Daily Brentwood TN Real Estate for sale

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

20 minutes from Hospitals West Nashville

Laura Dickenson

Keller Williams

9175 Carothers Pkwy, Suite 110

Cool Springs TN 37027

615-400-8100 ~ 615-778-1818

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Fabulous Franklin under $400,000

Franklin Homes for Sale

Laura Dickenson

Keller Williams, The DickensonGroup

9175 Carothers Parkway, Suite 110

Franklin TN 37067

615-400-8100 ~ 615-778-1818

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Monday, March 12, 2012

This Month in Real Estate - March Edition

Keller Williams Click here to view this email in a web browser.

Laura Dickenson

http://laura.thedickensongroup.com
laura@thedickensongroup.com

(615)778-1818 (Office)

Keller Williams - Franklin, TN
9175 Carothers Parkway #110
Franklin, TN 37067

March 2012 Market Update

Opportunities in the housing market continue to grow for buyers and sellers. Home affordability, driven mostly by record low interest rates, is among the lowest it has ever been. According to the National Association of Realtors, and based on national averages, the payments on a home today represent 12.8% of the median household income. This is both a good sign for those looking to purchase a home, and for the economy overall as consumers are keeping more money in their pockets.

If you're a seller, the housing market shows signs of transitioning from a buyers' market to a more balanced one. This means that home owners should start to see prices stabilize and begin to grow, presenting more favorable opportunities for those looking to sell their homes. In regards to the number of homes on the market, a key indicator of the health of the housing market, Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said, "The broad inventory condition can be described as moving into a rough balance, not favoring buyers or sellers."

With continuing job creation, the improving housing sector, and signs that the banks are beginning to lend more, 2012 looks to offer promising opportunities to both those looking to buy or sell a home.

Source: National Association of Realtors

This Month's Video

Interest Rates

The most powerful indicator of home affordability, interest rates on mortgage loans, was down again in January. The national average for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 3.92%, down 0.04% from the month before, and down nearly an entire percentage point (0.84%) from a year ago. These historically low rates, coupled with today's home prices, represent an incredible opportunity for home buyers.

Home Sales

Home sales were up 4.3% in January from December 2011 to 4.57 million (seasonally adjusted), and this is up from 0.7% from the year before. The steady increase in home sales over the last few months is positive encouragement for a continued housing recovery. Lawrence Yun said, "The uptrend in home sales is in line with all of the underlying fundamentals– pent-up household formation [lack of new home construction], record-low mortgage interest rates, bargain home prices, sustained job creation, and rising rents."

Home Price

Adding to home affordability in January, the median home price was down 2% from a year ago, to $154,700. While prices are still declining, foreclosed and other distressed properties, which have been putting downward pressure on home prices, are being moved more efficiently off the market, and default rates on home mortgage payments for the past three years are among the lowest in history.

Inventory

As sales increase with a growing demand for homes, the inventory of properties for sale fell 0.4% to 2.31 million, or a 6.1-month supply at the current sales level. This is down from a 6.4-month supply in December 2011. Historically, a 6-month supply has meant that the housing sector is balanced–favoring neither buyers' nor sellers'.

Preparing to Sell

Preparing your home for sale can seem daunting, but these tips will help you get the best price in the least amount of time.

1. Organizing and cleaning are crucial when prepping a home for sale. Potential homebuyers have a more positive reaction to a home that is clutter-free and that gives them the feeling it is "move-in ready."

2. Determine replacement estimates before listing your home, even if you are not planning on making the replacements yourself. This information can help buyers make informed decisions.

3. Have your warranties ready—especially for home appliances that will stay with the home after the sale.

4. Curb appeal is a crucial factor because it determines first impressions. A poor first impression can cloud their entire opinion about the home.

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

Brought to you by KW Research. For additional graphs and details, please see the This Month in Real Estate PowerPoint Report.
The opinions expressed in This Month in Real Estate are intended to supplement opinions on real estate expressed by local and national media, local real estate agents and other expert sources. You should not treat any opinion expressed on This Month in Real Estate as a specific inducement to make a particular investment or follow a particular strategy, but only as an expression of opinion. Keller Williams Realty, Inc., does not guarantee and is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information, and provides said information without warranties of any kind. All information presented herein is intended and should be used for educational purposes only. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. All investments involve some degree of risk. Keller Williams Realty, Inc., will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in This Month in Real Estate.

