The 10 Must-Haves in New Homes

Americans want smaller houses and they are willing to strip some of yesterday's most popular rooms -- such as home theaters -- from them in order to accommodate changing lifestyles, consumer experts told audiences at the International Builders Show here this week.

"This is a traumatic time in this country and the future isn't something we're 100% sure about now either. What's left? The answer for most home buyers is authenticity," said Heather McCune, director of marketing for Bassenian Lagoni Architects in Park Ridge, Ill.

Buyers today want cost-effective architecture, plans that focus on spaces and not rooms and homes that are designed 'green' from the outset," she said. The key for home builders is "finding the balance between what buyers want and the price point."

For many buyers, their next house will be smaller than their current one, said Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group in San Antonio, Texas. Large kitchens that are open to the main family living area, old-fashioned bathrooms with clawfoot tubs and small spaces such as wine grottos are design features that will resonate today, she said."What we're hearing is 'harvest' as a home theme -- the feeling of Thanksgiving. It's all about family togetherness -- casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces," Lavender said.

Paul Cardis, CEO of AVID Ratings Co., which conducts an annual survey of home-buyer preferences, said there are 10 "must" features in new homes.

1. Large Kitchens, With an Island

"If you're going to spend design dollars, spend them where people want them -- spend them in the kitchen," McCune said. Granite countertops are a must for move-up buyers and buyers of custom homes, but for others "they are on the bubble," Cardis said.

2. Energy-Efficient Appliances, High-Efficiency Insulation and High Window Efficiency

Among the "green" features touted in homes, these are the ones buyers value most, he said. While large windows had been a major draw, energy concerns are giving customers pause on those, he said. The use of recycled or synthetic materials is only borderline desirable.

3. Home Office/Study

People would much rather have this space rather than, say, a formal dining room. "People are feeling like they can dine out again and so the dining room has become tradable," Cardis said. And the home theater may also be headed for the scrap heap, a casualty of the "shift from boom to correction," Cardis said.

4. Main-Floor Master Suite

This is a must feature for empty-nesters and certain other buyers, and appears to be getting more popular in general, he said. That could help explain why demand for upstairs laundries is declining after several years of popularity gains.

5. Outdoor Living Room

The popularity of outdoor spaces continues to grow, even in Canada, Cardis said. And the idea of an outdoor room is even more popular than an outdoor cooking area, meaning people are willing to spend more time outside.

6. Ceiling Fans

7. Master Suite Soaker Tubs

Whirlpools are still desirable for many home buyers, Cardis said, but "they clearly went down a notch," in the latest survey. Oversize showers with seating areas are also moving up in popularity.

8. Stone and Brick Exteriors

Stucco and vinyl don't make the cut.

9. Community Landscaping, With Walking Paths and Playgrounds

Forget about golf courses, swimming pools and clubhouses. Buyers in large planned developments prefer hiking among lush greenery.

10. Two-Car Garages

A given at all levels; three-car garages, in which the third bay is more often then not used for additional storage and not automobiles, is desirable in the move-up and custom categories, Cardis said.

Obama housing rescue threatened by foreclosures, unemployment

President Barack Obama's efforts to bolster the U.S. housing market may be undone by record unemployment and repossessions by lenders, according to an article on Bloomberg.com. Foreclosures are expected to reach 3 million this year, surpassing the record of 2.82 million in 2009, according to Irvine, California-based RealtyTrac Inc. That would more than offset an estimated 448,000-unit rise in home sales, based on the average forecast of the National Association of Realtors, the Mortgage Bankers Association and Fannie Mae.

The housing industry remains a challenge for Obama as he enters his second year of office and government assistance programs near expiration. Data this week showed home sales tumbled after the expected end of an $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers boosted transactions the prior month.

Employers have cut more than 7 million jobs in the last two years, the biggest employment loss since the Great Depression. The U.S. jobless rate is expected to average 10 percent in 2010, according to the median estimate of 59 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. That would be the highest yearly rate in government records dating to 1948. Unemployment was 9.3 percent in 2009, the most in 26 years.

One in four U.S. homeowners holds a mortgage with a balance higher than the property's value. The number of borrowers with so-called negative equity reached 10.7 million, or 23 percent, at the end of the third quarter, according to a Nov. 24 report by First American CoreLogic, a California-based real estate research firm. Government programs to help underwater borrowers exclude jumbo mortgages that aren't eligible to be purchased by Washington-based Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac of McLean, Virginia.

