<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
    <channel>
        <atom:link href="http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
        <title>Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/</link>
        <description></description>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/portland-inventory-still-lags-prices-up.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/portland-inventory-still-lags-prices-up.html</link>
            <author>rbean@jmaproperties.com (Rick Bean ABR CNE SFR)</author>
            <title>Portland Inventory Still Lags, Prices Up</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Home sales in December were a percent lower than November, but still 13% higher than last December. Home sales were up 9% during 2012, the highest annual sales volume since 2007.


Prices increased 4.4% as the inventory of homes for sale continues to lag behind the increase in sales volume. New listings were 5.2% lower than last year while closed sales were up 19.1%. Total market time (average days on market) fell 21.5%.


Economics 101 at work, low supply and high demand equals higher prices. This trend is forecasted to continue in the short term until the supply increases to satisfy demand.


The National Association of Realtors has identified several reasons why the inventory remains low:


1. Many homeowners are underwater. According to CoreLogic, about 22% of homeowners with a mortgage owe more than their home is worth. Owners who are underwater are not likely to sell unless their life circumstances dictate.


2. Others don't have enough equity to "trade up." About 10 million homeowners have less than 20% equity in their current home. Traditionally, homeowners have relied on their equity to help offset their selling expenses and putting a down payment on their next home.


3. Everyone wants to buy at the bottom, but few want to sell. Owners who are not motivated by life circumstances will wait to sell until prices rebound to higher levels to maximize their current investment.


4. More purchases from investors. Investors have increasingly bought homes to rent rather than flipping them for quick profits.


5. Banks have been slower at foreclosing. New state and federal rules governing loan modifications and foreclosures have slowed the foreclosure process and reduced the number of foreclosed properties that hit the market.


6. Builders have been building fewer homes. New construction during 2009 through 2011 was sluggish. New construction has just started to rebound.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:44:00 -0800</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/rick-bean-named-2013-five-star-professional.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/rick-bean-named-2013-five-star-professional.html</link>
            <author>rbean@jmaproperties.com (Rick Bean ABR CNE SFR)</author>
            <title>Rick Bean named 2013 Five Star Professional</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Rick Bean has been named a 2013 Five Star Real Estate Agent. He received the same award in 2012. This award recognizes a level of excellence achieved by fewer than 7 percent of the real estate agents in the local market.


The Five Star Professional award program is the largest and most widely published award program in North America. Award candidates are measured using an objective, in-depth research methodology that focuses on customer satisfaction and a thorough regulatory review.


 
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:38:00 -0800</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/new-home-construction-on-the-increase.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/new-home-construction-on-the-increase.html</link>
            <author>jendicott@jmaproperties.com (Jackie Endicott)</author>
            <title>New Home Construction on the Increase</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Have you noticed the increase in new construction starts? It's certainly a good sign. Increasingly, my clients are wanting to compare resale homes with new homes.  It was not even six months ago that I was showing buyers new homes and there was good inventory of completed homes.  With the increased demand , be prepared  look at a model home and choose a location that is in the framing stage. You could have a 4 month or longer wait to move in to your new home.


 


Wendy Culverwell wrote in the Business Journal:


 

New home sales account for about eight percent of the market, compared to five percent at the market low. New construction had claimed 16 percent of the market share in the mid-1980s and as much as 12 percent as recently as 2003, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures cited by John Burns. ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:51:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/home-buyers-favor-new-construction.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/home-buyers-favor-new-construction.html</link>
            <author>astorm@jmaproperties.com (Andrea Storm)</author>
            <title>Home Buyers Favor New Construction</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[         New construction has been down in the last couple of years, but recently there has been an increase in new home sales. This is great news for the home building industry in the Portland metro area. In previous years, new construction sales have been 5% of the market and in 2012 it has increased by 3%. According to the Regional Multiple Listing there have been 10,802 closed sales through June 2012. Another great indication of the increase of new home construction is the amount of permits that have been pulled. The Construction Monitor reports that there has been 2,426 permits pulled in the Portland Metro area which includes Salem, Vancouver and Portland. The amount of permits accounts to approximate $574.8 million total combined value.  ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:43:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/vancouver-wa-real-estate-latest-trends.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/vancouver-wa-real-estate-latest-trends.html</link>
            <author>scottrell@jmaproperties.com (Sandy Cottrell)</author>
            <title>Vancouver WA Real Estate Latest Trends</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ Vancouver’s home resale inventories have decreased slightly. Distressed properties, such as foreclosures and short sales remained almost the same in September. The median listing price in Vancouver went up from August to September. There was a total of 90 price increases and 324 price decreases. Now is the time to buy. With the change of seasons upon us and school starting, sellers are anxious to sell before the cold winter weather hits us and would also like to be moved before the Holidays are here. So…if you have thought of buying, contact Sandy now for a list of properties. Also, this is a great time to sell! The off seasons bring out the serious buyers! ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:42:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/the-market-trend-from-regional-market-listing-service.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/the-market-trend-from-regional-market-listing-service.html</link>
            <author>tinaellis@jmaproperties.com (Tina Ellis)</author>
            <title>The market trend from Regional Market Listing Service</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ Clark County real estate activityshowed some  improvement whencomparing July 2012 to the sametime period  in 2011.Offers increased 3.0%comparing with July this year and last dropped 11.2%from the previous month this year.The pending sales numbers are thehighest  since 2009 forthe month of July.Sales increased  6.5%since July 2011and a 1.5% increase compared to June 2012. Year-to-dateclosings have increased 5.3%when comparing the first sevenmonths of 2012 to 2011. July alsoInventory in months is unchangedfrom the previous month and isholding steady. At the July rate ofsales, the active listing count of 2,628would be exhausted in 5.4 months.This continues to be the lowestinventory in Clark County sinceJune 2006 when it was 4.7.Sale PricesHome sale prices continue to risewhen comparing July to the sameperiod last year. The average saleprice rose 7.6% from $211,300 to$227,400 and the median sale pricerose 8.4%, from $183,300 to $198,700.Both the average and median saleprice also rose when comparingthis month to the previous monthwith year-to-date numbers holding steadyhad the most closed sales so farin 2012.New listings dipped again thismonth decreasing 11.2% from thesame month in 2011 and 1.5% fromthe previous month.AFFORDABILITY - According to a formula from the National Association of REALTORS®, buying a house in theClark County area is affordable for a family earning the median income. A family earning the median income($73,000 in 2012, per HUD) can afford 213% of a monthly mortgage payment on a median priced home($194,200 in June). The formula assumes that the buyer has a 20% down payment and a 30 year fixed rate of3.68% (per Freddie Mac). ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:42:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/why-a-duck.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/why-a-duck.html</link>
            <author>oriana@jmaproperties.com (Oriana Kahn Hurwit)</author>
            <title>Why a Duck?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Why a Duck??


