Activity This Week

The performance of the real estate market was a bit static this past week.

The optimism in the air created by the combination of low interest rates and low listing prices had generated some sales activity in Provincetown for the first quarter. Although the quarterly comparison to last year was dismal in regards to number of sales, dollar volume had increased. There was one sale this week, a $349,000 condominium. Another condominium, new construction, went pending. The property is listed for $399,000. 

Easter brought many shoppers to town looking at single family homes and condominiums. Traffic volume for shoppers was high on Friday and Saturday. Easter Sunday was very slow, as most realtors observe the holiday and do not work.

Open house traffic for Friday and Saturday of Easter Weekend was also up a bit. As spring proceeds, more open houses will pop with the advent of warmer weather.

The activity over the holiday weekend included numerous second and third showings. These usually lead to offers. However, the interest rates inched up earlier this week causing a ripple effect amongst homebuyers who want to be sure they get the lowest rate possible. 

Compare the real estate market to a Wal*Mart. The store is full of shoppers but only a few are at the register.

Is Mortgage Insurance the Latest Incentive to Attract Buyers?

Sold: January 1- March 31, 2009

Provincetown

• Homes = 5
• Condominiums = 8
• Avg Days on Market = 324
• Avg Sales Price = $531,664

Truro

• Homes = 4
• Condominiums = 2
• Avg Days on Market = 177
• Avg Sales Price = $466,767

Wellfeet

• Homes = 8
• Condominiums = 1
• Avg Days on Market = 139
• Avg Sales Price = $420,333
  

Sold: January 1- March 31, 2008

Provincetown

• Homes = 5
• Condominiums = 31
• Avg Days on Market = 193
• Avg Sales Price = $424,344

Truro

• Homes = 4
• Condominiums = 4
• Avg Days on Market = 237
• Avg Sales Price = $515,713

Wellfeet

• Homes = 8
• Condominiums = 2
• Avg Days on Market = 300
• Avg Sales Price = $600,250

Sunshine in Sight?

April showers bring May flowers. Can it be possible that the rain on the housing market will turn into brighter months ahead?

President Obama announced this week from the G20 Summit that the recession has turned a corner. With rescue packages in place for struggling homeowners, interest rates as low as they’ve been in years and the stock market performing favorably, we are hoping he is right. A little spring sunshine in our economy may be just around the corner.

However, with the jobless rate the lowest it has been in 26 years, consumers are not motivated to buy a home out of fear of losing their jobs. Builders have identified this as the number one issue in selling new construction. Not having the resources to pay a mortgage due to a lay off ranks among the top anxieties in the United States today. Developers have stepped up to the plate and are now offering targeted incentives to overcome this obstacle.

Free upgrades like granite countertops, swimming pools and finished landscaping are a nice touch, but seem to have no impact on a buyer’s decision. These finishes are practically expected in today’s market and major developers recognize this.

Major builders are offering mortgage unemployment insurance as an added amenity to overcome the buyer’s fear of losing a job. The way this works is the developer pays for a mortgage insurance policy for the buyer. Typically, this policy is valid in case the homeowner loses his or her job within the first two years of the purchase date. Up to six months worth of payments can be made while the buyer looks for a new job. In some cases, the builder has included the cost of the insurance, which is estimated to be $450 to $900 per customer, into the listed price.

Right now, the insurance is limited to only those buyers who finance with the development company directly.

This is definitely a bold marketing move and numerous builders are adopting this strategy daily. As with any sales promotion, time will tell how effective this program will be. 

Refinancing is not Impossible

Homeowners are refinancing at numbers that we haven’t seen since 2004. Home purchases have also increased due to these low rates.

But, what if you can’t refinance due to job loss, poor credit or low property value?

Some homeowners find themselves on the outside of this new refi bubble and continue to struggle to pay mortgages with no help from their banks. Remember, banks will only start to modify a mortgage if the homeowner is 90 days delinquent. This is a double edged sword of course; the homeowner in this position has sacrificed his or her good credit after being 30 days late and has even less motivation to stop a foreclosure at 90 days. Acceptance of their dire financial situation may have already set in and they are less eager to do anything to stop the process.

If you are a homeowner who is making your mortgage payment, about to fall behind and could use a little assistance with a refinance, here’s some information that you may find useful. Part of President Obama’s housing plan is directed at you. If your house has decreased in value or your interest rate is high, the government is now enticing lenders to offer a rate as low as 2% in order to make your monthly payment affordable, within 31% of your monthly income. The lender will benefit by a government payment. If that does not work, then 40 year mortgages are now being set up. Help is here.