Source: Bloomberg.com, Kathleen M. Howley

Obama gets low grades for housing

A national survey released by Trulia shows that many Americans feel that President Barack Obama has not lived up to the hope he created during his campaign and his first 30 days in office. In Trulia's latest American Dream survey conducted online by Harris Interactive from January 19-21, 2009, President Barack Obama scored considerably lower marks on the topic of restoring the American dream of home ownership compared to a survey conducted February 20-24, 2009, after his first 30 days in office.

The current survey found that 37 percent of Americans gave President Obama a grade of "D" or "F" on the decisions he's made towards restoring the American dream of home ownership compared to only 22 percent in the February 2009 survey. Additionally, 54 percent gave him a grade of "A" or "B" in February 2009 compared to only 37 percent in January 2010.

Despite these lower grades, and the troubles that have continued to plague the U.S. housing market, the survey found that the "American Dream" of homeownership continues to be alive and well with more than three out of four Americans considering owning a home as a part of achieving their personal American dream.

Democrats and Republicans agree on the areas President Obama needs to focus on in 2010 to stabilize the U.S. real estate market. Creating jobs and job security continues to be at the top of the list with 62 percent of adults referencing it as a key priority for the President.

With foreclosures reaching record levels in 2009 and expected to grow even more this year, it's not surprising that 45 percent of adults included this as an important area of focus. Rounding out the top three priorities for President Obama is bringing/keeping low interest rates at 39 percent. Only 27 percent of Americans surveyed believe extending the home buying tax credit through the end of 2010 should be a key initiative to help stabilize the housing market.

Pending home sales stabilize

Pending home sales have leveled from a market swing driven by response to the home buyer tax credit, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in December, increased 1 percent to 96.6 from 95.6 in November, and remains 10.9 percent above December 2008 when it was 87.1. In November, the monthly index had fallen by 16.4 percent from surging activity in preceding months.
Here's a breakdown by region for the PHSI:

* Northeast: rose 2.3 percent to 76.1 in December and is 14.9 percent higher than December 2008.
* Midwest: increased 5.2 percent to 86.9 and is 8.7 percent above a year ago.
* South: rose 2.2 percent to an index of 98.4, and are 5.5 percent higher than December 2008.
* West: fell 3.8 percent to 119.9 but is 18.6 percent above a year ago.

Falling home values: The worst may be over

During the past several years, the nation's housing sector has been weighed down with a disturbing trend that had been absent since the Great Depression: falling home values. However, most of the damage has already been done. In the past six months home prices have shown signs of stabilizing.

The Case-Shiller 20-city index has risen 5.3 percent since April of this year. The worst may be over but it is likely that prices may drop further due to a mounting foreclosure problem. According to a recent Realty Trac report, there were almost 3 million foreclosure filings last year, an all-time record. Foreclosures are one of the primary reasons for falling home prices since a foreclosed homes sell at a discount to non-foreclosed homes, bringing down the mean and median price for all homes sold in a marketplace.

Source: David Lereah, RealEstateEconomyWatch.com, (1/25/10)

Fannie Mae announces 3.5 % seller assistance

Fannie Mae announced that people purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned HomePath® property will receive up to 3.5 percent of the final sales price to be used toward closing cost assistance or their choice of appliances. The offer is available to any owner-occupant who closes on the purchase of a property listed on HomePath.com before May 1, 2010.

Properties eligible for this incentive are listed on HomePath.com and most listings include detailed property descriptions, photographs, community and school information and more. In addition, many Fannie Mae-owned properties are eligible for special HomePath Mortgage and HomePath Renovation Mortgage financing which offers homebuyers an opportunity to purchase with as little as 3 percent down.

Big Test Ahead for the Mortgage Market

The cessation at the end of March of the government program to buy mortgage-backed securities will show whether the White House and Federal Reserve have effectively stimulated the lending market to the point that it is now on solid footing.

If the sector slumps again, home owners could face a new period of distress.

Keeping mortgage rates at record lows was a major component of the economic strategy during President Obama's first year in office. While it did not garner the kind of headlines that efforts to bail out banks did, the policy did help revitalize home buying in parts of the country and assisted millions of home owners who were able to refinance.

