The News

We all know that the economy and in turn the housing market has been seeing some tough times. You should know that the situation has been and continues to improve. Bad news media and reports often give an unbalanced opinion about what is really going on. They seem to exaggerate the problems and focus on all of the negative aspects about what is going on in the real estate industry. Good news such as nationally rising home sales, improved affordability, super low interest rates, and incredible tax incentive for homeowners are frequently overlooked, or are buried deep in the news or reports.

So don't let the news get you down. Get the facts so you can make your own, educated judgments!

10 Stupid Mistakes that Buyers Make

Mistake Number 1

Not choosing an agent who is committed to forming a strong business relationship with you.

HOW TO AVOID IT
Making a connection with the right real estate agent is crucial. Choose a professional who is dedicated to serving your needs- before, during and after the sale.



Mistake Number 2

Making an offer on a home without being pre-qualified.

HOW TO AVOID IT
Pre-qualification will make your life easier. Take the time to talk with a bank or mortgage representative. Preferably one that your agent referred to you. They will ask you specific questions with regard to your income, debt and other factors that will help you determine the price range that you can afford. It is one of the most important steps on the path to home ownership. Not to mention that many agents and sellers will require that you handle your financing up front.



Mistake Number 3

Not knowing the total costs involved.

HOW TO AVOID IT
Early in the buying process your mortgage representative should give you an estimate of your closing costs. If they don't, be sure to ask for one.



Mistake Number 4

Limiting your search to open houses, ads or the internet.

HOW TO AVOID IT
Many homes listed in magazines or on the internet have already been sold. Your best course of action is to contact your agent. They have up-to-date information that is unavailable to the general public, and they are the best resource to help you find the home you want.



Mistake Number 5

Thinking there is only one perfect house out there.

HOW TO AVOID IT
Buying a home is a process of elimination, not selection. New properties arrive on the market every day, so be open to all possibilities.



Mistake Number 6

Not considering long-term needs.

HOW TO AVOID IT
It is important to think ahead. Will your home suit your needs 3-5 years from now? How about 5-10 years?



Mistake Number 7

Not following through on due diligence.

HOW TO AVOID IT
Make a list of any concerns you have relating to issues such as crime rates, schools, power lines, neighbors, environmental conditions, etc. Then, attempt to find the answers and be sure that you're comfortable with the answers (or lack thereof).



Mistake Number 8

Not having a home inspection.

HOW TO AVOID IT
Trying to save money or time today can end up costing you tomorrow. A qualified home inspector will detect issues that many buyers will never even notice.



Mistake Number 9

Not examining insurance issues.

HOW TO AVOID IT
Purchase adequate insurance. Advice from an insurance agent can provide you with answers to any concerns you may have.



Mistake Number 10

Not purchasing a home protection plan.

HOW TO AVOID IT
This is essentially a mini insurance policy that usually lasts one year from the date of the sale. It usually covers basic repairs you may encounter and can be purchased for a nominal fee. Talk to you agent to help you find a plan that fits your needs.

Spokane's Most Expensive Listing

Have you ever wondered what the most expensive listing in Spokane looks like? Look no further.

This beautiful estate is located on Spokane's South Hill. The listing reads:

"Turn of the century rare masterpiece home designed by Kirtland Cutter. Impeccably maintained and updated in keeping with the original character. Magnificent English Gardens, city views, garage carriage house with full apartment. Original Ballroom, Fabulous family room with bowling alley and wine room. Price includes all designer furniture."

This home is listed with 7 bedrooms, 8 baths and over 20,000 square feet. If you'd like to see more photos check it out on my website at: http://josiahboone.mywindermere.com/lid33855584

You can have all of this for a price tag of only $3,250,000!

How Does a Rise in Interest Rates Impact Your Buying Power?

If you didn't already care about buying while rates are low, you probably will after reading this.

It is pretty amazing how much more you can buy for your money when rates are so low. If you qualify for a $200,000 dollar home at 5% you may want to jump on it. Later, if rates go up even a little to say 6% you will only qualify for a $179,000 purchase. That's a $21,000 difference!

Now imagine you stay in the house for 10 years and let's say the home appreciates at 5.4% per year which is the historical average. Your $200,000 home would now be worth about $338,404. Your $179,000 house would be worth about $302,871. If you want to get technical you can reduce the difference of the initial $21,000 and that still leaves you ahead by nearly $15,000 or about $1,500 per year. Not to mention you go to live in a considerably nicer home during that 10 years.

Plus, if you buy now, you may qualify for the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit or the $6,500 home buyer tax credit.

Think about it...

10 Mistakes that Sellers Make

I love my job, I get to go out and look at homes almost every day. But it has always struck me as odd that nearly every time I do I find something on the outside or inside of the home that dramatically reduces my opinion of the value of the home.

Now, I'm pretty objective and after doing this for years I know I have become somewhat immune to the pet odor, nic-nacks, dirty carpets, and other things that ruin the impression and value of a home. But what about the buyer that I'm showing the home too?

I know from personal experience that anything I see, smell or otherwise notice my buyer is noticing 10 fold. After all, this could be the house they ultimately end up living in, raising their family in, retiring in.....you get the point.

