http://www.remax-insight.com en info@remax-insight.com Copyright 2012 2012-01-18T17:55:15+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/2012-housing-market-outlook-forecast-report/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/2012-housing-market-outlook-forecast-report/#When:16:55:15Z By RE/MAX of New England - Last updated: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Employment, Consumer Confidence Needed to Grow Housing Market in 2012 “New Normal” Has Arrived for Buyers, Sellers Historically low interest rates, renewed interest by investors, and job growth helped provide modest stability to the real estate market in 2011, according to RE/MAX of New England. Although the first six months of 2011 failed to keep pace with the first six months of 2010, fueled largely by the pending expiration of the federal tax credit, the second half of 2011 witnessed much stronger sales. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in a report to Congress, recently declared the weakness in the real estate market a “significant barrier” to a meaningful economic recovery. The Federal Reserve, as part of an effort to bring stability to the real estate market and the overall economy, has pledged to keep key interest rates at historically low levels until mid-2013. There is hope in the real estate community that this will help solidify consumer confidence, which remains low, and, with interest rates now in the 3% range, entice more people to purchase homes. “There is no indication that leads me to believe we will have any significant uptick in the market,” said Jay Hummer, Executive Vice President and Regional Director of RE/MAX of New England. “However, barring a financial catastrophe in the marketplace, it appears that we’ve hit the bottom, and we can expect to see a very slow and very gradual increase over the next couple of years.” Home values continued to slip in 2011. Just one out of six New England states, Vermont, experienced an increase in sales price. However, home prices in New England declined at a slower rate than other parts of the country. According to the Clear Capital Home Data Index, U.S. home sales prices declined by -2.1%, marking the fifth consecutive year that home values have decreased. Four New England states outpaced this national trend by experiencing smaller declines. “The housing market was fairly similar to the market in 2009. There was a decrease in units, volume, and pricing in most segments,” Hummer said. Click here for report RE/MAX New England 2012-01-18T16:55:15+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/hoping-for-a-flurry-of-activity-during-the-winter-housing-market-in-new-eng/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/hoping-for-a-flurry-of-activity-during-the-winter-housing-market-in-new-eng/#When:14:51:41Z By RE/MAX of New England - Last updated: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 This month’s RE/MAX of New England November Monthly Housing Report shows relatively flat activity compared to November 2010. The median sales price continued to dip year-over-year for every state in the region excluding Maine, where the median price is up 1.9%. Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island all experienced an increase in units sold year-over-year. “The winter season is upon us, however, warmer than usual temperatures have played a part in boosting year-end sales,” said Jay Hummer, Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of New England. “As home prices continue to remain very affordable and interest rates stay near historic lows, I believe this winter is capable of creating a flurry of activity.” Click here for report RE/MAX New England 2011-12-21T14:51:41+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/re-max-receives-prestigious-training-awards/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/re-max-receives-prestigious-training-awards/#When:18:57:40Z By RE/MAX of New England - Last updated: Friday, December 2, 2011 RE/MAX of New England Incorporates Award-Winning Programs Locally RE/MAX University, a 24/7, on-demand platform that includes training and learning modules, was recently named to Training magazine’s Top 125 list of leading organizations in the field of corporate-sponsored training. In addition, Brandon Hall Excellence Awards has recognized RE/MAX in the category of “Best Use of Blended Learning” for its high level of training performance. RE/MAX of New England has localized these award-winning programs to provide their agents across New England with access to the most current resources available. “RE/MAX of New England continuously strives to provide our agents with the most current technology and trainings available in the industry and these awards are a testament to that,” said Sarah Westney, RE/MAX of New England’s Technology Training & Development Manager. “We encourage our agents to utilize these trainings and programs which ultimately help them better serve their customers.” RE/MAX of New England provides eBusiness training to individual offices as requested as well as offers several regional trainings each year.  Each training event or program offers a unique education component for agents.  In addition, RE/MAX offers informative webinars twice monthly on a variety of topics ranging from New Agent Technology Orientation to Optimizing LeadStreet clients. In 2012, RE/MAX of New England will be holding two large-scale, full day technology workshops which will include a technology industry speaker followed by training sessions on LeadStreet, RE/MAX’s lead generation system and Design Center, RE/MAX’s on-line marketing tool.  Both are available to RE/MAX Associates at no cost. -more- RE/MAX University is distributed via high-speed broadband Internet service and includes over 1,000 titles in its library. The RE/MAX University system is capable of delivering HD quality video programs and online training to multiple devices such as: personal computers, television sets, smart phones and other personal digital devices. The RE/MAX University platform is provided at no cost to all RE/MAX Affiliates. Because RE/MAX has a presence in more than 80 countries around the world, its training materials are available in multiple languages and is distributed to international affiliates from the RE/MAX Global Education Center in Denver. RE/MAX New England 2011-12-02T18:57:40+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/all-short-sale-agents-are-not-created-equal/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/all-short-sale-agents-are-not-created-equal/#When:12:52:00Z As an Agent who frequently handles Short Sales in Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts, I have received more than my share of phone calls from panicked homeowners looking to stop an imminent foreclosure.  