Source: Washington Post, David Cho, Neil Irwin, and Dina ElBoghdady (01/25/10)

New home sales continue to decline

New home sales fell 7.6 percent in December, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Wednesday. This was the second straight month that new home sales declined. The Commerce Department also reported that new home sales in 2009 were down 22.9 percent compared with 2008, hitting a record low of 374,000 units. The Federal Reserve responded by leaving short-term lending rates at near zero and pledged to keep them low. "This report does not totally ruin the notion that housing is recovering, but it does underscore the fragility of that recovery. It's not good news for broader economic growth," said Dana Saporta, an economist at Stone & McCarthy Research in Princeton, New Jersey.

Source: Reuters News, Lucia Mutikani (01/27/2010)

Mixed messages for home price

Data through November 2009, released today by Standard & Poor's for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices show that the annual rates of decline of the 10-City and 20-City Composites continue to improve, in spite of price declines being measured across many markets during November. This marks approximately 10 months of improved readings in the annual statistics, beginning in early 2009, and is the third consecutive month these statistics have registered single digit declines, after 20 consecutive months of double digit declines.

Four of the markets-Charlotte, Las Vegas, Seattle and Tampa-posted new low index levels as measured by the past four years. In other words, any gains they might have seen in recent months have been erased and November is now considered their current trough value. On the flip side, there are still some markets that continue to improve month-over-month. Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco have seen prices increase for at least six consecutive months. Looking at the annual figures, four markets-Dallas, Denver, San Diego and San Francisco-have finally entered positive territory, something we really haven't seen in at least two years in most markets.

Charlotte, Las Vegas, Seattle and Tampa all reached new low levels in November. For Las Vegas, in particular, prices have declined for 39 consecutive months, with a peak-to-trough reading of -55.6%. It is now just 4% above its January 2000 level. This compares to its peak in August 2006, when the average home price was 135% above that same level.

Freddie Mac CEO: housing is near bottom

The inventory of foreclosed houses still hampers the recovery of the housing sector, but overall, the U.S. housing market appears to be at or near bottom, Freddie Mac CEO Charles Haldeman told the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday. He predicted that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate would remain between 5 percent and 6 percent through 2010. "The big downside risk to all this is a large wave of homes now in foreclosure potentially hitting the market at prices that are destructive," Haldeman said.

Source: Reuters News, Soyoung Kim (01/26/2010)

Housing supplies steadily declining

New data from Altos Research shows that housing supplies have been steadily declining for the last 16 months. The company says there are 20 percent fewer homes for sale now than there were in 2008. Some fear this decline is because banks have been holding back their repossessed properties, but Altos doesn't expect this so-called shadow inventory to result in a real estate day of reckoning in 2010 as some market observers have warned.

Scott Sambucci, VP of data analytics at Altos Research, says the industry won't see any effects from the supply of homes lurking in the darkness until inventory levels pick up. And he doesn't foresee that happening anytime soon, primarily because banks have no immediate motivation to offload these assets from their balance sheets, and are keenly aware that a sudden jump in the number of homes on the market could be detrimental to already-fragile property values. With a smaller selection of inventory, buyers will pay a higher price-the rudimentary concept of supply and demand. Sambucci says he's already seen definite evidence of a price floor in 2009. Home price statistics started out 2010 on a good foot, according to Altos' data, with seven-day moving averages within the company's index bouncing off their lows and starting to tick up. In addition, the number of homes with price reductions and the magnitude of these discounts are diminishing, although Sambucci says that could indicate buyers' willingness to pay more or it could just mean sellers are becoming more realistic about what they can get. Either way, price reduction stats, while still elevated, are moving in the right direction, he says.

Altos' researchers expect to see some seasonal bounce back in prices and short-term strength in the coming months as a result of government stimulus, such as the homebuyer tax credit and the last of the Federal Reserve's purchases of mortgage securities. But Sambucci says that momentum will likely fall off toward the latter half of 2010, and any price gains seen this year will be lost as the government programs wind down. Altos Research expects home prices to start 2011 at the same level they are now in early 2010. Sambucci explained that if inventory continues to decline, by next year price points should become more attractive and activity can still be sustained.

