Many realtors bought domain names with the names in them and began pushing themselves as the brand. That type of branding only works in the local market with local people that know you. Most home owners go to the internet and are not searching realtors, they are searching homes. Since "search’ is all about keywords, most realtors didn’t have their keywords in their domains and as a result lost out on a lot of visits to their sites. It’s similar to car dealerships, where people want to search without the bothering of a salesman. People want to search homes without an agent. Eventually they will end up with an agent, but it’s not what they are searching for up front. With that said you still need to be visible, in the areas where people are searching. This way when they are ready to buy they have a familiar agent/brokerage that they have seen numerous times throughout their search journey. We would love to help you in your search, so if you’re at that place and you are looking in the Chapel Hill area please visit our website at Chapel Hill Realty, where you can search and find numerous homes to choose from.

I agree that for the most part this is a great time to buy, and if you’re interested in Westfield NJ properties you can visit www.jackiesafran.com, but you must look at the other side of the coin before diving into a large long term purchase. The job market right now is not stable and unemployment rates are at the highest levels in a very long time. When jobs are unstable, income is unstable and when income is unstable, it’s not a good time to strap yourself with large long term debt. Many people thought that their jobs were stable until they got laid off. Do we really have security right now in the job market. If you do and you feel secure with your employment, than you may be in the right spot for purchasing a home and it may be the “best” time for you. But for those folks that don’t know what tomorrow will bring, it might not be the best time.

We all have the belief that we will recover from this downturn, after all we always have. What we are not used to is how to navigate the downturns, and this is where many can get into trouble and end up in foreclosure losing their homes to the banks.

I think that the market is good right now for buyers and I believe that you can take advantage of some really good deals, I just think that if we all were a little more smarter a few years back we would not be in the situation we are in right now. Make smart decisions when it comes to purchasing a home and choose a good realtor who can help you navigate the process. For more information on homes in Scotch Plains New Jersey please visit www.jackiesafran.com. You can also view featured properties and look at local information.

10-year mortgage rates are at an all time low.  See the chart below that was done for me by Jim Enright with First Financial Services in Chapel Hill.

CONFORMING:

30 Yr Fixed    4.0%                                                   

15 Yr Fixed    3.75%                                                 

7/1 Arm           3.125%                                              

5/1 Arm           2.75%

JUMBO:

30 Yr Fixed   4.875%

15 Yr Fixed   4.25%

7/1 Arm         4.0%

There is no way to tell how long these incredible rates will last.  You can learn more about Durham homes for sale and Chapel Hill real estate at our website www.teamjodi.com. Six years ago, I thought rates where low when I got a 20 year loan for 4.875. I never thought I would see rates go lower than that.

Combine the low mortgage rates with an excess of inventory and this equals a buyers market.  In fact, you have the perfect recipe for it being the right time to buy.  In Chapel Hill, for example, overall, there is a 9 month supply of inventory.  See the chart below for a break down by price range for single family homes.

Interested in knowing your homes value or getting a snapshot of the market, visit www.ChapelHillHomeValues.com or www.TriangleHomeValue.com.

Interested in looking for a home in Chapel Hill, Durham or the surrounding area, visit www.TriangleHomeSearch.net and register for an auto home search with emails sent to you every time a property comes on the market that meets your criteria or when their is a price or status change in properties of interest.

These are great tools for tracking the real estate market!

These are little things that can make a world of difference in selling your home and making it stand out above the rest. You have to make sure they remember your house when there are so many to choose from. So think to yourself what you can do to make your house memorable. You will be glad you did when that contract that you have been waiting for finally arrives. If you would like to know more about preparing your house to sell please visit the Augusta Listing Expert for more information and check out our sellers resources page.

So there is not all bad news to report. These numbers at least show us that there are changes taking place and for some that is all they need for them to be secure enough to go out and purchase again. If fact the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that application for new loans increased by 2 percent and FHA loan applications are up by 3 percent.

These are modest gains, but gains none the less. With the unemployment rate declining hope is being restored slowly. There is still a lot of skepticism out there about the future of our country, economy, and our lives. When people don’t feel secure there is not much freedom to spend and share. Insecurity makes people think inward and manifest in them holding on to things. The recovery is slow, but there are positive signs that are helping most to believe that we have suffered the worst. If this is true than you will see people feeling a little more free to get out of their shell and spend. Hopefully the recovery will be faster than expected. For information about Chapel Hill Real Estate and homes for sale visit Chapel Hill Realty.

Staging involves the look and feel of the home and has it’s main goal to create a warm and welcoming feeling to the potential buyer. We all remember the stories about the apple pies or cookies baking in the oven when the potential buyer comes to view the home. The sweet smell of the apple pie creates a very welcoming homey feel that aids in the comfort level of the buyer.

Landscaping and the cosmetic show of the outside of the house is a consideration as well as the inside. The outside of the house must be appealing, after all this is the first thing the buyer will see. If they can’t get past the outside it will be difficult to win them over completely. We have all heard the term "curb appeal’, and this is where the outside of the house has a look and feel that is appealing as you drive by. You would want the outside of the house to be so appealing that it tantalizes the potential buyer to see the inside. If the outside is welcoming and the inside is warm and friendly than you have a good combination to sell the home. These are just some thoughts on the staging of your home. Find more at www.chapelhillrealty.com and happy house selling!

Incentives could play a major role in the pricing of homes. If there are a lot of incentives being offered to home owners than this creates more competition in the housing market, especially for home builders. For Durham homes pricing information please see www.teamjodi.com. Competition as we all know definitely drives pricing.

Recently in our economy we have seen a huge increase in unemployment rates. This creates and insecurity and that insecurity makes people not spend. When people aren’t spending, prices usually go down to try and draw them in to making purchases. We are in a struggling period of time right now in America with our economy taking hits over the last couple of years. The housing market is fighting to stay afloat and Realtors are doing what they can to sell houses.

Different markets are fairing differently with Florida leading the pack with markets that are not doing so well, whereas California is getting reports of a recovery with homes selling for more that the listing price. Please visit www.teamjodi.com for assistance with your real estate needs. We know that time will tell on most of the theories around the housing market, but for a portion of America we need solutions now. We can only get so many tax breaks that may actually be tax burdens in the future. I think for most we are all just hoping that the economy somehow corrects itself and we can have things somewhat back to normal.

Could this really be the end of the housing slump for California? Are the incentives really working or is this just smoke and mirrors? Since many of the major cities will be the forerunners to this, outlying cities like Tracy will get a good taste of what may come. We’ll have to watch Tracy real estate for sale for trends that may indicate similar reports. Many other states will be watching this so called recovery especially Florida who holds many of the top cold markets. Should other states follow California’s way of doing things, at least for the housing market? I think most will take a wait and see approach.

Whenever there are incentives or tax breaks, or when the government is handing out money, there is room for caution. Most things are not for free and the question needs to be asked if we are all going to pay for this someday, somehow. California is having financial issues and yet they can find ways to provide tax breaks. It’s great to be able to give away money as long as you have it to give. Time will tell whether or not the real estate market in California is really recovering or is just in a temporary spike. The Silveria Team specializes in Tracy CA and surrounding area real estate. Please visit our website for more info here www.thesilveriateam.com