Archive for July, 2006

Builder/Developer Team Wanted

Monday, July 17th, 2006

HGTV is looking for a builder/developer team to design and construct the 2008 HGTV Dream Home for the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway. The annual sweepstakes drew almost 54 million entries in 2006. HGTV Dream Home criteria: The developer/builder/architect team must either fully or substantially subsidize construction of the home, including land/lot, permits and fees. The [...]

Jefferson County, WA: Median Home Prices Increasing

Thursday, July 13th, 2006

Located in western Washington state, Jefferson County’s real estate market is returning to “normal”. However, home prices are escalating making it difficult for many locals to find affordable housing. For example, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research reported that the typical family in Jefferson County in 1998 earned approximately 97% of the income required [...]

Southern LA Real Estate Market Smokin’

Thursday, July 13th, 2006

The Acadiana housing market is sizzilin’, but demand for more affordable homes could send more buyers looking outside the region. That’s the opinion of local real estate officials for Aradiana – the 22-parish Cajun homeland of Southern Louisiana. Home sales in Acadiana from January through June this year have increased 18.5% over the same period [...]

Housing Market Remains on Track

Wednesday, July 12th, 2006

Despite various “sky is falling” and “the market is experiencing a major correction” type news reports, two organizations are now projecting a positive outlook for the housing industry in 2006. David Lereah, the NAR’s chief economist thinks the housing market is showing signs of stabilizing and will even-out just below present levels. Overall, the NAR [...]

Normalcy Returns to Southern Oregon

Tuesday, July 11th, 2006

After experiencing four years of a really strong real estate market, things are returning to “normal” in southern Oregon. Jackson County, which borders California to the south and is surrounded by the majestic Cascade and Siskiyou Mountain ranges, remains optimistic. Even though the number of real estate transactions are down, median sale prices continue to [...]

TX: Slight Dip, Not Plunge Expected

Monday, July 10th, 2006

Experts watching new home building in the Dallas-Fort Worth region believe the market will remain strong in 2006. While a slight pullback is expected, the majority opinion is that market sales will remain strong coming in close to what it did in 2005. However, inventories are starting to build. Experts advise that homebuilders may want [...]

FL: Cautious Optimism

Friday, July 7th, 2006

A recent survey by the Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund shows that 58% of Florida homeowners think the value of their homes will continue to rise over the next 12 months. Additional information gathered from the survey: 71% say affordability is the biggest obstacle to homeownership 43 % still believe its a good time to buy [...]

Manhattan: Prices Up, Sales Down

Thursday, July 6th, 2006

The Manhattan Market Overview report shows that the average sales price of Manhattan condos and co-ops rose 6.6% from the first quarter to the second quarter, and increased 5.2% compared to second-quarter 2005. However, sales dropped 3.5% from the first quarter to second quarter and dropped 14.8% compared to second-quarter 2005. For a detailed breakdown [...]

Predicting Where Prices Will Fall

Wednesday, July 5th, 2006

PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. released its U.S. Market Risk Index this week. This index identifies which metropolitan markets are likely to experience declines in housing prices. A score of 100 means the area has a 10% chance its home prices will decline over the next two years. Higher scores mean a greater risk of home-price [...]

Real Estate Ownership: Is It Out of Reach for Many?

Monday, July 3rd, 2006

Data from the National Association of Realtors indicates that home prices are up 52% since 2000, to a record high median price of $130,800 in the first quarter of 2006. Since 2000, the cost of a home has more than doubled in over 30 major metro areas, including Washington, D.C., Atlantic City,, New York, Las [...]