Friday, February 22, 2008

January 1999

Your REALTOR®
Bonnie Fagoh
January 1999
Copyright©1998 Real Times.All Rights Reserved.
December Roundup The year ended mostly on a high note for the real estate business -- whether you are a homeowner, buyer, Realtor® or builder -- and predictions for 1999 say although it will be a great one, the industry may have peaked in 1998.
Low mortgage rates and unemployment are keeping the American home-building and home selling industries going at record paces even as other industries struggle to cope with fallout from world financial problems.
"The healthy housing economy continues as was shown in the rise in sales of new homes in November, along with the upward revision of September's figures," said Robert Van Order, chief economist for Freddie Mac. "Although a slow down in the booming housing market is imminent, it will be a slowing from record levels, and it is fully expected that the industry will remain vigorous in the year to come."
Mortgage Rates
National averages as of Thu. December 31, 1998:30 yr. fixed: 6.67% Averages Defined 15 yr. fixed: 6.32% Compare the Cost1 yr. adj: 5.65% State Averages
Mortgage rates fluctuating under 7 percent since mid-June have helped keep home sales strong, as has an unemployment rate below 5 percent.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo said new-home sales this year should total around 870,000, up 8 percent from last year's 804,000 and easily breaking the old record, 819,000, set in 1977.
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How good are your schools?Free School Snapshot From 2001
Pre-Approval Versus Pre-Qualification: Is There A Difference? What's the difference between someone who is "pre-approved" for a loan and someone who is "pre-qualified?" Is one better than the other? And if so, how?
In general terms, the idea behind pre-qualifying is this: You're a home buyer. You do not have enough money to buy for cash (do not be distressed, this makes you absolutely normal). The result: Your ability to buy depends on your ability to borrow, so it makes sense to speak with lenders before looking at houses to check your mortgage power and consider which loan program might be best for you.
So, lender Jones offers to "pre-qualify" you while Lender Smith has a "pre-approval" program. Which is better?
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Protecting Your Family From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning According to the United States EPA, carbon monoxide poisoning represents a silent, but very real, killer. The colorless, odorless gas is found as a result of "incomplete" combustion. People become ill when their heaters are not properly vented or are broken, when their automobile is allowed to run in a confined space, when indoor appliances such as gas ovens and dryers operate improperly, and in other similar ways.
When victims inhale carbon monoxide, the gas enters into their bloodstream and replaces life sustaining oxygen. Carbon monoxide imitates oxygen, thereby fooling the victim's body into thinking that there is no problem. This continues while the victim becomes sicker and sicker.
Carbon monoxide mimics the behavior of oxygen without providing its benefits. It is transported through the body and rather than feeding body organs, it cruelly starves them. Because the body needs even more oxygen, the victim's heart rate increases, which brings on poisoning at a more rapid pace. As poisoning continues,
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What Sellers Should NEVER Say to Buyers The door bell rings, you grasp the knob, and throw one last glance around. As your daughter quickly puts the vacuum cleaner away, you open the door with a big smile. There stands an agent and prospective buyers.
" Hi! ... How are you?... Come In." You say.
Those are probably the last three unsolicited comments that should pass your lips for the remainder of the visit. The real estate field is littered with stories of potential sales that were killed by sellers who inadvertently uttered the wrong thing.
Before continuing, you should understand that the types of 'better left unsaid' things discussed here have nothing to do with the Seller's Disclosure Addendum, or hiding anything from a potential buyer. To the contrary, all of the suggested "DON'T SAY IT!" topics presented here are based on personal preferences. Being human, sellers often find it difficult, if not impossible, to keep from offering opinions or information that they think makes them appear credible to the buyer. Without knowing the life experiences and propensities of each buyer you see, how can you keep from opening your mouth and inserting your foot?
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Books of the Month100 Surefire Improvements to Sell Your House FasterClosets : Designing and Organizing the Personalized ClosetBe Your Own Home Decorator : Creating the Look You Love Without Spending a Fortune
More On Page 2
When Is It Time To Sell? The Empty-Nester Dilemma.
Will Realty Profits Emerge In 1999?
Capital Gains Tax Relief Is A Capital Idea
On The Right to Bear Leaf Blowers
Woe for the Unwary Looking to Refi the Mortgage
Free Property Report From RESICOM
Check Your Credit
Bonnie Fagoh E-mail: bonniefagoh@century21beggins.comWeb: www.TampaCoastalHomes.com 813-390-7606
Century 21 Beggins Enterprises813-390-76066542 U. S. Hwy. 41 N.Apollo Beach, FL 33572

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