Market Watch Every year the National Association of Realtors (NAR) surveys home buyers and sellers. Last year over 80,000 consumers answered this survey. I use the results of this survey to help understand public perception and my company uses the information when planning marketing efforts. The survey is conducted nationally by NAR and broken down by state. There are always some interesting tidbits and I thought I would share some of this year’s survey results in this Market Watch. First time buyers accounted for 37% of all purchases compared to 50% in the prior year. Only 16% of purchases were of new homes which makes sense since new home construction was at its lowest level since NAR has been tracking that statistic. The most common first step taken by buyers in the home buying proce... 05/15/2012

Does April find you looking for a home to call your own? In Evansville’s current bargain-rich real estate market, you’ll find that you’re not alone! If it’s been a while since you last house-hunted (or if it’s your first time out), it’s important to go over some basics. A real estate agent or broker who lists a property is usually working for the seller. Since it takes a buyer to make anything happen, there are also buyer’s agents. Although anyone is free to buy or sell on their own, there are good reasons why most buyers decide to enlist a buyer’s agent to represent their interests exclusively.  A Buyer’s Agent Protects YouLet’s say you stop by a weekend open house, and there it is -- your dream home! The listing agent is very nice and wants to help you to write up an offer to purchase... 05/09/2012

For those who are just about ready to list their Evansville house for sale this April, several simple yet cost-effective projects can be sure-fire buyer-pleasers. I am often asked to help my clients identify areas in their home that will benefit from improvements. I like to point to some simple changes that materially help a property’s ability to compete with any other house for sale in our area.   Here are three of my favorite inexpensive fixes:   1. Painting walls in pale neutral colors. Freshly painted walls erase years of wear from any room. They send prospective buyers a subtle message: here is a home where your family can create your own memories. Neutral tones are important, too. While you may personally prefer rich or bright colors, potential buyers may not. Beyond ensuring that... 05/08/2012

Buying Evansville Real Estate with an all-cash transaction definitely has its perks. The sheer pleasure of being able to hold that great wad of cash with the purchase can make anyone feel like a millionaire, after all, and that's something everyone would like to experience at least once. However, you have to understand that there are more pros and cons to actually buying Evansville Real Estate with cash. Knowing some of them could potentially make you a wiser property investor. Let's say, for example, that you have a bad credit score. In this economy, it's not hard to imagine. Making the real estate transaction happen with just cash can definitely let you forget all that hoop-jumping through credit checks rigorously done by lenders. This can make the entire transaction push through much... 05/04/2012

For credit-worthy Evansville homebuyers, getting a mortgage can be a walk in the park…or a nerve-wracking nightmare. The difference usually has to do with those ubiquitous Credit Reports – the ones TV commercials want to send you for free (at which point they will try to sell you not-so-free monthly services).   Anyone who has ever been stalled just as they reached the final stages of getting a mortgage or refinancing knows that getting mad doesn’t solve anything. But avoiding a last-minute problem is easy to do if you plan ahead. At least six months ahead. We like to assume that outfits as important as the reporting agencies know what they are doing, and in fact, they do. But they must start with the right information, which is where we come in. Nobody ever told us this in school, but ... 05/01/2012

This is usually the time of year when Evansville residents have gotten through tax season, heaved a sign of relief, and gone back to working on more important matters – like earning enough to make reducing taxes a goal worth pursuing.   This year, the latter part of April may be a little different. Because this is an election year, tax matters are already being widely debated, and changes that could affect everyone are more possible than usual. I am bringing these topics up for discussion with the firm caveat that your own planning (includingEvansville home buying decisions) should always be made after consultation with the financial experts you trust. Currently, federal and Indiana rules carry tax benefits that can greatly reduce a homeowner’s tax liability. They are very unlikely to b... 04/30/2012

This is a pretty common topic when purchasing Evansville Real Estate. A lot of prospective homeowners dream of buying Evansville Real Estate and making one of the biggest investments in their lives without having to break the bank. The investment of buying Evansville Real Estate requires careful study and a lot of financial discipline. These are just a few tips to help you stay within your budget. First and foremost, it must be noted that budgeting demands the utmost of financial discipline. Studying your annual income and determining what you can afford comes easy enough, but it is a step that a lot of prospective homebuyers tend to forget. Keep track of your current expenses and confirm that you are ready for the responsibilities of buying Evansville Real Estate. Spending only a maxim... 04/24/2012