In this video you'll see 10 common mistakes that sellers make and why you should avoid them. If you won't do it for yourself, and ultimately your bottom line will you do it for me? Please!

Buying Real Estate - Putting it All Together

An old friend emailed me out of the blue today. His email read,

"Good morning Josiah. How were your Holidays? My girlfriend and I are going to start looking for a house. Our lease is up in May and we would like to have an idea of what we want by that time…possibly even buy if we can find the right home."

It went on to say, "We are both first time home buyers, so this is new to both of us." And, "Where do we go from here?"

What a good question, "where do we go from here?" Well I recommend that you get in contact with your Realtor. If you don't have one, find one. You want someone that you trust, someone that values your business but does not necessarily need it.

Your Realtor should be an excellent source of information for you, should help you arrange your financing, help you locate a home, negotiate a fair or better-than-fair price for you, and guide you through the process of finalizing the home sale.

This video will help you understand a little bit more about the home buying process and what your Realtor will do for you.

For current, up-to-the-minute listings, current mortgage rates, mortgage qualifier tool and more visit my website www.josiahboone.com. If you have any questions leave a comment, email, call, or IM me, I'm always hear to help!

Sell in the winter? Isn't spring the best time to sell? Maybe not in 2010!

Many of the clients I work with have the idea that you should wait until spring to sell. After all, the house looks nicer with fresh-cut green lawn, nice flowers and sun outside. Plus, what buyer is going to be out looking for a home on a cold rainy or snowy day in Spokane?

This year home buyers in Spokane are seeing an almost perfect confluence of fair prices, low mortgage rates, a fair amount of inventory to choose from, combined with some incredible government programs designed to stimulate the economy (see my post from December 30th) that end on April 30th.

You say, "Great Josiah, what does that mean to me? Did you forget...I'm SELLING my house?" No, I didn't forget that you're SELLING. What you need to understand is that most home buyers out there are well aware of the great opportunity they have and will be out shopping very soon, if not already. They don't want to miss out on the government programs that are set to end, nor do they want to miss out on the other opportunities.

Let's do the math, it is the beginning of January homes are selling in about 90 days. That means if you put your home on the market today at fair market value it would likely sell by the end of March or early April. If you wait until spring it will likely be too late for the influx of home buyers to take advantage of the great opportunities!

And by the way, let's not forget, normally when you sell you're looking for a new place to buy as well. Why not take advantage of the same opportunities that the buyer of your home will? It's a win-win!

Almost every day I am asked, "So, how is the market?" Well, that's a tough question to answer in passing. However, there is always one quick way to get a feel for how things are going.

Looking at the trend of the average sale price of homes in the market is a great way to see what has been going on. In some cases, it can help predict what is to come as well.

Currently (as of November 09) the average sale price in Spokane County was about $188,000. Compared to a year ago we are down from an average price of $215,000. That's about a 12% decrease. Not so good you say? Well, in comparison to some other areas of the country we're doing quite well. Can you believe some areas are down 50% or more?

So what does the future hold? It is hard to say for sure but with the extension and expansion of the Homebuyer Tax Credit, continued low mortgage rates, and an improving economy things appear to be looking a little bit better.

So now you know a few things about what is going on, and hopefully you have a better feel for how the market is doing.

Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended and Expanded

If you missed the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit earlier this year there's no need to worry! As part of the plan to stimulate the economy, legislation was recently passed to extend the credit through April of 2010.

Also, if you didn't know, the tax credit was expanded to include buyers that already own a home.

Watch the video above for more details.

As always, never make any financial or tax decision until you have talked to your attorney, CPA or tax person. Which, by the way, if you don't have one you can contact me for a referral to one that I trust.

If you or someone you know may benefit from the program or you'd like more details feel free to get in touch with me. I'm always here to help.

2009 Months of Inventory

Months of inventory is a key indicator of the current market conditions and when viewed as a trend can often indicate where the market is headed.

It is generally agreed that 6 months of inventory is considered to be a neutral market. Less than 6 months is considered a "Seller's Market" and more than 6 months is considered to be a "Buyer's Market".

As you can see Spokane if faring well and is in a close-to-neutral market. In November we had just over 6 months of inventory. This indicates a healthy market with fair prices.

What does this mean to you?

Well, if you're selling a home it tells you that you need to be competitive. Your home needs to be priced fairly and it needs to be in good showing condition based on the price you are asking.

If you're a buyer it tells you that in general homes are priced competitively and are selling in a reasonable period of time. If you're looking at the trending you can see that the inventory has been heading down most of the year, telling you that prices will likely level out and may even start a very slight increase if we happen to get under the 6 month mark. If you're a buyer, now may be a good time to make you're move especially with the extended tax credit. I'll talk more about that in another post later.

Please let me know if you have any questions! Post to this blog or contact me:

Josiah Boone

509.389.0733
http://www.josiahboone.com/

Post Number 1

I intend to provide you with relevant and valuable information about the real estate market for Spokane and the surrounding area as well as other useful real estate related information. I hope you'll visit this blog regularly as I plan to post useful information several times throughout the week.

If you have any specific questions please respond, call, or email me any time. I'm always here to help.