Housing Trends, First Time Homebuyers

Happy New Year, friends! We start 2012 with a look at first time home buyers. Where would they like to live? The results are in and it's no surprise that 78% said "near shops and services." The top 7 are listed here:


1. Shops and services (78%)

2. Their job (75%)

3. In a very good school district (66%)

4. Parks and other open spaces (61%)

5. Family and/or relatives (61%)

6. Restaurants, nightlife and other activities (51%)

7. Easy access to public transportation (45%)

Take a look at this infograph for more interesting information. Click here for an enlarged version.


~~From Tennessee Title

You can reach me at 615-777-4663 (HOME) or email me at George.Margrave@migonline.com . 

Home Sales Show Increase

Sales in Middle Tennessee grew by more than 20 per cent over 2010. There were 1502 single-family homes sold which is a gain of 21.4%. It was the 6th consecutive month that home sales topped their year-ago levels. People who haven't had confidence are now starting to move forward.

According to the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors single-family homes purchases for the entire year grew 1.5% over 2010 to reach 17,192 properties. It was the first time since 2006 that annual home sales rose for the year.

Williamson County saw an 8.4% increase. Median prices in both counties were slightly lower. The median price for the year was around $167,000 down about 1 per cent. Pending sales were up 23% which is a great sign of future growth

If you have been waiting on the economy, it may be time to get moving. Call George at 615-777-4663.

Give the Gift of Charity this Holiday Season!

It's a Snap with THE GOOD CARD® - a Gift Card for Charity

Network for Good has a fresh angle on gifting this holiday season: The Good Card® - a gift card for charity - is perfect for everyone on your list. Good Cards have a stored value that can be redeemed as a donation to any of more than 1.2 million charities based in the US. Good Cards can be distributed via email or physical mail, or can be private labeled to meet your brand needs. Learn more at Network for Good.

A gift card for charity is an ideal reward for employees or thank you gift for customers and vendors that links their passion for a cause to your company's brand. A new study by researchers from Harvard Business School, the University of British Columbia and the University of Liege that was recently highlighted in the Washington Post confirms that a bonus employees get to spend on others is more motivating than a bonus they get to spend on themselves. A Good Card recipient can redeem their gift card as a donation to any of more than a million nonprofits, an easy way for employees to share their personal rewards with others.

Good Card purchases, including fees, are tax-deductible to your company and are a creative way to spend funds earmarked for philanthropy. In addition, because Good Card purchases are charitable donations, they do not fall under the IRS gift limit or policies around corporate gifts with cash value. Network for Good's charity gift card program is turn-key, customizable and easy to implement - even at the last minute. The program is recommended for any company looking to put a special spin on their gift-giving this year. What's more, the person GIVING the gift (i.e., the card purchaser) gets the benefit of a tax advantage for charitable donations as well.

The Good Card is a creative and constructive way to honor partners and prospects, friends and neighbors during the holiday season and throughout the year. Visit Network for Good for more details.

Remember you can always reach me at 615-777-4663 or via email at george.margrave@migonline.com
 
Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!

HUD $100 Down Homes

HUD is offering their foreclosed homes for $100 down until October 2012:

 

• Here is the deal
• It is only for HUD foreclosed properties
• You must use a HUD registered real estate broker or agent (If you need a referral we can help)
• You must qualify for and use FHA financing 
• You must be an “owner occupant”
• The $100 down payment program must be on the executed contract (specifically requested)
• HUD will pay up to 3% for closing costs
• 203K loans are eligible
• The homes are sold in “as is” condition

Please contact us if you have more questions George or Stephanie at 777-4663 (HOME) or email at George.Margrave@migonline.com or Stephanie.Holland@migonline.com .

 

New THDA Aquisition Limits

Last week we were notified by THDA (Tennessee Housing Development Agency ) that the acquisition limit for Davidson County MSA has been raised to $275,000. That means the first time buyers (defined as borrowers who have not had a marital interest in a home in three years) can buy a home up to $275,000. With our help the transaction can be structured with little to no cash needed by the borrower. That particular program has rates so low that the mortgage payment will very likely be less than rent. Also, do you know how nice the home that you get for $275,000 might be? Why would you be paying rent?


Just saying. That’s all.

Should you have any qeustions or need help with any of this, please feel free to contact me at my office, 615-777-4663 (HOME), my cell 615-481-4656 (LOAN) or via email at George.Margrave@migonline.com
  

Cash On Hand?

Today's topic is cash and miscellaneous deposits to your bank account. When processing a loan, it is an issue.


And you say how can that be a problem? When an underwriter looks at a bank statement and sees deposits that are not payroll they have to find out where it came from. They worry that it is unreported income which is a problem on loans with income limits such as THDA, or they worry that there is an unreported obligation, so you can save yourself a lot of aggravation if you have cash and can't document it by not putting it in your account. If you are going to need it to make your down payment, we need to address it. Call me for insight.

Should you have any questions or need help with any of this, please feel free to contact me at my office at 615-777-4663, my cell phone at 615-481-5626 or via email at George.margrave@migonline.com .

What is the rate today?

Every day we get these calls that start out with “what is the rate”? After discussing the situation it becomes apparent that they have found something like 2.875% interest on the internet somewhere. But no one told them how much the points and closing cost would be. If you pay enough you can buy almost anything. And if they get a little further in the process, they are asked to send their personal information to “who knows where”. The company may not even have a retail address. So when something goes wrong who can they talk to?


Or which person suddenly has all that personal information? ID Theft anyone?

I’m just sayin…………..

Remember you can always reach me via email at George.Margrave@migonline.com via telephone at 615-777-4663 or visit my website at http://www.mignashville.com/ I am more than happy to speak with you.