Source: DSNews.com, Carrie Bay (01/27/2010)

Fed sees signs of recovery

The Federal Reserve offered its most upbeat economic outlook in nearly a year at the conclusion of its regular two-day policy meeting recently. After emerging from the closed-door assembly, the Fed committee issued a statement that touted improvements in the labor market and business spending, but cautioned, recovery is likely to be moderate for a time." Taken directly, it may not sound like a rave review, but when you compare it to what Fed officials have been saying since last April-Economic activity is likely to remain weak for a time-it's certainly an improvement.

Even with the rosier outlook, the Federal Reserve committee voted to keep the target range for its benchmark federal funds rate at 0 to 0.25 percent, and noted that "economic conditions...are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period." The decision to maintain the near-zero rate, though, was not unanimous - the first dissenting vote among Fed policymakers since January 2009, according to a CNN report. Thomas M. Hoenig, Kansas City Fed president, said economic conditions had improved enough to make exceptionally low rates "no longer warranted," according to the central bank's statement. Fed officials are holding to their plans of pulling back from the secondary market in the coming months. The committee confirmed that its program to purchase mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and debt from the GSEs will come to a close on March 31, as previously signaled. By that time, the Fed says it will have bought $1.25 trillion of MBS and about $175 billion of agency debt. The Federal Reserve has already begun to slow the pace of these purchases to help facilitate a smooth transition when the agency makes its exit.

Source: DSNews.com, Carrie Bay (01/27/2010)

Allen Craven received the Boys & Girls Club of America's National Service Medallion.

By Meghan Cooke - macooke@newsofcabarrus.com

Allen Craven of Concord recently received the Boys & Girls Club of America's National Service Medallion. Photo courtesy of the Boys & Girls Club of Cabarrus County.

Allen Craven remembers playing basketball and football, singing in the choir and going to summer camp at the Boys & Girls Club of Cabarrus County.

He remembers when former President Jimmy Carter came to the Club's annual pancake day during his campaign, and he remembers shooting a BB gun at a turkey shoot. But his best memories involve being around the kids.

After more than 50 years of memories at the Club, Craven recently received the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's National Service Medallion, a national award that recognizes board members and volunteers for their service to the Boys & Girls Club through leadership, development of programs or projects or fundraising efforts.

Craven, a 60-year-old Concord native and owner broker of Weichert Realtors - Craven & Co., has held many roles at the Club. He's been a member of the board of directors since 1991, has held several positions, including president and vice president, and has served on several committees in addition to volunteering as a basketball coach.

Whether it's behind the scenes or on the sidelines of a basketball court, Craven has contributed countless hours of time and energy in devotion to the Club.

"He will take whatever role is necessary," said Mike Blackwelder, development director of the Boys & Girls Club of Cabarrus County. "On any occasion, he's more than happy to stand up."

He was chairman of the committee responsible for raising $6 million for the construction of the Club's facility on Spring Street Northwest in Concord.

An avid golfer, Craven has also organized the Uwharrie Golf Classic, a golf tournament at Old North State Club in New London, for the past seven years. The tournament raises about $30,000 for the Club every year.

The Boys & Girls Club teaches children important life lessons, especially teamwork, Craven said as he recalled coaching basketball.

"You may be a super athlete or you may not be able to dribble a basketball, but everyone plays," he said. "It's about making everyone better through sportsmanship and playing fair."

For Craven, involvement in the Club is a family tradition. His father, Dr. Fred Craven, was one of the founding directors of the Club, and now his son, Ford, is also an active volunteer.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, both Craven and his father were on hand, their feet steadied on top of shovels plunged into what would become the Club's new facility.

He said he's received only one other recognition that means more to him than his recent award: a "Man and Boy" award from the Club that he shared with his father in the 1980s.

4 out of 10 recent buyers used FHA loans

According to the most recent REALTORS® Confidence Index, 39% of recent buyers purchased a home with a Federal Housing Administration-insured loan. REALTORS® who took part in the November survey also reported that the number of first-time homebuyers continued to climb to 51%. The RCI results also indicated that distressed sales increased to 33% of all home sales last month, and that both investors and first-time home buyers are competing for these properties. The preponderance of distressed properties on the market has also influenced buyers' perceptions of other homes for sale. Realtors report that many buyers have pricing expectations that treat every property as if it were in foreclosure.