In one such instance not that long ago I had to tell prospective clients that pretty much everything they had been told about real estate in general and short sales, in particular, by the previous real estate agent they had been talking to was incorrect. This veritable fountain of misinformation had told them, among other things, that: 1. It shouldn’t take long to sell their condo.  (The condo market in their area is, as they say, “deader than a doornail”.) 2. They should be able to sell it for what they paid for it.  (they bought in 2006 for heaven’s sake – can you say “underwater”.) 3. It should take no more than a couple of weeks to get a short sale approved, if indeed, a short sale was necessary.  After all, in his estimation, they were going to be able to sell their property for what they paid for it.  Apparently in his world, if they could sell their property for what they paid for it, all other fees and costs associated with the sale (including the six months of unpaid mortgage payments) just go away without having to have any kind of short sale approval.  I wish I lived in that world…don’t you? 4. Another gem involved a complete misinterpretation of the Service Members Civil Relief Act.  The SCRA, if you’re not familiar with it, basically says, “Hey, let’s not thank the people out there defending our country by foreclosing on them while they’re on active duty”.  A great idea I grant you but it has absolutely nothing to do with these homeowners, neither of whom has ever been in the Service.  Among the paperwork sent when one is being foreclosed upon is a notice to appear in court by a certain date if you are eligible for, and wish to invoke, the protection of this Act.  Somehow he read this form and came up with the idea that all they had to do was show up in court with a listing agreement by a certain date and the foreclosure would be stopped. I swear, I am not making this up!!!  Fortunately for these homeowners, I was able to stop the foreclosure (yes, even without an offer).  We were then able to list the property and I was able to successfully facilitate the short sale! So, what are some of the things you should watch out for when hiring a real estate agent to market your property and facilitate a short sale? Here are three important things to look for. 1.  A good agent should be proficient in accurately pricing properties.  If an agent shows up with a “CMA” (Comparative Market Analysis) that consists of 27 pages of marketing fluff, an MLS generated list of every property in town that even vaguely resembles yours (i.e., it has a roof, at least four exterior walls and a front door), capped off by a $20,000 range in which your property might sell…show them quickly to the door.  This person clearly has no idea how to establish market value.  Properly establishing value is an absolute must to get any property sold today and it is critical in a short sale situation.  Even if you are not in financial distress, incorrectly pricing your property to start with in today’s market will cause you to lose money in the end. 2.  A good agent should be able to guide you through filling out the myriad forms that will be required by your lender.  If the agent does not have a clear idea of the information you’ll have to provide and the paperwork you’ll have to fill out, indeed, if the agent does not bring a set with them…move on. 3.  A good agent should be knowledgeable enough about the various lender short sale requirements to help you negotiate a solid, enforceable contract that has a good chance of being approved.  If the agent thinks it’s a good idea to just push every contract that comes down the road over to your lender…walk away.  If the agent thinks they have to submit every offer…run away.  This agent doesn’t understand the difference between an REO (bank owned property) and a short sale. If you need help with a Short Sale in Southern New Hampshire or Northern Massachusetts, call me at 603-490-5344 for a confidential consultation. View article   Joy Baker 2011-11-07T12:52:00+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/luxury-market-in-new-england-trends-higher-over-national-average/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/luxury-market-in-new-england-trends-higher-over-national-average/#When:14:17:38Z By RE/MAX of New England - Last updated: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 According to the RE/MAX of New England Luxury Housing Report, the high-end price point in many of New England’s Top 15 Luxury Markets showed steadily increasing prices and offered fewer days on market than the national average, this quarter. Certain towns in Fairfield County, CT including Greenwich and New Canaan are still struggling to bounce back and with inventory and prices on the decline, theses towns continue to be a prime opportunity for luxury buyers. “It’s a positive sign to see most of New England’s top 15 luxury towns slowly recovering with the rest of the New England market. While we expect to see bumps along the way, especially as we move into the winter season, we are hopeful that this important housing segment will continue to experience positive signs of recovery ” said RE/MAX of New England Executive Vice President Jay Hummer Click here for report RE/MAX New England 2011-10-26T14:17:38+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/home-sales-increase-in-new-england-for-the-third-consecutive-month/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/home-sales-increase-in-new-england-for-the-third-consecutive-month/#When:13:01:38Z By RE/MAX of New England - Last updated: Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 By Jay Hummer, EVP and Regional Director, RE/MAX of New England The RE/MAX of New England September Monthly Housing Report shows a steady increase of 3.5% in home sales across New England over September 2010. This also represents the third straight month of sales increases. Massachusetts was the only state in the region to show a decrease, of -2.1%, in sales. Overall pricing remains slightly down over this time last year, at -2.2%. Massachusetts and Vermont were the only states in the region to show an increase in price of 2.9% and 6.4% respectively, from September 2010. “We’re pleased to see continued momentum for the third consecutive month,” said Jay Hummer, Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of New England. “The market continues to experience a slow, steady recovery and with inventory down, we hope to see prices start to rise as well.” Click here for report RE/MAX Insight 2011-10-20T13:01:38+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/a-word-of-caution-to-my-realtor-colleagues-and-to-home-sellers/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/a-word-of-caution-to-my-realtor-colleagues-and-to-home-sellers/#When:21:39:52Z This is a SCAM ALERT to my Realtor colleagues and to Home Sellers: I’d recently corresponded a few times with an apparent buyer from Japan, who requested assistance to find a home in Manchester NH.  