If you find yourself in this situation call the institution that services your loan and ask them what your options are. This is the company who you send your payment to. Also, call HUD at 888-995-4673. The government has set up a Web site: www.makinghomeaffordable.gov)

The Tale of the Incredible Shrinking Rate

Yesterday, mortgage interest rates significantly dropped below 5%.

The rate decrease came after The Federal Reserve purchased $750 billion in mortgage related securities. This was done in order to bring the rates under 5% and stimulate activity in the home purchase and refinance segments of the housing market. This action may even cause rates to decrease further as mortgage rates adjust in response to action in the bond market. Mortgage Tracker HSH Associates expect rates to level off at 4.9% and not decrease further.

30 year fixed mortgage products are now being offered by both local banks and national lenders in the 4.6% to 4.75% range with no points. There is so much refinance and new loan business that some banks are not reducing interest rates since they cannot handle the demand. Rates were already in the mid to low 5% range and many homeowners were already in the refinance process.

Mortgage brokers are indeed now reporting an overwhelming increase in just one day for refinance and purchase loans according to The Boston Globe.

There is an important side note: Homebuyers will, in most cases, have to put down at least 25% to benefit from these low rates. Also, jumbo loan rates remain around 6%. Jumbo loans start at $523,750 in the Greater Boston and Barnstable County areas.

Next week, it will be interesting to see what the rates are doing.

Friday the 13th ... Again

So, its another Friday the 13th second month in a row. This is indeed a rarity and it hasn’t happened in quite awhile. Do you suppose the fact that Friday the 13th has fallen two months in a row has anything to do with the state of the economy and poor housing market? Probably not, there are, however, plenty of nervous people trying superstitious things to stabilize their finances and stay afloat. It will be interesting to see what today brings with the recent three day rally of the stock market.

This week, since it is the 13th, we’ll veer away from the normal real estate news and talk about superstitious things people are doing to sell their homes.

I scoured the blogs and found some interesting ideas to use.

Saint Joseph is king, or should I say, saint of selling your home. One thing is certain, whoever makes these little statues probably doesn’t use the word recession a lot these days.

But what do you exactly do with this luck charm?

Dig a hole near your For Sale sign by the street approximately 3 inches deeper than the statue. If you have no yard, use a large plant pot.



Place the St. Joseph statue facing the street in the hole, upside down. Another site, says to face the statue west, another states face it away from your front door.



When covering the statue, prayers should be said. They are very often included in the packaging. These are simple Christian based prayers.



Once you have sold you home, remove the statue and place it in a prominent location in your new home. Most sites instruct cleaning the statue, others state leaving the dirt on it.





If St. Joseph doesn’t work then try a little energy balancing.

This includes putting a mirror in the hallway.
Put crystals and or colored stones in a clear brandy glass with some scented water and a flower. Scents can range from rose oil to any fragrant oil.
Add a single seasonal flower.

If that doesn’t work… try this:

Buy a small scented candle, the size of a votive, and a very large glass. Put the ice in the bottom of the glass and balance the candle on top. Light the candle and change ice daily. When the candle burns, the melted wax drips on the ice. This represents the elements of fire, ice and water and brings the luck of nature into your home.

If that doesn’t work… try this:

Put candles around your bathtub and fill the tub with water and ice. This way, the three elements are represented on a larger scale and will add to great energy.
If Saint Joseph, along with these energy inducing rituals don’t produce a buyer, one blogger shares this successful tip:

Stand in front of your house and wave your hands at your house and chant "mojo, mojo" Then wave at your neighbor’s house and say "double whammy double whammy."

Of course, if these don’t work, you can price your home properly, stage it for sale and be realistic. That can be all the luck you need in this market. Happy Friday the 13th.

Details of Obama's Housing Plan

This week, the finer details of the Obama Housing plan have been released.

If you are seeking to refinance or find yourself teetering on the edge of going under financially, waste no time in seeing if this plan can help you.

$75 billion will fund this strategy to keep 9 million homeowners out of foreclosure. Here’s who it will help:

Primary homeowners who are having a hard time paying their mortgages and homeowners who have not been able to refinance due to decreased property values.

If your loan is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, you will be potentially able to refinance at current interest rate levels regardless of equity position. This will lower your monthly payment and hopefully provide relief. In order to refinance, homeowners must be current on their existing loans.
To find out if you are eligible for refinance contact:

- Fannie Mae at 1-800-7FANNIE , online at (www.Fanniemae.com)
- Freddie Mac at 1-800-FREDDIE, online at (www.freddiemac.com)


Also, please call your mortgage service provider to get more details as they pertain to you.

For more information on what you can do to modify or refinance and are not sure how Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac pertain to your loan, please visit www.financialstability.gov), that’s www.financialstability.gov).