Sabtu, 14 Maret 2009
Kamis, 12 Maret 2009
New Bern NC Homeowners
If you are behind in your house payments some potential good news for you if your mortgage is guarenteed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. These 2 government agencies will be working to try and prevent an estimated 4 million homeowners that are in danger of losing their homes. As of 2008 Fannie Mae and the Freddie Mac owned or guaranteed about half of the U.S.'s $12 trillion mortgage market. If your loan is not guarenteed by one of these two contact the financial institution that handles your loan and see if they have any programs that might give you some relief.
Fannie and Freddie are going to be doing some creative things to help struggeling homeowners. Among them are reducing interest rates, in some cases to as low as 2%, extending the loan term to 40 years, and and some cases actually reducing the balance.
We will expand on this subject later soon to give you some specific information. Stay tuned for more realty news.
Fannie and Freddie are going to be doing some creative things to help struggeling homeowners. Among them are reducing interest rates, in some cases to as low as 2%, extending the loan term to 40 years, and and some cases actually reducing the balance.
We will expand on this subject later soon to give you some specific information. Stay tuned for more realty news.
Rabu, 11 Maret 2009
New Bern and Havelock Real Estate.
New Bern and Havelock had a pretty busy day. Eight homes went under contract today ranging in price from $75000 to $275000. In addition seven properties closed. Not bad but don't think we out out of the housing slump yet but if we continue to chip away at existing inventory we will all be better off. Stay tuned.
Selasa, 10 Maret 2009
New Bern Things to Do
The first Artwalk of the season will begin this Friday, March 13 at 5:00 pm. Craven Arts Council, Carolina Creations, Arts and Materials, and New Bern Art Gallery will be open. It's a fun filled evening that the whole family can enjoy. I hope to see you there.
Steve
Steve
Good Real Estate News
Are you ready for some good real estate news? We hear all about the bad news everyday in the national news and they conveniently forget to tell the good news and believe it or not there is good news out there.
First of all, the housing affordability index is the highest it has been since they started keeping track of it in 1970. When you combine, interest rates, home prices, and median income things look good especialy for first time home buyers.
Home inventory dropped in January to the lowest number in two years and with builders holding off starting new homes it should shrink even more. And let's not forget about the $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers.
Yes, there are areas in the country that have not seen much good news and will face challenges for years to come. Lucky for us, I believe the worst may be behind us in New Bern and look forward to better days.
First of all, the housing affordability index is the highest it has been since they started keeping track of it in 1970. When you combine, interest rates, home prices, and median income things look good especialy for first time home buyers.
Home inventory dropped in January to the lowest number in two years and with builders holding off starting new homes it should shrink even more. And let's not forget about the $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers.
Yes, there are areas in the country that have not seen much good news and will face challenges for years to come. Lucky for us, I believe the worst may be behind us in New Bern and look forward to better days.
Sabtu, 07 Maret 2009
Minnesota Romantic: The LeDuc House
Andrew Jackson Downing ([October 30, 1815 – July 28, 1852) was a prominent landscape designer, architecture critic and the most influential American advocate of romantic architectural styles. His pattern books, Cottage Residences (1842) and The Architecture of Country Houses (1850), were widely read and introduced Americans to revival styles popular in England. Jackson’s advocacy of the English pastoral picturesque, Gothic Revival and Bracketed Style helped bring about a shift from the regular, classical shapes and ornament of the Greek Revival to more organic, picturesque forms. Instead of angular, temple-like shapes that stood in contrast to the natural surroundings, Jackson proposed that Americans build homes that harmonized with the shapes and colors of the natural environment.
The William G. LeDuc House, located in Hastings, MN, is one of America’s best examples of a home based on a design from a Downing pattern book. This home design, which Downing calls “a cottage in the Rhine Style” was designed for J. T. Headley, a prominent clergyman, author, historian and politician and built along the Hudson River in New York State. Downing writes that the cottage:
The Headley house from Cottage Residences.
William G. LeDuc, an Ohio Attorney, moved to Minnesota in 1850 and settled in Hastings, Mn. He acquired land near the Vermillion Falls as payment for legal services in a dispute over a mill on the Vermillion River. William and his wife Mary used Downing’s design as a model for their home, which was built of local limestone between 1862 and 1865.
