Kentwood Real Estate - Denver, Colorado » Denver Real Estate

National Association of Realtors Reports Home Prices Stabilizing

Peter — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:48:24 +0000

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that in the first quarter of 2012, the median existing single-family home price, or final sales price, rose in 74 of the 146 metro areas (51 percent) that the association monitors.

Housing inventory levels have been shrinking across the U.S., leading to bidding wars and modest upward pressure on prices in some areas. The data reinforces a notion already asserted by many economists, real estate agents, and investors that 2012 is the year of the bottom.

This spring the More...

Home Prices Could Rise Four Percent Each if the Next Five Years; Pending Sales Increased 4.1 Percent in March

gretchen — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:47:08 +0000

Average U.S. Home Prices, down by a third since 2006, will rise almost four percent a year for the next five years, according to market watcher Fiserv, which sees prices stabilizing by summer’s end and then climbing…quickly in some places before tapering off.

The forecast is based on an analysis of leading home price indexes. Investors will drive much of the momentum, as they are now in cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix. First-time and trade-up buyers will eventually follow.

In other housing news, signed More...

Economists Say Housing Market Continues to Slowly Brighten

Dee — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:03:37 +0000

Mirroring the uneven economic recovery, the housing market is expected to move in a slow, gradual upward path in 2012, while encountering its share of speed bumps along the way, according to economists participating in a recent National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) construction forecast webinar on the housing and economic outlook.

While the latest monthly housing data have shown signs of a slight softening, NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe said this is more reflective of typical month-to-month volatility in the numbers and More...

Refinance Applications Up, Purchase Applications Down in Latest MBA Survey

Dee — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:36:41 +0000

Mortgage applications increased 6.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 13, 2012.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 6.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 6.5 percent compared with the previous week. The refinance index increased 13.5 percent from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted More...

Sales of Investment and Vacation Homes Rise Significantly in 2011

Kentwood Co. — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:27:14 +0000

Sales of investment and vacation homes rose in 2011, with the combined market share rising to the highest level since 2005, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

NAR’s 2012 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, which covers existing and new-home transactions in 2011, shows investment home sales surged an extraordinary 64.5 percent to 1.23 million last year from 749,000 in 2010. Vacation home sales rose 7.0 percent to 502,000 in 2011 from 469,000 in 2010. Owner-occupied purchases fell 15.5 percent to More...

Do You Control Your Phone or Does Your Phone Control You?

Kentwood Co. — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:37:07 +0000

We always see people talking on their cell phones and texting while driving, and it’s the majority of people on the road. In restaurants, we see people answering their phones or sending messages during business lunches or during dinner with family and friends. Some people never turn off their phone, while others get up in the middle of the night to check messages.

Are people addicted to their cell phones, and are you among them? Do you control your phone or does your phone control you?

This question was posed recently More...

Forecast Says the Home Prices Have Hit Bottom

Dee — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:22:31 +0000

Bank of America and Merrill Lynch has changed its forecast from November when it expected home prices to fall 3.5 percent in 2012. Now, it expects a modest gain of 0.5 percent, which is a good sign for the real estate business.

The firm is still forecasting a slow recovery, projecting home prices to gain 2.8 percent in 2014, which is below its prior estimate of 8.1 percent. The prediction for 2020 remains much the same, with prices recovering by 42 percent.

Inventory dropped sharply in the second half of last year, More...

January Home Sales Rise as Market Trends Upwards

gretchen — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:26:12 +0000

Pending home sales are on an upward trend, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 2.0 percent higher than January last year when it was 89.8. The data reflects contracts but not closings.

The January index is the highest since April 2010 when it reached 111.3 as buyers were rushing to take advantage of the home buyer tax credit. NAR’s chief economist said this is a hopeful indicator going into the spring home buying season. More...

Rents Keep Rising as Housing Prices Fall

Peter — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:24:32 +0000

The housing market remains challenging in many parts of the country as home prices fall and foreclosed homes dot numerous neighborhoods. But one group is doing quite well: Landlords.

Rents have been rising up to 2.4 percent in January from a year earlier, according to recent data, not adjusted for inflation, by the Labor Department. With few rental buildings built over the last few years, available units are going fast.

Nationwide, the apartment vacancy rate is down to 5.2 percent, its lowest level in more than a More...

Game on!

Judy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:07:31 +0000

The Denver real estate market is well into the first quarter, and 2012 could be a game changer. The low inventory has well priced homes positioned to receive multiple and back-up offers. Open House Season is near, let the March Madness begin.

If you are undecided on listing your home this spring take a look at a few economic projections. Heather Draper, journalist with the Denver Business Journal summarized the comments by James Paulson, Chief Investment Strategist for Wells Capital Management. In her view, he was quite optimistic More...