In addition, those surveyed expressed ongoing concerns with the impact of the Home Valuation Code of Conduct on recent appraisals. According to some survey respondents, inexperienced or out-of-area appraisers continue to rely heavily on sales prices of distressed properties, even when other comps are available.

Source: NAR

Exterior remodeling: best bang for your buck

Despite a slow market and a slight decrease in the resale value of most remodeling projects, Realtors report that the smartest home improvement investments may also be some of the least expensive. Results from the 2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report show that small-scale exterior projects are the most profitable at resale, according to estimates by REALTORS® who completed a recent survey.
Here are the highlights:
· On a national level, eight out of the top 10 projects in terms of costs recouped were exterior replacement projects that cost less than $14,000.
· Certain types of door and siding replacements, as well as wood deck additions all returned more than 80% of project costs upon resale. A steel entry door replacement--a new addition to this year's list--recouped 128.9% of costs, followed by upscale fiber-cement sliding replacements at 83.6%. Wood deck additions recouped 80.6% of costs.
· On a national level, the project with the biggest improvement from 2008 was the attic bedroom addition, recouping 83.1% of remodeling costs compared to 73.8% in 2008. The only other interior project that landed in the top 10 was a minor kitchen remodel with 78.3% costs recouped.
· Other exterior projects in the top 10 include midrange vinyl and upscale foam-backed vinyl sliding replacements, which returned more than 79% of costs. In addition, several types of window replacements - midrange wood, midrange vinyl, and upscale vinyl-all returned more than 76% of costs upon sale.
Similar to last year's report, the least profitable remodeling projects in terms of resale value were home office remodels and sunroom additions, returning only 48.1% and 50.7% of project costs.

Source: NAR

Foreclosure evictions suspended through the holidays

In an effort to help families facing a foreclosure in the midst of the holiday season, both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae made announcements recently and suspended foreclosure evictions from December 19, 2009 through January 3, 2010. In Freddie Mac's announcement, the company said it will suspend all evictions involving foreclosed, occupied single family and two to four unit properties that had Freddie Mac-owned mortgages. Fannie Mae had no inclusions and said all owner-occupants and tenants living in foreclosed properties the company holds will not be subject to evictions during this time frame, and Fannie Mae said it will also support the efforts of the servicers it works with that are taking similar actions.

Zenta to expand in Charlotte adding 1,000 jobs

Governor Beverly Perdue announced the creation of 1,000 new jobs in the Charlotte area over the next five years by Zenta, a knowledge process outsourcing and business process outsourcing company.

The company, which employs a staff of more than 4,000 worldwide, has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, London, Mumbai and Chennai, India.

Zenta offers a full range of back-office, voice and onsite support solutions for credit card services, consumer lending servicing, mortgage services and real estate analytics.

Charlotte home prices rise for 1st time in two years

By Stella M. Hopkins
shopkins@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009

Charlotte-area home prices in November inched up for the first time in two years and home sales jumped again.


The average sales price last month of $195,244 marks a gain of slightly more than 1 percent from November 2008, according to results released this morning by the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association.


That was the first yearly price gain since November 2007 for transactions through the association's Carolina Multiple Listing Services. The past year has seen several months of double-digit price declines.


For the year, the average price is a little ahead of 2004 levels, meaning that people who have been in their homes for several years are probably still sitting on gains.


MLS sales in November rose a hefty 31 percent compared with a year ago as people rushed to take advantage of the first time homebuyers tax credit that had been set to expire last month. Congress, under heavy pressure from the housing industry, extended and expanded the credit. The November gain is even bigger than October's year-to-year jump of almost 20 percent, the first increase in more than two years.


MLS deals account for nearly all transactions in the Charlotte area.


The big gains come on comparison to an extremely weak market last fall, when the nation's financial system cratered. In Charlotte, that brought the loss of Wachovia's headquarters and mounting worries about job losses. Home sales plummeted in October 2008 and continued to sink through the winter.


Despite the jump, the 2,000 houses, townhouses and condos sold last month in the area represents a sales level below that of 2003.

Drop in unemployment could have little impact on default numbers

The unemployment rate dropped in November, according to the U.S. Labor Department, as companies shed the fewest number of jobs since the recession kicked in two years ago. Government statistics show that last month, the jobless rate edged down to 10.0 percent, falling from the 26-year-high 10.2 percent hit in October.

