deals on many of the homes for sale, one wonders why a buyer would not want to take advantage now before the trends begin to change. Increasing home values would certainly be a more favorable climate for the sellers.

I can speak to local sales data that pertains to Homes for Sale Lawrence KS. It too shows that sales are on the uptick. This is welcome news for all the sellers who've been waiting for the market to start the recovery. If you're a seller looking to list a Homes for Sale in Lawrence KS it may be time to seriously consider contacting a Realtor.

Most Realtors will give you a complete picture of the local market and what the market value of your home is relative to the your market. This is a free service that you should take advantage of. Once you've compared the reports, then you can begin the process of choosing the Realtor with the best and most comprehensive marketing plan for your Lawrence KS Home for Sale.

Also, please make sure that you only hire a real estate agent who is a "Realtor". Lawrence KS Real Estate Agents are not all the same. It's one thing to get a basic real estate license, but it is quite another thing to build on that basic foundation and understanding of the real estate industry.  Therefore, you'll do yourself an enormous service if the Realtor you hire has taking the time, invested the money and put forth the effort to earn the following designations: Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and Graduate of Realtor Institute (GRI).

Reflecting on America's Blessings on Thanksgiving

Many of us seem to forget how very blessed we are here in America. Even our President referred to us as being "lucky" in his Thanksgiving address this year. I'm sorry, but I disagree with that assessment of America and the American people. I do not believe that "luck" has anything to do with our prosperity and our greatness. I tend to believe in the facts about our nation and one of those facts is that we are a "Christian Nation".

We are indeed a "blessed" nation. Furthermore, those blessing have all come from God. The fact is that our country was founded on Christian principles. There have been many in the progressive camps for over 100 years who have worked tirelessly to distort the truth about our nation and our nations founders. However, the truth is there if you care to look and the truth has no agenda.  

I know, I know, not all Americans are Christian and many have no religious beliefs at all.  I'm fully aware of the diverse nature of this country and appreciate that these differences in people are part of what makes this country the greatest country in the world. Simply being able to worship in anyway you chose or being free to not believe is again a testament to the freedom that so many Americans have fought and died to retain.

In so far as my personal life goes, I feel blessed every morning when I awake. As a real estate agent in Lawrence, KS, I've been directly affected by the housing market crash and have experienced a decline in income. That does not mean that I'm not blessed beyond measure. Sure I may have to work a little harder to sell the Lawrence Ks Homes for Sale I have currently listed and my clients may be stretching their patience muscles more. I've still helped many sellers achieve success this year and have assisted many buyers in finding just the right Homes for Sale in Lawrence KS.

Now perhaps many people will claim that much of my real estate success is simply a matter of luck. Here again, I would disagree. I believe everything good that happens to me is God blessing me. I love the Thanksgiving holiday. It reminds me to be thankful for my blessings now and all year long. May God continue to bless America!

A Veteran’s Day Tribute to Home

Click on the link below to read this article.

A Veteran’s Day Tribute to Home

I really enjoyed this article and wanted to share it with you. It's not often enough that we celebrate the profound sacrifices our men and women of the armed forces have made and continue to make everyday for us. God bless them and their families.

Let's all try to keep them in our thoughts and prayers everyday and please take the time to tell them "thank you" if you see a soldier in a bank, a coffee shop, a grocery store or even at an open house of one of the many Lawrence KS Homes for sale.

Still Good Time to Buy a Home

NAR Chief Economist

According to Lawrence Yun, the Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors,
now is still a fantastic time for home buyers to buy Lawrence KS Homes. If you can get approved for a loan now at a decent rate, you are well advised to buy a home. Make your move now before the lending requirements become tougher and the interest rates go higher.

The current economic mess can be blamed on our government. As long as the FED continues to manipulate the monetary system things will continue to worsen. Homes sales will remain sluggish in the Lawrence KS real estate for sale market and markets all across the country. There are many reasons why American homes and Lawrence KS homes for sale continue to see more and more days on market. "A combination of weak consumer confidence and continuing tight lending criteria held back home buyers, even though the private sector added nearly 2 million net jobs in the past 12 months" said Yun in an article on the National Association of Realtors post on October 27, 2011.

Basically, the Federal Reserve's policies and their attempts to help our economy are actually hurting the housing market. Yun says the policies are "contradictory and confusing" to consumers. Until Americans stand up and demand that the Federal Reserve is audited and they are forced to stop printing and / or digitizing money, we are likely to see the problems in the housing market continue. Go to Realtor.org for the complete story and to watch a very informative video on the current housing market conditions across the country.