This email was sent by Laura Dickenson of Keller Williams - Franklin, TN
9175 Carothers Parkway #110 Franklin, TN , 37067

If you do not want to receive any more communications from Laura Dickenson, please click here to unsubscribe.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Real Efficiency

Keller Williams Click here to view this email in a web browser.

Laura Dickenson
http://laura.thedickensongroup.com
laura@thedickensongroup.com
(615)778-1818 (Office)

Keller Williams - Franklin, TN
9175 Carothers Parkway #110
Franklin, TN 37067

Whether saving money or saving the planet is the motivation, there are thousands of simple "green"
choices we can each make in our lives, and our homes, that will provide for a healthier, wealthier,
more sustainable future.

Here are some quick tips to help you conserve water, energy (and money) in your home!*

If you don't have it in your budget to upgrade to a low-flow or dual–flush toilet, put a brick or full 2-liter bottle in your toilet tank. These will take up volume and help you save water every time you flush!
Turn down the temperature on your hot-water heater by at least 2 degrees and wrap your unit in a blanket.
Replace your burned-out incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs. Simply swapping out the most commonly used incandescent bulbs in your home can save you $60 to $100 a year.

Call me if you're interested in learning more efficiency-boosting changes for your home!

And as always, when you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling real estate,
I'm here to help!

Sincerely,

Laura Dickenson

*Information from the pages of A Keller Williams Realty Guide: Green Your Home.

Each Office is Independently
Owned and Operated

This email was sent by Laura Dickenson of Keller Williams - Franklin, TN
9175 Carothers Parkway #110 Franklin, TN , 37067

If you do not want to receive any more communications from Laura Dickenson, please click here to unsubscribe.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

This Month in Real Estate - February Edition

Keller Williams Click here to view this email in a web browser.

Laura Dickenson

http://laura.thedickensongroup.com
laura@thedickensongroup.com

(615)778-1818 (Office)

Keller Williams - Franklin, TN
9175 Carothers Parkway #110
Franklin, TN 37067

February 2012 Market Update

2012 is off to a promising start. Mortgage rates continue to drop and have remained under 4% for nearly two months. Home sales are strengthening and pending home sales, a measure to gauge future sales, are at their highest levels since March 2010.

Job growth has been increasing for most of 2011, with unemployment dropping to 8.4%. As more people are getting jobs, consumer confidence has also been increasing. However, underemployment continues to be a problem for a stronger recovery. The underemployment rate is 18.1%, and there are still a significant number of people working part time, who would like to have full-time work.

Even with substantial national improvements, this continues to be a "one neighborhood at a time" recovery. Payroll jobs were up in 25 states, but down in 24, demonstrating the delicate state of the U.S. economy. Global factors such as the European debt crisis are also complicating a more robust recovery. Strong guidance is needed from local and global leaders to continue this growth, as well as allow for business to maintain momentum toward building and expanding upon the opportunities that exist.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Association of Realtors

This Month's Video

Interest Rates

Another slight drop for mortgage rates as they continue to set historically low records. With homes being so affordable and the economy continuing its recovery, home prices are stabilizing, as increased sales are expected. NAR President Moe Veissi stated, "The American dream of home ownership is alive and well. We have a large pent-up demand, and household formation is likely to return to normal as the job market steadily improves. More buyers coming into the market mean additional benefits for the overall economy. When people buy homes, they stimulate a lot of related goods and services."

Home Sales

Existing home sales continued their rise, up 5% in December, to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.61 million. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR, said, "The pattern of home sales in recent months demonstrates a market in recovery. Record-low mortgage interest rates, job growth, and bargain home prices are giving more consumers the confidence they need to enter the market."

Home Price

Homes prices for December were down 2.6% from a year ago, at a median price of $164,500. One factor contributing to lower prices has been the high level of distressed properties being sold. In December, these properties began to show signs of price stabilization and increase. Foreclosures were selling at 22%, a 2% increase from a year ago, and average prices for short sales prices had risen by 3%.

Inventory

The housing inventory dropped 9.2% in December to a 6.2-month supply, or 2.38 million homes, at the current level of sales. These are the lowest inventory levels of homes for sale since March of 2005. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR, said, "The inventory supply suggests many markets will see prices stabilize or grow moderately in the near future."

