Reasons Why Buying A Home Now Is Good

We all have different reasons why and when we purchase a home.  Home prices have tumbled from a false appreciation that occurred during the boom years has left many of use cringing as our equity has been wiped leaving us even with our value or in most cases upside down in our mortgage. Buyers are wreaking the rewards from the high volume of homes that are currently on the market. If you can qualify to purchase a home the world is your oyster or in housing terms your dream home awaits you. Home loan interest rates are best we have ever seen and history shows when you are trying to time the absolute bottom of a market chances are it will have already hit and start back up.  In closing I say keep your eyes on the housing market and look for your home in your area chances are you might just find a place to call yours. Please feel free to call Josh Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com for assistance.

10 Reasons to Buy a Home
Time magazine is being overly pessimistic in its recent cover piece that called into question the benefits of homeownership. In fact, now is a great time to buy. And, what’s more, tomorrow will be a great time to own, because the fundamental strength of homeownership hasn’t changed.

Why is now a great time to buy? Here are 10 reasons:

1. You can get a good deal. Prices are down 30 percent on average. They’re at a level that makes sense for people’s income.
2. Mortgages are cheap. At 4.3 percent on average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, your costs to own are down by a fifth from two years ago.
3. You can save on taxes. When you add up the deductions for mortgage interest and others, the cost of owning can drop below renting for a comparable place.
4. It’ll be yours. The one benefit to owning that never changes is that you can paint your walls orange if you want (generally speaking; there might be some community restrictions). How many landlords will let you do that?
5. You can get a better home. In some markets, it’s simply the case that the nicest places are for-sale homes and condos.
6. It offers some inflation protection. Historically, appreciation over time outpaces inflation.
7. It’s risk capital. If the economy picks up, you stand to benefit from that, even if you’re goal is just to have a nice place to live.
8. It’s forced savings. A part of your payment each month goes to equity.
9. There is a lot to choose from. There are some 4 million homes available today, about a year’s supply. Now’s the time to find something you like and get it.
10. Sooner or later the market will clear. The U.S. is expected to grow by another 100 million people in 40 years. They have to live somewhere. Demand will eventually outpace supply.

Source: Wall Street Journal, Brett Arends (9/16/10)

Repossessed Homes Hit All Time High

Repossed Homes Hit All Time High in August. Some say recovery may not be until 2014. If you or anybody you know is looking for help in this market please feel free to call Josh Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com and always visist www.homeswithjosh.com

The nation’s banks repossessed a record number of homes in August, according to industry sources. RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure sale site, will release its monthly numbers on Thursday, but sources there confirm the number of repossessions will come in just shy of 100,000 for the month.

CNBC.com

That is the highest since the site began tracking in 2005. July’s repossession number was the second highest on record. The last highest was 93,777 in May of 2010.

Notices of Default, which are the first step in the foreclosure process, are up slightly but mostly thanks to a jump in California, where the numbers had been artificially low of late, as banks tried to modify borrowers.

“With respect to the NOD increase, I think it is the modification redefault wave beginning to build and new modifications slowing to a trickle, indicating banks have lost their primary borrower re-leveraging tool,” says mortgage industry consultant Mark Hanson.

Yesterday J.P. Morgan Chase [JPM  41.07  0.35  (+0.86%)   ] cited the “shadow inventory” of foreclosed properties as one of their primary reasons for pushing back their expectations for a housing recovery as far as 2014. No question, a growing supply of repossessed properties will put further downward pressure on home prices, especially given the current 12.5 month supply of existing homes already for sale.

The question now is: Where does the government go from here? Some argue that housing needs to correct on its own, without artificial stimulus, as painful as it will be, in order to recover fully. What the Obama Administration has to decide is, will that correction, involving millions of foreclosures, take too large a toll on the greater economy?

Housing Fix Or Let It Fail

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/39042331#39042331

Mortgage Rate Even Lower

Those of you looking to purchase a home here in Idaho mortgage rate even lower now…. If you are waiting for the bottom of the market I feel that we are scraping it about now barring giving away homes it is getting awfully tempting make a splash in this home market. Now there is always going to be winners and losers but now with so many Idaho short sales and Idaho REO’s (bank owned) properties there is a very good opportunity to come out ahead. Investors are picking up properties for pennies on the dollar, first time home buyer’s are jumping into some great homes in desirable areas while people that can sell with some equity are having the chance of a lifetime to get their “it” home the one they have always dreamed of. For Help in Boise,Eagle,Meridian,Nampa,Caldwell,Star,Middleton,Kuna call Josh 208-353-7131

Mortgage rates have hit a new record low for the 10th time in 11 weeks as investors continue to turn to Treasury bonds as a safe haven; the shift in money is cutting yields, which mortgage rates tend to follow.