Fall is a Good Time for Furnace Maintenance

The cooler daytime temperatures of the fall season have brought even cooler nights. Therefore, many of us have already felt the chill enough to reluctantly go to the thermostat and click on the furnace.

Whether you're living in a newer home or if your furnace is as old as mine, over 24 years old, you'll be well advised to have it serviced soon. For all the sellers of Lawrence KS Homes, fall is the perfect time to have their HVAC units checked and cleaned.  HVAC units in Lawrence KS homes for sale that are vacant also should be serviced. It's recommended to have the A/C and heating units serviced in the spring and the fall each year. Therefore, if you failed to do it last spring you can still get some peace of mind by getting it done now.

There are so many things that could potentially go wrong with the HVAC unit inside our Lawrence KS Homes. Dirty air conditioning coils and filters could cause compressors or fans to fail prematurely. Bent fans can cause other components to fail or operate improperly. Corrosion of wiring and terminals can also produce major hazards. There have certainly been fires in homes for sale in Lawrence ks due to furnace issues. Clogged or blocked duct work can also lead to fire hazards.

Do yourself a favor and avoid these risks by having the HVAC unit in your Lawrence KS home serviced now. It'll save you money in the long run by allowing your furnace to operating efficiently. So go ahead and contact a professional HVAC company today. If you'd like a referral please call me and I'll provide the contact information for a qualified HVAC company. Also, if you have any real estate for sale in Lawrence KS give me a call. I'd love to show you my aggressive marketing plan and my record of sold homes for sale Lawrence KS this year. 

Why You Need a Buyer's Agent

I've been asked over and over again why buyers of Lawrence, KS Homes for Sale need an agent to help them with their real estate purchases? I find the reason for this question sometimes stems from the enormous amounts of information available to home buyers on the internet. The fact that buyers can find homes listings, property values, comparable data and sales information does not provide all one needs to know when making, what is quite often, the largest purchase of one's lifetime.

There are several other considerations which buyers may or may not be aware of. Much of the sales data on the internet is outdated. Sites like Trulia and Zillow are notorious for displaying outdated information such as sales data or current listing prices. Only a realtor can provide you with up-to-date and accurate sales data for Homes for Sale Lawrence, KS.

Many buyers just do not have the eduction or experience to interpret the sales and market data. For example I use absorption rates to compile and evaluate actual sales data that includes any seller concessions that might have been paid at closing. Lawrence, KS Homes for Sale data can be very confusing and buyers will do themselves a favor by making sure they understand it before making an offer on a Lawrence, Kansas Home for Sale.

Most buyers simply do not have the time to thoroughly research the housing market and may also not fully understand the best type of property to purchase based on their individual needs. It has been my experience that many buyers start out with a desire to have one type of Lawrence, KS Home or floor plan and end up changing their minds after looking at several homes with that plan. For various reasons buyers change their minds about their dream home once they start working with a professional.

Many buyers do not understand "buyer representation". So many buyers are surprised to learn that in many areas the realtor fees are all paid for by the sellers. So to have buyer representation costs the buyers nothing. The buyers also do not understand that the listing agents are legally obligated to the sellers of Lawrence, KS Homes to get them the most money and the best terms. The seller's agents simply cannot represent the buyer's interest. The sellers of Lawrence, KS Homes for Sale are counting on their agent to do their best to negotiate a great deal for them. Shouldn't you, as a buyer, get that same kind of representation? 

Most buyers are unfamiliar with the residential sales contracts and all the other legal documents that are utilized in the real estate transactions. A buyer can literally save themselves thousands of dollars by having a professional advocate working on their behalf. A realtor can keep a buyer from making mistakes that could get them sued or from buying a home that will cost them huge amounts of money, disappointment and /or regret.

Realtors can provide buyers information about lending and lenders. This is really the first step in the home buying process. If you as a buyer have not been approved for loan, then you are doing yourself a big disfavor by looking at homes before you know for certain that you can buy a home. Furthermore, until you've been approved you have no idea what price range you should be looking in.

Realtors can provide buyers with answers regarding the zoning restrictions and regulations, building codes that pertain to their new Homes Lawrence, KS, school information, neighborhood history and many other valuable data regarding the community. Location does matter and it matters most to home buyers.

Buyer's should do their homework before selecting a buyer's agent. Be certain that your choice of a real estate agent is based on the following criteria:
The person should be a "Realtor". A certified realtor will also serve you better if he or she is educated as well as experienced. Make sure you check to see if the person has gone beyond the state required education and has earned the designations such as ABR (Accredited Buyer's Agent),  CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) and GRI (Graduate of Realtor Institute). There are many other designations, but these are mandatory if you want the best service possible.