The University of Oregon Ducks have set off in pursuit of another Pac-12 title in 2012. It started when they beat Arkansas State on September 1. If you aren't a fan yet, it’s time to become one.


If you watched the Ducks play in the 2012 Rose Bowl, you saw a great win.Few outside of the immediate area paid much attention to the Oregon Ducks until recently. Now that the team is playing consistently great football, the rest of the football world has taken notice.Oregon's program is cutting edge, and there is every indication that the most exciting football in the country will continue to be played by the Oregon Ducks.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:37:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/mortgage-rates-up-slightly.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/mortgage-rates-up-slightly.html</link>
            <author>rbean@jmaproperties.com (Rick Bean ABR CNE SFR)</author>
            <title>Mortgage rates up slightly</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ Residential loan rates continued to rebound from recent record lows, rising for the 4th straight week in response to stronger data in the real estate markets. Freddie Mac announced that for the week ending August 23, 30-year fixed rates rose to 3.66% from 3.62%. The average for 15-year loans increased slightly to 2.89%. Adjustable rates were mixed with the average for one-year adjustables falling to 2.66% and five-year adjustables increasing to 2.80%. A year ago 30-year fixed rates were at 4.22%. ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/choosing-a-home-inspector.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/choosing-a-home-inspector.html</link>
            <author>astorm@jmaproperties.com (Andrea Storm)</author>
            <title>Choosing a Home Inspector</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Many of my clients ask me for referrals for qualified home inspectors that I have used in the past. I always give my clients a choice of three different home inspectors that my previous clients have had success with. If they decide to find their own, this is the advice I like to give them when looking for a qualified home inspector. This is a crucial decision; there are some many aspects of the home that need to be fully inspected to insure that they are purchasing a sound property.


What are the inspector’s qualifications?


The National Association of Home Inspectors is a great resource to find out the background of the inspector and other involvement within the industry.


What is their experience? Do they specialize in residential inspections?


It’s important to know what the experience level of the home inspector is and how long they have been in the industry.  Always ask how many inspections they have performed and how long they have been in business.


Do they provide a detailed report after the inspection?


Having a detailed report from the inspector is an excellent resource to have when asking for repairs from the seller.  The report can be used as a reference to what repairs are needed to be completed before the close of escrow. I always recommend my clients be at the inspection. You don’t have to crawl into the crawl space with them! Just be present in case you have any questions.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:03:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/out-of-town-buyers-find-the-perfect-home-in-beaverton.html</guid>
            <link>http://maryjohnson.jmaproperties.com/blog/out-of-town-buyers-find-the-perfect-home-in-beaverton.html</link>
            <author>astorm@jmaproperties.com (Andrea Storm)</author>
            <title>Out of town buyers find the perfect home in Beaverton</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Many people come through my website searching for real estate all over the Portland area. I received a lead one morning and I promptly responded to their questions and started helping them with their new home search.  They are a husband and wife and they have two small girls. Since they were relocating from Syracuse New York, they wanted to find a home in the 400-500k range near Intel in Hillsboro.  So I began my search and after months of sending them properties they contacted me to go visit a listing in the Century High School District. This particular property had all the wonderful interior features that they wanted but the backyard was extremely small. In the Syracuse area where they lived prior to moving here, they have much larger plots of land.


I decided to extend their home search into areas that have larger lots. We first looked at a NW Portland home that had recently been updated. Unfortunately, the large hills in the neighborhood wouldn’t work well for their two girls to ride their bikes and play with friends.  We saw a couple homes in the Beaverton area, but the husband was concerned with the commute from Hillsboro to Beaverton.  I recommended that they drive to and from Hillsboro during rush hour. It turned out to be only a 25-30 minute commute from this specific part of Beaverton into Hillsboro. With the commute in mind, we visited a beautiful remodeled property on Cooper Mountain. It had all the features that they were looking for but most importantly it had a wonderfully large backyard. The yard had a three tier deck from the back patio, mature fruit trees and flowers, bark dusted fenced playground for the girls and lots of green grass.


They are so excited about their new home purchase and will be sending me photos once they move in. I truly enjoy helping buyers find the perfect home that fits their family's lifestyle. Thanks for reading my blog and please visit my client testimonials page to hear from all of my happy past clients.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
                    </item>
    </channel>
</rss>