The LeDuc house resembles the Headley, except that it is stone rather than brick and the floor plan was flipped.
Although different from the example found in his pattern book, the bargeboard on the LeDuc is representative of Downing's emphasis on naturalism. Carved in the round to resemble living vines, the bargeboard serves as a link between the house and its wooded setting.
The front door, which is built of heavily molded white pine, combines the vine motif from the vergeboard with a gothic arch in the transom. The arch is topped with a stylized quatrefoil.
William Leduc was an ambitious man who's finances weren't able to keep pace with his plans. He was harried by financial difficulties while building the house, ran low on dressed stone, and was never able to finish the interior. On the rear wall (the right side in the photo) you can see the change from the well-dressed, regular sized limestone blocks to smaller, irregular and more rusticated stonework.
The LeDuc House is located at 1629 Vermillion Street in Hastings, MN. The house is owned by the Dakota County Historical Society and is open for tours between May 27 and November 1, 2009.
The William G. LeDuc House, located in Hastings, MN, is one of America’s best examples of a home based on a design from a Downing pattern book. This home design, which Downing calls “a cottage in the Rhine Style” was designed for J. T. Headley, a prominent clergyman, author, historian and politician and built along the Hudson River in New York State. Downing writes that the cottage:
“was built in a picturesque and highly appropriate position, where its steep roof-lines harmonize admirable with the bold hills of the Hudson Highlands. Though spirited and irregular in composition, it is simple in details, Mr. Headley’s object being to erect a picturesque rural home in keeping with the scenery.” (A J. Downing, Cottage Residences p. 174
The Headley house from Cottage Residences.William G. LeDuc, an Ohio Attorney, moved to Minnesota in 1850 and settled in Hastings, Mn. He acquired land near the Vermillion Falls as payment for legal services in a dispute over a mill on the Vermillion River. William and his wife Mary used Downing’s design as a model for their home, which was built of local limestone between 1862 and 1865.
The LeDuc house resembles the Headley, except that it is stone rather than brick and the floor plan was flipped.
Although different from the example found in his pattern book, the bargeboard on the LeDuc is representative of Downing's emphasis on naturalism. Carved in the round to resemble living vines, the bargeboard serves as a link between the house and its wooded setting.
The front door, which is built of heavily molded white pine, combines the vine motif from the vergeboard with a gothic arch in the transom. The arch is topped with a stylized quatrefoil.
William Leduc was an ambitious man who's finances weren't able to keep pace with his plans. He was harried by financial difficulties while building the house, ran low on dressed stone, and was never able to finish the interior. On the rear wall (the right side in the photo) you can see the change from the well-dressed, regular sized limestone blocks to smaller, irregular and more rusticated stonework.
The LeDuc House is located at 1629 Vermillion Street in Hastings, MN. The house is owned by the Dakota County Historical Society and is open for tours between May 27 and November 1, 2009.
New Bern NC closings
There were 16 homes and or properties sold during the week of March 2 through March 6. This was down from 29 closings the week before. For the year to date sales are off by 38 percent.
What does this mean for you. Well, if you are a buyer great news. Interest are near a 60 year low, leanders are still leaning if you have good credit, and prices are more reasonable.
Should you buy a house in New Bern or Havelock now?I think it is a good time to buy if you need a home. Sure real estate prices could slide a little but if interest rates go up it could more than offset and decrease in real estate prices. So the expert, me, says buy now.
On the seller side it is a different story. Unless you have a very unique piece of property you are going to have to get real with the pricing of your home. I am seeing to many homes priced for the market we were experiencing 2 years ago. Get real with your price if you wantto sellin todays buyers market.
What does this mean for you. Well, if you are a buyer great news. Interest are near a 60 year low, leanders are still leaning if you have good credit, and prices are more reasonable.
Should you buy a house in New Bern or Havelock now?I think it is a good time to buy if you need a home. Sure real estate prices could slide a little but if interest rates go up it could more than offset and decrease in real estate prices. So the expert, me, says buy now.
On the seller side it is a different story. Unless you have a very unique piece of property you are going to have to get real with the pricing of your home. I am seeing to many homes priced for the market we were experiencing 2 years ago. Get real with your price if you wantto sellin todays buyers market.
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