Market Watch       Last month’s Market Watch was all about listings. I suggested that based on the way this year’s real estate market has started that we would soon need more listings and that based on virtually any measure, now would be a good time to list your home if you were considering a move. Everything I suggested last month has proven to be true and there are even more reasons to list real estate for sale now.   We have fewer homes on the market than at any time in 6 years. The month’s supply of homes on the market (6.59) is lower than it has been for 68 of the past 70 months. Our average month’s supply for the first 3 months has been lower than any year for the past 4 years. We have seen slight improvements in both our list to sale price ratio (95.10%) and in our days on market... 04/18/2012

As the saying goes: April showers bring May flowers! With more rain in the springtime months of April and May, now's the perfect opportunity to get your rain gutters in tip-top shape. As a homeowner, you're probably wondering what the best way would be to maintain those gutters and I've got the answer for you! We have compiled a handy list of tips that will help you to save money by doing it yourself, so that you can simply enjoy the rain once it comes.   If you need any additional tips, please feel free to call me Rolando at 499-9234 or Kathy at 499-0246. Also if you have friends or family who are in need of real estate service or advice, we hope you'll give them our name. We are always happy to help!     FIVE TIPS FOR SAFELY CLEANING YOUR RAIN GUTTERS   ·Maintenance means everything: ... 04/17/2012

Buying homes and renting them are such distinctly separate aspects of Evansville’s real estate scene that we tend to pay attention only to the sector we are most involved with. We pretty much ignore the other. Renters and real estate investors watch trends in residential rentals, while homeowners and soon-to-be homeowners check on prices and activity in the local home market.   All of which means that it’s easy to overlook how trends in one sector have major impacts on the other. And any sort of residential construction activity – new building or remodeling – has a direct and positive impact on our economy as a whole.   So here’s some good news: this year, rental construction is expected to reach its highest level since 2005. Somehow that may not seem like such a big deal, but despite t... 04/16/2012

Evansville-based Accuride Corp. (NYSE: ACW) is planning to upgrade its Camden, South Carolina plant and hire more employees. The $8.7 million aluminum wheel line expansion could add around 25 additional jobs. Accuride Corporation (NYSE: ACW), a leading supplier of components to the commercial vehicle industry, today announced plans to expand aluminum wheel production capacity at its Kershaw County plant. The company will invest at least $8.73 million to add two machine lines as part of the expansion, which will generate at least 25 new jobs. The Kershaw County Council is expected today to vote in favor of a Fee in Lieu of Taxes (FILOT) agreement for the project; and the company is utilizing South Carolina's readySC worker training program for new hires. “We are pleased to move forward w... 04/12/2012

As a whole, we Americans are an interesting group. We are smart, educated, involved in our community…and, not unlike the rest of America, our attention span about 5 or 10 seconds. It follows that when you put your home on the market and your agent places it among theEvansville realty listings, your home has about that long to grab potential buyers’ attention. Time and time again, studies show that realty listings with superior curb appeal get markedly more attention than those with run-of-the-mill photos. First impressions count. It’s how advertising agencies can charge hundreds of thousands of dollars to get just the right angle with just the right lighting on their perfectly-designed product packages. In ad-speak, that photo with the perfect angle and lighting is called the ‘hero sho... 04/11/2012

The first three months of 2012 have been record-breakers for Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden. Park officials believe mild weather and spring break schedules contributed to the increased attendance. Zoo Officials believe that many factors, including the unseasonable warm weather, Orchid Escape, and spring breaks have helped Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden achieve the highest January, February, and March attendance in Zoo history. During the course of January, 2,699 guests visited the Zoo, February attendance was a record breaking 6,342 visitors, and March boasted 27,612 visitors. In comparison, these numbers topped the previous January record by 26%, February record by 9% and March record by 59%. According to Amos Morris, Zoo Director, “The first quarter of the year is alw... 04/10/2012