Freddie Mac reports that 30-year fixed loans averaged 4.32 percent, down from 4.36 percent a week ago; and the 15-year fixed rate fell to a new low of 3.83 percent, down from 3.86 percent.

These rates are outstanding now combine that with low home prices: BUYERS BEWARE YOU MAY JUST FIND THE HOME YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!

Joshua Groesbeck or josh@homeswithjosh.com and of course 208-353-7131


Owning Your Idaho Home

Everyday we here more bad news about the housing fallout and while that cannot be ignored there are some major benefits of home ownership. A lot of the times home ownership are more than the financial dividends.  The best things about owning a home have a lot more to do with personal comfort and satisfaction. I was golfing with a retired professor from Notre Dame. He followed his wife and kids over to Idaho and told me if it weren’t for his job at the University of Notre Dame he would have been here years ago.  He had been coming to Boise, Idaho since the late 1960′s telling me that he always knew that he would end up owning a home here. In closing “I love Idaho” and good game :)

Here are five of them:

· Be your own landlord. The bank can only kick you out if you don’t pay; a landlord can be much less dependable – deciding to sell the property or choosing to live there themselves.
· Paying the principal is forced savings. Yes, it’s possible that home prices will fall further. It is also possible that your 401k will go down, but in the end both should provide you with an upside.
· Fixed-rate mortgages never rise – and eventually you pay them off. With mortgage rates at record lows, people who buy now are locking in real bargains.
· Good schools. Family-sized rentals are harder to come by in areas with excellent public schools.
· Spacious properties in pleasant neighborhoods. Sizable homes in attractive communities are almost always owned – not rented.

Source New York Times: Ron Lieber

How Many Homes Repossed REO Up 4%

Foreclosures Down And Short Sales Up

Here is an insightful video from  CNBC  and what to expect from the housing market in the months ahead. If you have questions or would like assistance with your home please don’t hesitate to call or email, Josh.

Exiting Home Sales Down

Joshua Groesbeck

208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

www.homeswithjosh.com or www.idshortsale.com

Eagle Bank Owned Home of the Week

Eagle bank owned home of the week located on a pond. Elegantly appointed set in a quiet cul-de-sac with east facing backyard. Master bedroom has huge walk-in closet, slab travertine counters, cozy sitting area by fireplace. Gourmet kitchen with slab granite counters & work island. Excellent floor plan. Enjoy the all the great features of this well established Eagle, Idaho community. Features include homes well maintained on larger lots and don’t forget about the community pool. To check out more on this home visit www.homeswithjosh.com insert this Mls# 98426239

To schedule your showing for this property or any other great buying opportunities in Eagle simply call Joshua Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or email josh@homeswithjosh.com

Homes Sold Ada County Month Of March

Its only March 12, 2010 and 68 Bank Owned homes have been sold this month- Not too far behind are the Short Sale homes at 39 sold for the month of March- These are the number of distressed properties sold in Ada county including the cities of Boise,Eagle,Meridian,Star,Garden City and Kuna. The total number of properties sold in Ada county for the month of March is at 235 so approximately 46% of the homes sold in Ada county have been either a short sale or bank owned. So far for 2010 there have been 277 Bank Owned properties sold and 176 Short Sale properties sold out of 934 properties sold in Ada county. I will keep tracking these types of sales but like I have said before– We are going to see a large number of Bank Homes come on the market and trust me in April the Short Sale rules are going to change for the better and we will be see a lot more of those homes actually get sold for less than what is owed. I believe the reason that for now the Bank Owned homes are out selling the Short Sale homes is because of the long process  waiting on the bank approval of a short sale. We will start seeing more and more pre-approved Short Sales and they will be in time replacing the Bank Owned homes- Time to be determined because there is huge back log of Bank Owned Homes yet to come on the market.

If you are looking to take advantage of the Short Sale whether buying or selling, my experience can help. Visit www.homeswithjosh.com to look at all homes on the market. To schedule appointment to view homes just send me an email josh@homeswithjosh.com

If you are facing foreclosure and would like to know what your options are please visit www.idshortsale.com and fill out the confidential short sale application and I will review with you all options

Thanks again,

Josh