2012 1st Quarter Real Estate Trend

Here are some interesting Statistics for the 1st Quarter Homes sales in Mesa County.

This graph was provided by Advances Title Company as a preview to their newsletter coming out next week.


Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks! Becky Behrens

908 Kaley Street -- Open Today 10-2

Square Footage Galore! You won't believe the room inside this home. This Beautiful home has a nice open floor plan with the split bedroom design. From the large living room with vaulted ceilings to the easy to work in kitchen with plenty of storage, it feels airy and bright. There is a fourth bedroom and a full bath upstairs off of the HUGE bonus room that could, also, be used as a mother-in-law setup. Don't forget about the awesome views of the monument! There is nothing behind you to block your view from the back patio. This home is completely landscaped, is move in ready, and just waiting for your personal touch.

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks! Becky Behrens

Put Your Best Features Forward: Simple Staging Solutions

The following link has a few GREAT and EASY ideas that sellers can do to make their home appeal to buyers. The before and after pictures speek for themselves!


Put Your Best Features Forward: Simple Staging Solutions

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!Becky Behrens

Some Local Statistics for The New Year

I thought you would enjoy some statistics from last year! It has been VERY interesting to see how real estate sales are trending. Right now the inventory is low only 932 residential listings and we as agents are scrambling for good homes to list. Pricing is very important right now! Also, the average list price is $306,065.00 and they are on the market for an average of 194 days. We sold more homes in 2011, in 2011 we sold 2,394 homes and that is up from 1750 in 2010. Although that doesn't mean that the prices are increasing, in fact the average sales price is down from $210,512 in 2010 to $177,727 in 2011. The following are some more statistics by area. Thanks!

Area          Listings in 2011       Sold Listings in          Average Sales 

                Active           Sold            12/2011                   $ in 12/2011 

City              94              275                22                        $124,935      

North          121             297                 20                        $173,257      

Northeast     77             291                  20                        $155,373      

Southeast     45            304                   15                         $109,922     

Redlands   119             248                   21                        $287,112       

Orchard

Mesa           76              217                  14                        $154,260         

Fruita          84              306                  29                       $212,996          

Clifton       48               161                  17                      $93,515            

Palisade/

East OM    33                  60                   1                        $373,600         

Our brokers gave us the following statistics in our meeting this week.

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!Becky Behrens

Housing market improves, but foreclosures spoil the party

We are seeing the same trend here in Grand Junction. Our inventory is down and home sales are up, however the average price of recently sold homes is down slightly. Housing market improves, but foreclosures spoil the party Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!Becky Behrens

10 remodeling projects that pay back most

Every year Remodeling Magazine puts out a report on what remodeling projects have the most payoff. They take the price of the project versus the added value to the home, if you were to sell it now. The project htat suprised me the most was a new garage door. It isn't a very expensive project. I will testify that numurous times I have had clients comment on the older garage door that isn't moving smoothly and it beat up. It is like your front door and it makes a big impression.

10 remodeling projects that pay back most - MSN Real Estate

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks! Becky Behrens

Congress Restores FHA Loan Limits to NAR-Backed Levels

It looks like this should happen in the near future and the report states that we should go back to the previous loan limit we had prior to October of 2011. The FHA loan limit is currently $271,000 after the limit dropped from $371,000 in October of this year. This is GREAT news and will make financing easier for many of the home buyers in Mesa County. Currently our inventory is lower than is has been in 18 months.

Congress Restores FHA Loan Limits to NAR-Backed Levels

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks! Becky Behrens

As Close to a Crystal Ball as I can Get!

The following article is the closest thing I've seen to a crystal ball for the future real estate economy. I found this article very encouraging and interesting. I hope you do, as well. Just click on the following link to learn more.


Real estate price declines overshooting fundamentals?

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!Becky Behrens

Bring The Fall Season Indoors

The following link will take you to a great article about selling your home during the fall season. These are some great tips!

http://www.frontdoor.com/2UPQ03


Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks! Becky Behrens

Mesa County foreclosure filings, sales, up year-over-year | GJSentinel.com

The fact that sales are up is a good thing. Just Remember that an increase in sales doesn't mean that the sales prices have increased. If you compare the first half of this year to the first half of last year the prices have decreased, some areas more than others.

Mesa County foreclosure filings, sales, up year-over-year | GJSentinel.com

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!Becky Behrens

Foreclosure - Strategic Defaults' Can Damage Credit for Years

This is a tender subject. I know some folks feel that they have no other option, but I think it is important to know the repercussions. I'm a firm believer that the more information we have the better decisions we can make. If you are struggling to make your mortgage payments or you are already behind, it is easy to think that maybe you should just walk away. However, there are a few options out there and it is best to stay in contact with your mortgage company. You may be eligible for a loan modification or a good canidate for a short sale. Yes, both of these options will affect your credit, but not as badly or for as long as a foreclosure. Both of these options require work and diligence on your part. It is easy to feel very overwhelmed and just want to quit. Trust me during this process you will feel like throwing in the towel, but the reward for sticking with it is worth it. The Rewards are that your credit won't take as big of a hit. I know some of you feel it can't get any worse, but it can. The big picture of your credit score is that anyone who asks for your SSN can and probaly is running a credit check on you. If you refuse to give them your SSN them the various companies assign you as a person with low credit. Now, think carefully who already has or request your SSN. I can name a few - health and auto insurance, credit card companies, auto loans, banks, physicians, colleges, and employers. Not all of these entities order a credit check on you, but some do and based on your credit score they are increasing your interest rates, reducing your line of credit, cancelling you card, and increasing your insurance rates. The one that most folks don't think about is employers, depending on their parameters, low credit can hurt you from getting security clearance for some positions(especially for government positions). If you are applying for a job and you are in the running, but you have a low credit score it can hurt you. In general, all of these entities feel that if you have low credit score you are a bigger risk to them. I'm not saying this is right, however it does happen.