The growing consensus within the mortgage industry is that unemployment is now the primary driver pushing delinquency numbers higher, so the upbeat November labor report is likely a hopeful sign that the pace of loan deterioration could subside sooner rather than later.

But analysts at Amherst Securities Group say their research tells a different story. The firm is a holding company for financial firms working with institutional investors of mortgage-related assets, and a study from its head of residential debt, Laurie Goodman, says borrowers who have been hit hard by falling home prices and owe more than their home is worth are more likely to fall behind on their mortgage payments than homeowners who lose their job.

According to Goodman, borrowers who are underwater with combined loan-to-value (LTV) ratios greater than 120 percent pose a higher delinquency risk. This "combined" LTV includes first mortgages on the home, as well as secondary home equity lines of credit taken out before the bust by a large number of homeowners who thought property values could only go up. Some estimates put second lien debt at over a trillion dollars.

According to Goodman, the default trigger is critical because policy will be shaped around the answer: is the rise in delinquencies stemming from negative equity or unemployment? Goodman points to the plain and simple correlation of default and unemployment increases - mortgages defaults began to tick upward when home prices started plummeting, she says, long before the job market began to decline.

In a much more complex analysis, Goodman compared default rates with unemployment and negative equity in various loan categories. She found that unemployment only became a factor when the homeowner's outstanding mortgage was 20 percent more than the home's value, an LTV ratio of 120 percent or more. For those homeowners who had positive equity in their home but lost their job, they still found a way to keep their payments current.

The findings of Goodman's team could soon be put to the test - while home prices in some markets have begun to inch upward, most market analysts say there's still farther to go before prices hit bottom. The Amherst report demonstrates that improvement in the housing market may not be as tightly linked to unemployment as some might think, and others say the likely sequence of events for an overall upturn puts housing out in front. According to a contributed report on StockTradersDaily.com, until there is a housing recovery, there will not be an American economic recovery. The story points to the boom that ended in mid-2007 as an example, where one of every six jobs was created in the housing sector.

Source: DSNews.com

NC not as stressed as most

AP Index nears national high-stress level

The Associated Press' Economic Stress Index remains at 10.1 nationwide in October, compared to 6.9 in October 2008. The index is calculated as a score from 1 to 100 based on foreclosure, bankruptcy, and unemployment. An area is considered stressed when the score exceeds 11. About 37 percent of the nation's 3,141 counties had scores higher than 11 in October.

The five states with the highest overall score in October all experienced severe housing downturns:
1. Nevada, 21.95 index score
2. Michigan, 17.36
3. California, 16.48
4. Florida, 15.4
5. Arizona, 14.37

The least-stressed states were those that have mostly escaped housing issues:
1. North Dakota, 3.89
2. South Dakota, 5.14
3. Nebraska, 5.51
4. Vermont, 6.43
5. Montana, 6.64

New FHA condo rules

New rules from the Federal Housing Administration could make it easier to get FHA-backed home loans for condominiums. The rules, which went into effect yesterday, were written to address current market conditions and the glut of empty condominiums left following the real estate bust.

The biggest changes include reducing the number of units in a new condominium that must be owner-occupied, eliminating a rule that banned loans to condos with "right of first-refusal" language in association bylaws, increasing the number of units that can have FHA financing, and cutting the expensive requirement of having an attorney review condominium documents before a sale.

Some of the rule changes, however, are temporary through December 2010. Others actually tighten FHA guidelines. For example, as of today, condos are eligible only if no more than 15 percent of units are more than 30 days past due on association fees. Also, while other states are now allowed to independently approve FHA mortgages, Florida is still required to have projects submit applications to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Nine Consecutive Gains for Pending Home Sales

Pending home sales have risen for nine months in a row, a first for the series of the index since its inception in 2001, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in October, increased 3.7 percent to 114.1 from 110.0 in September, and is 31.8 percent above October 2008 when it was 86.6. The rise from a year ago is the biggest annual increase ever recorded for the index, which is at the highest level since March 2006 when it was 115.2.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said home sales are experiencing a pendulum swing. “Keep in mind that housing had been underperforming over most of the past year. Based on the demographics of our growing population, existing-home sales should be in the range of 5.5 million to 6.0 million annually, but we were well below the 5-million mark before the home buyer tax credit stimulus,” he said. “This means the tax credit is helping unleash a pent-up demand from a large pool of financially qualified renters, much more than borrowing sales from the future.”