  With spring in the air, notions of fresh starts and new horizons have a way of pushing into just about everybody’s consciousness. It’s only natural, whether because of the weather, school schedules, or everything else around us that seems fresh and new. And something else is in the air, too: if past history is any guide, now is also simply the most popular time of year to sell or buy Evansville homes.       For those with a home to sell, this is traditionally the most active time to be in the real estate market. Homes entered in Evansville property listings during springtime can be expected to attract buyers more quickly, and they stand a better chance of fetching a good price. With 60% of moves in America taking place during the summer months (most likely a reflection of the school y... 04/09/2012

Once you decide that the time has come to sell your house, Evansville’s open houses are one of the most promising ways for you to show off its fine points. And early spring has long proved to be one of real estate’s peak selling seasons. Despite the fact that April can bring unpredictable weather to Evansville, it’s undeniably prime time to use an open house to market your home.   Open houses are popular for the simple reason that they provide maximum exposure to house-hunters, whether they are casual or more highly motivated. Particularly when a home is occupied, open houses invite easy access to a property, side-stepping all the normal hurdles of appointment making, phone tag, calendar syncing, etc. Since vacant homes are easy to show any time, they tend to get more exposure (especia... 04/04/2012

Buying Evansville real estate as second homes in the buyer's market of today is never a bad idea, pending all the studying that an investment requires. Second homes demand from the prospective buyers a lot of responsibility, and this tends to scare them away sometime. That is a fear, however, that comes unwarranted. Second homes are better investments than most people think. The primary concern that prevents people from taking a chance with second homes is the price. With the current trend of the American economy, images of bankruptcy tend to influence the average buyer's decision. Look at it from a different perspective: if a lot of people are looking at real estate purchases in the same way, then that would significantly lower the current demand for it. The market would then have to a... 04/03/2012

A lot of prospective homeowners have already been taking advantage of today's real estate buyer's market. The benefits of larger profit margins, tax deductions, and the simple joy of ownership outweigh the expenses of doing so. There are certainly a lot of perks when you begin your search to buy real estate online as opposed to doing it the old-fashion way. Offline Online You can't filter your options according to what you need. You might have to physically go through a lot of listings to find what you need. Your choices for buying real estate become extremely limited. While some photos are available in printed real estate listings, a lot of them don't feature images of the interior. You can easily access a treasure trove of information regarding realtor credibility Contacting a trusted... 03/21/2012

Advanced technology has become such a prominent feature in our everyday lives it is no surprise that it’s increasingly affectingEvansville home values. As “Home Automation” features grow in importance, bottom-line home values are following suit. It’s a new phenomenon, one that motivated home sellers (as well as homeowners heeding long term home values) should understand.   Home automation – the inclusion of luxury technological features like temperature control, lighting control, security systems and the like – are becoming more commonplace, increasing home values in the process. A few years ago, adding such bells and whistles to an existing home would probably have been more pricey than the return would justify -- but that is becoming ever less true. Think hi def flat screen TV and you... 03/20/2012

Market Watch   I have one important message in this month’s Market Watch: If you or someone you know is thinking about selling their house, list it NOW. Seriously, I know that sounds like a Realtor talking but it is also the truth. Let me tell you why. Combined January and February closed transactions are up 5% from last year and up 17% from 2010. The number of homes currently listed is down 10.1% from last year and down 17.6% from 2010. When sales increase, as they have, and listings decrease, as they have, the month’s supply of homes also decreases. It will then be no surprise that average month’s supply has also declined significantly. The average month’s supply this year is 16.2% less than last year and 30.7% less than 2010. The absolute number of active listings is down over 33% fr... 03/19/2012

Is now really the best time to buy real estate? Let's try to rephrase that: is now the best time to buy real estate for you? The real estate market fluctuates every now and then, but it's pretty much a rule of thumb that property values always go up in the long run. This little article will go on about a few signs that indicate when you should absolutely make that home purchase. You love your job and it pays off well - Job and income security are definitely two things that we all strive for. With this moving-up-in-the-world, you should definitely start thinking about making that real estate investment. The prospect of having a family is in the not-so-distant horizon - Living spaces are typically bigger in houses as opposed to apartments or condos and hence serve better avenues to raise ... 03/15/2012