Happy Fourth of July

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It's Time to BUY Again!

I thought you might find this FORTUNE article interesting. For as much doom and gloom that's been in the news over the past couple of years, it's quite a refreshing change! Remember it is the consumers who will bring the real estate market back.

Whether consumers are looking for a home or investors are looking for a solid investment, now is the time to take advantage of the low prices and low interest rates.

Housing markets across the United States are picking up --the Washington, DC metropolitan area is over it's slow-down and folks are back to bidding on good properties. The Williamsburg area hasn't seen the market shift and prices rise yet, but it is coming.

http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/03/28/real-estate-its-time-to-buy-again/

HouseMaster eNewsletter - SPRING ROOF MAINTENANCE

What you don't know CAN hurt you--or your house! Few, if any of us, crawl up on our roofs to inspect them, but there can be hidden problems that can turn into big issues if you ignore this important area of your home. One thing that home inspectors often find when folks are buying a home is rotted or damaged vent pipe collars. A roof may have a 20, 30 or 40 year warranty, but the vent pipe collars deteriorate MUCH sooner. So, go up in your attic and, if you can see daylight peeking through around the pipes that run up through the roof or there are moisture stains there, call a repair man.

Here's a great article on end-of-winter roof maintenance/inspection.

HouseMaster eNewsletter - SPRING ROOF MAINTENANCE

Thinking of Investing? NOW is the Time!

This is a perfect market for investors. There are lots of people out there looking to rent single-family homes...not apartments. In our area there are a large number of military personnel being told to rent not buy--most want a multi-year rental!

Real Estate investing is a conservative way to invest...with the exception of three out of the last 40 years has there been a positive appreciation. The three years of with negative appreciation (depreciation) totaled 13% according to Alex Charfen of the Distressed Property Institute. Whereas, stocks have fluctuated up and down in the last the last 40 years with eleven years of negative appreciation. In the single-year 2008 the loss was 38%! Real Estate is the conservative investment long-term.

There are loads of families waiting for investors to buy homes for them to rent. NOW is the time to make these investments while prices are down and interest rates are at historic lows. We are in a real Buyer market...high inventory is a true investor opportunity. While all of this has gone on, and home prices have depreciated, rental income from single family homes has increased. Vacancies are down in single-family rental homes while they are up in apartments. Single-family investment homes for rentals are recession-resistant investments.

Call me today to discuss some of the options out there for investors--and this doesn’t just mean individual investors--you can invest as a diversification of your retirement plan...invest in the name of your 401K!

Re/Max CEO: Change with the real estate market

People often ask me why I am with RE/MAX--well this article from INMAN NEWS sums it all up!
Click on this link to read it--

Re/Max CEO: Change with the real estate market

RE/MAX believes in leading the way and knows that the mortgage crisis has left us with "shadow inventory" that lenders are dribbling out to sell. To help serve this need, I have received my CDPE--Certified Distressed Property Expert designation. RE/MAX is ready and waiting to help the economy!

KCM Blog Posts

Happy New Year!

Periodically, I like to share posts from Steve Harney as I just did. His insight into the housing industry is based upon lots of research. Consequently, I think this information might be useful to my clients. I hope you like them!

As always, I am always happy to receive referrals from you. I promise to take good care of them as your good name rests on the referral!

3 Questions You Must Answer Before Buying a Home

3 Questions You Must Answer Before Buying a Home