By Region

* Pending sales in the Northeast surged 19.9 percent to 100.2 in October and is 44.2 percent above a year ago.
* In the Midwest, the index rose 11.6 percent to 109.6 and is 36.6 percent higher than October 2008.
* Sales in the South increased 5.4 percent to an index of 115.4, which is 31.6 percent above a year ago.
* In the West, the index fell 11.2 percent to 127.7 but is 21.9 percent above October 2008.

Not Out of the Woods Yet
Yun cautioned that home sales could dip in the months ahead. “The expanded tax credit has only been available for the past three weeks, but the time between when buyers start looking at homes until they close on a sale can take anywhere from three to five months. Given the lag time, we could see a temporary decline in closed existing-home sales from December until early spring when we get another surge, but the weak job market remains a major concern and could slow the recovery process.

“Still, as inventories continue to decline and balance is gradually restored between buyers and sellers, we should reach self-sustaining housing conditions and firming home prices in most areas around the middle of 2010. That would mean broad wealth stabilization for the vast number of middle-class families,” Yun said.

Source: NAR

Guidelines Aim to Ease Short Sales

By RUTH SIMON

The Obama administration laid out final guidelines on Monday that should make it easier for some financially troubled borrowers to sell their homes.

The guidelines are designed to encourage the use of short sales, transactions in which the borrower with lender approval sells the home for less than what is owed on the loan. The program also makes it easier for borrowers to voluntarily transfer ownership of properties through a "deed in lieu of foreclosure."

Short sales can result in higher prices than foreclosures and can be less damaging to local neighborhoods, in part because homes aren't left vacant and exposed to vandalism. But these transactions are often difficult to complete.

Under the plan, borrowers will receive $1,500 from the government if they sell their homes for less than the amount of their mortgages. Mortgage-servicing companies will also receive $1,000 for each completed short sale. The program is open to borrowers who may be eligible for the government's loan-modification program, but don't end up qualifying, or are delinquent on their modification, or request a short sale or deed-in-lieu transaction.

The short-sale program is the latest addition to the Obama administration's $75 billion foreclosure-prevention plan, which includes incentives for mortgage companies and investors to rework troubled loans. The government first said in May that it would include short sales in the program, but it has taken months to finalize the details.

Under the new guidelines, second-mortgage holders can receive up to $3,000 of the sales proceeds in exchange for releasing their liens. Investors who hold the first mortgages, meanwhile, can collect up to $1,000 from the government for allowing such payments.

Borrowers who complete a short sale under the program must be "fully released" from future liability for the debt, according to the guidelines

Option ARMs: Housing recovery killer?

"It sounded good at the time."

These exotic mortgages allowed home buyers to come to closing with little cash and choose, monthly, how much to pay: interest and principal, interest only, or a minimum amount less than the interest due.

Of course, the last option is the one 93% of option-ARM buyers selected, according to a new report released this week by Standard & Poors.

But eventually, everyone has to pay the piper.

Nearly all of the 350,000 option-ARM borrowers owe more than when they first bought their homes thanks to the unpaid interest accumulating. And many loans written during the first big wave, which started in 2004, are getting ready for their five-year reset, when they become standard amortizing loans. Additionally, some newer loans will reset early if the accumulated interest has pushed the loan-to-value ratio above 110% to 125%.

That means borrowers are about to start paying very hefty prices for their homes. In one scenario outlined in the S&P report, the payment on a $400,000 mortgage jumps from $1,287 to $2,593.
25% default rate

But that doesn't just spell bad news for borrowers. Some industry pessimists say the looming default problem could have the power to derail the nascent housing market recovery. "The crux of the matter is that as soon as these mortgages recast, the history is that they will default," said Brian Grow, one of the S&P report's coauthors.

And the newer the loans, the worse they will perform, the report said. The last year that any option-ARMs were issued was 2007. In the first 20 months after issuance, this vintage of option-ARMs had an average default rate of just over 22%.

That includes all option-ARMs issued in 2007. But if you calculate default rates for only 2007 option-ARM borrowers who are now underwater, the default rate jumps to 25% after just 20 months, according to S&P.