I know that there are a couple of you reading this now and you have tried these options, but for whatever reason these options didn't work out for you. They key is that you tried and gave it your best.

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-'Strategic Defaults' Can Damage Credit for Years

Save Money...Plant a Tree or 3

According to the US Department of Energy, three properly placed trees could save homeowners between $100-$250 a year in energy costs. Their shade cuts cooling costs in the summer and in the winter they serve as a windbreak and help hold down heating costs.

Check out the National Tree Calculator and it will tell you what each tree will save you annually by area.

You can contact your local nursery to see which trees grow best in your area.


Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!Becky Behrens

What to Look for in an Outdoor Kitchen

In Grand Junction we have a wonderful climate that allows us to utilize our outdoor kitchens most of the year. They can be great for entertaining and adding additional living space. The following article gives us some useful tips when planning an outdoor kitchen.

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-What to Look for in an Outdoor Kitchen

Foreclosures Account for 31% of Sales

This has been a problem for the people who want to sell their homes. They are having to compete with the foreclosed homes on the market. Buyers will look at the foreclosed homes and think they are getting a great deal because it costs less than a non-foreclosed home. What they are forgetting is that a foreclosed home has usually been vacant for awhile, sometimes more than 1 year. Most of the time the homes weren't winterized or taken care of until the bank took ownership. You can see that the carpet needs replaced, the home needs a major cleaning, and cabinets need replaced. However, you don't see if the pipes have frozen during last winter, if the swamp cooler is rusted through, that the hot water heater or furnace is inoperable. During the inspection you will find some of this out(if you hire a good inspector). So buyer beware...you could be walking into a money pit!

Or you could spend a bit more walk into a home that needs little to no work and the sellers have lived in and maintained the property(to their standards) while they owned it. There is no guarantees, but the chances are better you won't run into any major repairs.

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Foreclosures Account for 31% of Sales

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!Becky Behrens

The Weather is Finally Warming up...

For those of you out there that are weekend warriors, here are some projects you might enjoy. Although this weekend I'll be watching some baseball at JUCO!

• 

  Outdoor Lighting for Curb Appeal and Safety

  Well-planned outdoor lighting improves curb appeal, safety, and security for your home. Read
• 

  5 Tips for Inspecting and Maintaining Your Garage

  Routine maintenance will help your garage retain its value and keep it trouble-free for decades. Read
• 

  Save Water and Money with a Rain Barrel

  Using rain barrels to harvest rainwater from your roof is a simple, low-expense solution for conserving water and saving on your water bill. Read
• 

  Fast Fixes for Common Gutter Problems

  Maintaining gutters is the most important thing you can do to prevent water from damaging your house, and keeping them in shape is an easy homeowner task. Read
• 

  Water Heaters: 5 Tips for Saving Energy

  Water heating accounts for up to 25% of household energy costs, but there are inexpensive things you can do to increase efficiency and reduce energy bills. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2010 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!Becky Behrens

Tax Credit Extended???? and 5 Costly Mistakes First-Time Buyers Make

So this week I have had three people tell me that they heard or saw on the news that the the First-Time homebuyer tax credit was being extended. I haven't heard anything about this, to the best of my knowledge this tax credit is expiring. This means that if you want to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit for 1st time home buyers or the $6,500 if you have lived in your current home for 5 or more years, then you have until April 30, 2010 to have a house under contract. FYI, that is in 5 days!!!

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-5 Costly Mistakes First-Time Buyers Make

Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!

Becky Behrens

Best Bang For Your Buck-Exterior Remodeling Projects

STOP!!! And think...When you are driving by a house that is for sale, what are some of the key features on the outside of a home that you look for? What are the gotta-haves that you make sure you see? What outside improvements are thinking about making to your current home? Will you get a return on your investment? The following link will take you to an article that will tell you if what percentage of a return you will get on your investment and if you are looking for the same improvements most people are looking for in a home.

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Exterior Remodeling: Best Bang for Your Buck


Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!

Becky Behrens

10 Inexpensive Ways to Wow Buyers

Right now there are more homes on the market than we have seen in awhile. Once you decide to sell your home you are competing against bank-owned, forclosures, and short sale homes. These homes are usually priced less, but require some TLC (sometimes they require A LOT of TLC). So in order to compete with these homes, it is important that your home makes the best first impression possible. The following link will take you to some tips to help you accomplish this.

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-10 Inexpensive Ways to Wow Buyers


Feel free to give me a call, send an email, or a text with any questions. Thanks!

Becky Behrens

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Cloudy Future for Solar Power

I've had a couple of friends do this and they love seeing their meter run backwards! In Grand Junction we have a lot of homes with hot water baseboard heat and evaporative coolers. The solar saves more money on homes with condensed air conditioning and forced air heating.

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Cloudy Future for Solar Power

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REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-How to Beat the Tax Credit Deadline

This article holds some very good tips for 1st time home buyers. One of the things I've been running into lately, is that there are some homes in a short sale situation that are a really good deals. Unfortunatly, depending on where the sellers are in the process, there is a good chance that despite your best efforts the bank will take too long to get their ducks in a row and you will miss out on the tax credit. The banks are overwhelmed and it isn't unusual to submit an offer and have to wait 60-120 days or longer to hear if the bank will accept the offer.


Click here to read REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-How to Beat the Tax Credit Deadline

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