March 2008
Leesburg makes CNN Money’s “Best Places to Live and Launch”
March 31, 2008 by MikeRosen · Leave a Comment
As a twist on the typical “Best Places To Live” surveys, CNN Money released its 2008 “Best Places to Live and Launch“.
The rankings rate the business friendliness of 296 Census-designated metro areas, and then identify that area’s town that best combine business and pleasure for its residents.
In 2008, the Top 10 Live and Launch cities [...]
In 2008, Home Loans Are One Day Cheap And The Next Day Expensive
March 28, 2008 by MikeRosen · Leave a Comment
When mortgage rates change rapidly, it’s a fiscal challenge to shop for a home and/or home loan.
Lately, mortgage rates have been especially volatile, mirroring the wild moves of the stock market.
Here’s how up-and-down stock markets have been in 2008: Through last week, the S&P 500 Index changed more than 1 percent per day on 28 [...]
Why “Median Sales Price” Reports Aren’t Helpful For Housing Markets
March 27, 2008 by MikeRosen · Leave a Comment
Each month, the Commerce Department and the National Association of REALTORS release national housing data.
The former’s release is called the New Residential Sales report and the latter’s is called the Existing Home Sales report.
Both reports highlight the “median sales price”, the point at which half of the homes in the U.S. sold for more, and [...]
The Small Statistic Within Consumer Confidence That Didn’t Show Up On The News
March 26, 2008 by MikeRosen · Leave a Comment
Consumer Confidence fell to its lowest point in three years and anybody who watches the evening news can understand why.
Each day, news programs barrage Americans with tales of economic woe and American Opinion is largely shaped by the media.
After enough time, the reporting becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
But, in the Consumer Confidence report, there was a [...]
How Seasonal Factors Change Homeowner Vacancy Rates
March 25, 2008 by MikeRosen · Leave a Comment
Each quarter, the Census Bureau releases the Homeowner Vacancy Rate, a housing statistic the measures the percentage of homes for sale that are vacant.
A home listed for sale may be vacant for several reasons including:
The home has been foreclosed and the owner has moved out
The home seller moved into a new home and not sold [...]
The Top 15 “Bang For Your Buck” Home Updates For Home Sellers
March 10, 2008 by MikeRosen · Leave a Comment
HGTV catalogs the Top 15 Home Improvements For Sellers, complete with narrarated, 90-second videos and the expected return-on-investment per project.
Best Return: Minor Bathroom Remodeling
Worst Return: Living Room Updates
Each locale in the country will get a slightly larger (or lesser) return on the HGTV-suggested projects. It’s not just a home improvement that matters, but a home [...]