Yesterday he emailed me that he had selected one of the listings and that he and his wife would like to close on November 25th 2011.  He requested that I recommend a local attorney to act as his escrow agent in the sale.  He provided his legal name as Kominami Mosato and his wifes names is Esaki Mosato, and his address 120 Blvd St. Joseph O, Montreal QC, Canada, H2T 2P6. He wrote: “Haven gone through all listings and property datas sent by you, its with graet pleaseure to inform you that we were able to agree to an ideal and financially reasonable property as indicated however I will like to offer the sum of $330,000 for this property at [removed it for the homeowner’s sake] Mls# [removed by me] because I love the curb appeal of this property, please send me the contract for me to sign and return immediately this will be my retirement home and it will be a cash buy.  Please forward me a purchase contract agreement in DocuSign format…”  When I Googled the Canada address, I learned this was a scam:  http://blog.lorinczipal.com/2010/02/01/internet-scams-emotive-marketing/ With a bit further research I became aware that this is scam has been increasing nation-wide and has caused some damage to others!  The fraudsters provide proof of funds, certified bank checks and IDs all bogus.  In Sarasota they apparently require wired funds now from buyers out of the area.  Mike Payne, a Realtor in Sarasota FL reports:  Some real estate agents convinced property owners whose houses they were selling to move out in anticipation of a closing.  Some escrow agents (incl. some attorneys) released earnest money (good faith) deposit before clearing funds first.  Scammers now are branching out to target FSBOs for sale by owners who are less informed and fixated on selling.  Sellers who represent their own homes often don’t see the scam coming.  http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/  Please be vigilant!  This is a nation-wide scam that does not appear to be letting up.  Best regards to you, Phyllis Brown Steve and I work together as the Brown Home Selling Team.  Our philosophy is that when you buy a home or sell a home, it’s not just about a house … it’s about your life.  Please call if you’d like more information or to arrange a confidential consultation; or visit us at http://www.SteveBrownSellsHomes.com.  The Browns 2011-10-16T21:39:52+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/another-1-re-max-tops-2011-franchise-rankings/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/another-1-re-max-tops-2011-franchise-rankings/#When:13:58:00Z RE/MAX is the highest ranked real estate franchise in the 2011 Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Systems report. Here are the real estate results as published in the October edition of Franchise Times magazine. The annual rankings are based primarily on worldwide sales volume. COMPANY  2011 Ranking   2010    2009 1. RE/MAX           15               12         12 2. Coldwell Banker     26               25         17 3. Prudential           36               —        — 4. Keller Williams     44               41         49 5. Century 21         56               46         47 6. Sotheby’s International 94           110         354 7. Real Living Real Estate 153         —          — The top five overall are McDonald’s, 7-11, KFC, Subway and Burger King. The full report will be released soon as a download at http://www.franchisetimes.com.  RE/MAX Insight 2011-10-11T13:58:00+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/re-max-insight-welcomes-bette-rich-marceau-to-the-team/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/re-max-insight-welcomes-bette-rich-marceau-to-the-team/#When:13:20:44Z RE/MAX Insight is pleased to announce that Rich and Bette Marceau have joined our Seabrook Beach team and have a focus on seacoast properties most notably in the Hampton, Seabrook and Salisbury areas.  Rich has been actively selling real estate since 1986.  He is licensed by the State of New Hampshire for Real Estate Sales and by the State of Massachusetts for Real Estate Sales. He is a member of the National Association of Realtors, a member of the New Hampshire Board of Realtors, and a member of the Seacoast Board of Realtors. Bette has been actively selling real estate since 2002. She is licensed by the State of New Hampshire as a Broker.  She is a member of the National Association of Realtors, a member of the New Hampshire Board of Realtors, and a member of the Seacoast Board of Realtors. You can reach them at: Bette (603) 997-1599 (cell), Rich (603) 944-1321 (cell); and at bette.marceau@gmail.com   RE/MAX Insight 2011-09-29T13:20:44+00:00 http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/homes-sales-increase-across-new-england-despite-artificial-stimulus/ http://www.remax-insight.com/blog/article/homes-sales-increase-across-new-england-despite-artificial-stimulus/#When:14:16:01Z By RE/MAX of New England - Last updated: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 By Jay Hummer, EVP and Regional Director, RE/MAX of New England August brought both high temperatures and strong transactions in New England. Total transactions increased 2.3% vs. July 2011 for the second straight month, and year-over-year transactions also increased 8.9%. Vermont and Massachusetts were the only states in the region to experience a decrease in transactions; median prices were down only slightly at -2.1% from July 2011. “We’re pleased to see an increase in transactions in August without any artificial stimulus,” said Jay Hummer, Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of New England. “Although the housing recovery will continue to hit bumps along the way, it is slowly returning despite tighter lending because of continued low interest rates.” Click here for report RE/MAX Insight 2011-09-21T14:16:01+00:00