Saturday, May 25, 2013

More Good News!

The news continued to be good this past week and month, both for sellers and buyers, as both prices continued to climb and unemployment rates statewide and here in Marin contiued to drop.

A new jobs report brings more good news for the California economy, which will likely translate into continued improvement in our real estate markets.
April saw a large increase in construction jobs, which are now up by almost 45,000 – representing a 7.7 percent year-over-year increase, the latest report from the state Employment Development Department said. There’s also been a surge in residential permits so far in 2013.
Combined with rising Bay Area home prices, this bodes well for continued robust growth in our real estate markets — plus a promise that new inventory may soon be available. That’s good news for all the eager buyers who have tried, and failed, to win the home of their dreams due to the shortage of properties on the market.
It’ll also bring another boost to the economy through the ancillary benefits of new construction, including home-furnishing sales, increased tax revenue, and local transportation projects, said Stephen Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy.
“The strong construction reports and the importance of construction for jobs and government revenues adds importance to state and regional efforts to remove barriers to new residential construction,” Levy said.
The report also noted a sharp drop in the number of unemployed residents, down by 303,000 over the past 12 months. Overall, California’s April 2013 unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent, down from 10.7 percent a year ago. As good an improvement as the statewide rate is, Marin County continued to set the pace by a wide margin. Again posting the lowest unemployment rate of any of the state's counties, Marin had only 4.6% unemployed, a drop from both the prior month and a year ago figure. This kind of jobs performance can only bode well for buyers--they now can realistically again think about buying a home; and for sellers--with more buyer capable people, the continued pressure is certain to push prices higher. Definitely a good time to get your house listed for sale!
Irrespective of whether you are a buyer or seller, as the above info proves, you need to move as soon as possible! For any help in either area, call Peter or Jane. We'd be happy to help. Our numbers? You know them by now: Peter: (415) 279-6466; Jane: (415) 531-4091. We're expecting your call. If email is your preference, send a msg: pjrichmond@pacunion.com .

Monday, May 20, 2013

Yet Another Reason to List Your Property!

In statistics just released, the unemployment rate for Marin County dropped again! Continuing in its position as the lowest unemployment rate in the state, the rate dropped at the end of April to 4.6%--that's NOT a typo!  That's a drop of 0.6% from the end of March, 2013. Better yet, this rate is also a drop of 1.7% from a year ago's 6.3%! This latest rate is the lowest since October, 2006--a period of almost seven years! It's also well under the national unemployment rate of 7.5%.

So, what exactly does this have to do with making a decision to list your home?  Simple! People without jobs are far less likely to be able to buy a house. If the number of unemployed drops, that infers that more folks WILL be able to buy, and also be more inclined to do so. So, along with the fact that the continued scarcity of home inventory is driving prices up, along with continued near record low mortgage rates, you have an opportunity here! If you've been debating placing your home on the market, take advantage of this increase in the likely number of people who can afford to buy it. Call us for a free evaluation of your home's worth, and while you're at it, have us demonstrate how we can get you the most money in the shortest period of time for your home! You know the number(s): Peter: (415) 279-6466; Jane: (415) 531-4091.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Pacific Union Kudos

As in every industry, there are awards to go along with the rewards. The rewards are being able to help our great clients buy and sell their properties, as the need or desire may dictate. Want a new house to handle that growing family, or to move up as your career flourishes? Call us and let us help you. Downsizing, selling your present home as you buy that new dream? Again, give us a call. We'll help make the transaction simple and painless. Looking to broaden your investments by adding some real estate? We can help with that too.

Well, there are also the industry awards found in recognition by our peers as to the quality firm we associate with. Every year, the association Real Trends lists its top real estate firms nationally in a number of categories. Well, Pacific Union came out with flying colors for 2012. The firm received the following recognition for 2012:

Ø  2nd Fastest Growing Company in USA of $2 Billion in Volume or Higher.
Ø  3rd Highest Average Sales Price in USA.
Ø  5th Highest Sales Volume per Real Estate Professional in USA.
Ø  10th Fastest Growing Company in USA over $500 Million in Sales Volume.
Ø  18th Largest Company in USA by Sales Volume (24th in 2011) .
When you consider how many different real estate firms there are in the entire company, these numbers are all the more impressive. How do you get to take advantage of this quality? Easy! Just give us a call! Peter: (415) 279-6466, or Jane: (415) 531-4091. 

Friday, May 03, 2013

Banks Encouraged by Value Increase--See It Continuing

Well, I've been regularly touting the current market conditions as an excellent reason and time to list your property for sale, if you'd been debating or considering selling. It appears that the nation's lenders--the guys who'll be doing the financing for buyers--feel the same way!

With the spring home-buying season well under way, a survey of U.S. banks found that lenders are bullish on the housing recovery and confident that home prices are rising at a sustainable pace.
The survey, conducted in the first quarter of 2013 for Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO), found that 71 percent of risk managers at U.S. banks believe the rise in home prices over the past year is sustainable, and 84 percent predicted that the level of mortgage delinquencies will decrease or stay the same — a significant improvement from the previous quarter.
Also, 59 percent expect the supply of credit for residential mortgages to meet demand over the next six months.
“The latest survey results, combined with data that indicates the real estate market is improving in many regions, paint a positive picture for a sector of the economy that has been slow to join the recovery,” Andrew Jennings, chief analytics officer at FICO, said in a statement.
“Mortgage lenders have been understandably guarded over the past five years. The improvement in their sentiment should be welcome news, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see lenders cautiously expanding their mortgage and home equity lending businesses.”
FICO said the bankers’ responses were the most positive recorded since the survey’s inception three years ago.
So, if you are thinking of selling your home and taking advantage of this value trend, but don't know what your home is worth or how to get it listed and sold, give us a call! You can reach us at: Peter: (415) 279-6466; or Jane: (415) 531-4091. We look forward to hearing from you.