Archives for October 2011

2012 Housing Market Forecast

by

The question most real estate investors often ask is, “Where do I invest now?”

As always, there are local housing markets around the country where homes are affordable, the underlying economy is strong, and appreciation is imminent.  These are markets you should consider for your next long-term real estate investment.

Norada Real Estate Investments tracks the economic conditions and real estate trends of nearly 400 markets across the country.  Because of the dynamic nature of real estate market conditions, we continually monitor and rank the top markets to make it easier for you, as an investor, to concentrate on the areas that will give you the greatest opportunity for success.

While you might be inclined to look for bargains in areas that have seen the largest price corrections in the past, watch out – there is no guarantee that home prices in areas of high speculation will ever rebound to boom levels.

Unlike the stock market, local real estate markets usually move in slow, predictable cycles. Appreciation is not luck or magic. It correlates closely with economic development and population growth in a local market.

If you missed out on Phoenix, Vegas and Florida (or if you rode those waves and know what it's about), download the current issue of our free report.

Download your free copy of the 2012 Housing Market Forecast Today!

Real Estate Resurgence Could Mark Early Months of 2012

by

In the third quarter of 2011, nationwide statistics from the real estate market have revealed numerous indicators that multiple markets may hit a resurgence in the early months of 2012. Home building projects have increased, as well as mortgage applications with rates lowering.

States across middle America have proved to be retaining the strongest numbers as areas such as Texas and Oklahoma cities have continued to stay afloat with job creation. Not all markets are hitting a full rebound; instead they are achieving small improvements in different categories that have an influence over the total market.

[Read more…]

Book Review: Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy

by

Time management is an issue for many on both a personal and professional level. Author Brian Tracy makes it clear that the important piece of time management and prioritizing is not completing every task (because you never will!) but rather finding the most challenging tasks and getting those done first.

The title of the book comes from an old Mark Twain quote, saying that if the first thing you do is eat a frog, you will do nothing worse the rest of the day. Tracy likens the frog in this quote to the main priority that must be completed each day. And if there are two equally-important tasks, eat the uglier frog, or complete the task that seems most daunting or difficult first.

Once “the frog” has been eaten, the rest of the day will run much smoother.

[Read more…]

How to Lower Your Property Taxes

by

Half of all homeowners may be paying too much.  Here's what you can do about it.

Home prices are still going down in many markets. But your property-tax bill might well be going up.

The good news: There are ways to fight back.

Property taxes across the U.S. have increased by nearly 20% from 2005 to 2009, the most recent data available, according to an April study by the National Association of Home Builders. The median annual real-estate-tax payment was $1,917 in 2009, up from $1,614 in 2005.

Over the same period, home prices in major urban centers fared badly, decreasing 31%, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Index.

Property taxes don't move in lockstep with home values because local governments typically don't measure values every year and some have limits on annual property-tax increases, says Natalia Siniavskaia, a housing-policy economist at the home-builders group. That means your current property taxes might reflect your home's value when the market was healthier. Property-tax adjustments lag behind changes in home prices by an average of three years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

[Read more…]

The New Real Estate Boom

by

Home prices and sales may be flat, but the rental industry is booming. The percentage of renters is on the rise, the number of households is increasing, and more Americans are downsizing, all of which point in a single direction: rents are on the rise.

At the peak of the housing boom, home ownership in America reached an all-time high at 69.2%. Today that number has plummeted to fewer than 67%, which may not sound like a huge drop, but that represents roughly 3 million households that were owner-occupied and are now tenant-occupied.

The high foreclosure rate has accelerated the transition toward leasing, but there are a myriad of other trends coalescing to boost demand for rental housing.

[Read more…]