7 Tips for Buyers

Interest rates at favorable levels and a good selection of homes provide an opportunity for buyers. Here are a few things to for buyers to keep in mind:

1. Know what you can afford before you fall in love with your dream home.

2. Consider additional expenses that come with owning a home like property tax, insurance, and repairs.

3. Be flexible on the little things. It would be wonderful to find a home with everything you want, but those are hard to come by – distinguish nice-to-haves and must-haves early.

4. Have imagination and look beyond paint colors, wallpaper, or other easy and affordable things you can change.

5. Don't compromise on the big things, such as enough bedrooms to accommodate additions to the family or space for an office if you work from home.

6. Always inspect even if the surface looks great; it's important to know if anything major is wrong and what it will cost to fix.

7. Think about the future in regard to the neighborhoods, surroundings, schools, and developments.

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

This email was sent by Laura Dickenson of Keller Williams - Franklin, TN
9175 Carothers Parkway #110 Franklin, TN , 37067

If you do not want to receive any more communications from Laura Dickenson, please click here to unsubscribe.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

This Month in Real Estate - January Edition

Keller Williams Click here to view this email in a web browser.

Laura Dickenson

http://laura.thedickensongroup.com
laura@thedickensongroup.com

(615)778-1818 (Office)

Keller Williams - Franklin, TN
9175 Carothers Parkway #110
Franklin, TN 37067

January 2012 Market Update

2012 shows signs of an improving housing market as the U.S. economy continues its forward-moving yet slow road to recovery. Although there are economists projecting housing prices will decline further, aided by distressed property sales that sell at a greater discount, these prices are expected to rebound considerably later in the year and continue into 2013.

Factors that continue to impede a speedier recovery in the housing are consumer confidence, job-growth uncertainty, and tough lending standards that keep many otherwise qualified buyers from financing a home purchase. However, consumer confidence may be showing signs of improvement according to a report released by Fannie Mae on December 7, which revealed that consumer sentiment toward home prices is stabilizing and that, for the first time in six months, more people believe that prices will soon begin to rise. This is an encouraging development, as much of our economic vitality depends upon the overall confidence of the consumer, and could trigger even stronger home sales as more people feel confident that prices will go up.

As the new year begins, many consumers appear to be in a holding pattern, waiting to see how the economy reacts to the different demands both here and abroad. Yet with steadily increasing sales and record-breaking affordability, now is the time to take advantage of these opportunities to buy or sell a home.

Sources: Fiserv, Fannie Mae

This Month's Video

Interest Rates

Mortgage rates continued to push historic lows in November, dropping another .08 points, to 3.99% for a 30-year fixed mortgage. "Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages have been at or below 4 percent for the last eight weeks and now are almost 0.9 percentage points below where they were at the beginning of the year, which means that today's homebuyers are paying over $1,200 less per year on a $200,000 loan," said Frank Nothaft, Vice President of Freddie Mac.

Home Sales

Sales among existing homes rose in November by a seasonally adjusted 4%, to 4.42 million units up from 4.25 million in October, and are 12.2 percent above last year at this time. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR said, "Sales reached the highest mark in 10 months and are 34 percent above the cyclical low point in mid-2010 – a genuine sustained sales recovery appears to be developing."

Home Price

While median home prices in November rose to $164,200 from $162,500 in October, they are down 3.5% from a year ago. David Stiff, chief economist at Fiserv, stated, "Housing affordability has improved dramatically because of declines in both prices and mortgage interest rates. The monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced single-family home is now $700, compared to $1,140 in 2006—a decline of nearly 40%." (Based on 2011 Q2 figures)

Inventory

With increased levels of sales, the inventory of homes on the market continued to decrease, falling by 5.8% in November to 2.58 million homes available for sale, or an equivalent of a seven month supply at the current sales pace. This positive sign of increasing sales and lower inventories are keeping the housing market on track for stabilizing home prices and a stronger housing sector.

Buyer/Seller Tip

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to sell your home, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Although the traditional home-buying season starts in the spring, here are some reasons why listing your home now, rather than waiting, could prove to be a smart decision.

On average, the number of home sales in January drops almost by half from the previous year's peak. A house that is priced right and staged well will stand out even more with less competition.

Lenders, home inspectors, movers, and other vendors also see a seasonal dip in transactions. This could mean a quicker, easier, and possibly cheaper time to buy, sell, and move.

Even if you're not ready quite yet, now is a great time to start the conversation with your local real estate agent. He or she can give you pointers on which repairs and preparations to tackle first, and which ones may not be necessary, saving you time and money. Starting now can help you capture the most buyers by busy season.

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.