So, while there may not be an awful lot of these loans out there, their high default rates will have an out-sized influence on housing markets, adding to already bloated foreclosure inventories and driving prices down further.
Bubble markets

And the markets where they'll produce the most foreclosures are still among the most vulnerable in the nation.

Option ARMs were most popular in bubble markets -- California, Nevada, Florida and Arizona -- where double digit home annual price increases put the cost of buying a home out of reach.

In fact, 60% of these loans went to residents of California and other Western states, places where prices have fallen the most, according to report coauthor Diane Westerback. "The geography is negative for these products," she said.

Many borrowers in these places could only afford a home if they chose the option ARM. Many counted on continued hot market conditions to add value to their homes. The extra equity could then be tapped to pay their bills.

We all know how that worked out.

Home prices in many of the markets where option ARMs are most concentrated have fallen 30%, 40% or more. When the loans recast, most borrowers will find themselves severely underwater.

"Because borrowers of [options ARMs] are in a much worse position," said Westerback. "You'll see defaults rising very rapidly."

And most option ARM borrowers will not be good candidates for refinancing or mortgage modifications because their loan-to-value ratios will be far too high. Under the administration's Making Home Affordable program, for example, mortgages with balances that exceed 125% of the home's value are not eligible for help.
Not so white lies

There is another little problem that many option-ARM borrowers seeking refinancing would face: "Upwards of 80% of were stated-income loans," said Westerback.

These are the so-called "liar loans" in which lenders did not verify that borrowers earned as much money as they said they did. Lenders may not be able to modify mortgages because many of the borrowers' income could not stand up to the scrutiny. Borrowers may also not want to go through underwriting again because they could be held legally liable for deliberate inaccuracies on their original applications.

Add to those conditions the still fragile economy and high unemployment rates, and you have a recipe for disaster. To top of page

Charlotte-area home sales take off

By Stella M. Hopkins

Fueled in part by a hefty tax credit, Charlotte-area home sales jumped nearly 20 percent last month, the first gain in more than two years.

There were 2,210 houses, townhouses and condos sold last month through the Carolina Multiple Listing Services. That compares with 1,848 in October 2008, when the economy took a nosedive.

The hefty increase marks the first time since February 2007 that sales rose on an annual basis. That's the most robust signal yet of the industry's recovery but still leaves sales below the 2003 level.

The first time homebuyer's tax credit, just extended and expanded to existing homeowners, is likely to continue propelling sales.

As evidence of the Charlotte market's staying power, MLS pending sales were up one-third compared with a year ago, according to data recently released by the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association. That's the second month in a row of increases. Those sales represent signed contracts that haven't yet closed and are an important barometer.

Sales prices continued a downward trend, falling 9.5 percent from a year ago, to an average of $196,204. Foreclosures and other distressed sales are weighing on prices.

MLS transactions account for the bulk of area sales.

Fewer Underwater Mortgages

Fewer people are underwater on their mortgage--further evidence that the real estate free-fall may be slowing. Just 21% of all single-family homeowners owe more on their mortgage balances than their homes are worth, according to a third quarter residential real estate report from Zillow.com. That is down from 23% at the end of the second quarter. That's good news because it should help reduce the number of homeowners losing their homes to foreclosure. Being underwater is one of the two factors that lead to foreclosure, the other being, of course, not having enough income to make the monthly payments. But there's a second, less-positive factor that contributed to the reduction in underwater borrowers: foreclosures. So many people have already lost their homes that the ranks of those underwater are slowly dwindling.

Source: Zillow.com, CNNMoney.com

Nat'l Assoc. of REALTORS to launch new UNIVERSAL MLS!

The National Association of Realtors® has acquired technology to create a database of all properties in the United States so Realtors® can better assist consumers in a high-tech, fast-paced business world. The technology acquisition includes licensed data and secured data aggregation services from LPS Real Estate Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lender Processing Services Inc. NAR will use the assets to develop the Realtors® Property Resource™, a parcel-centric information database covering all of the more than 147 million property parcels in the country as a resource for NAR members. NAR is planning to launch RPR™ in the second quarter 2010.

NAR CEO Dale Stinton said, "These acquisitions will allow Realtor® interests to control the program and the content. Realtors® need to respond quickly to today's tech-savvy consumers, and the RPR provides a means for multiple listing services (MLS), commercial information exchanges (CIEs) and real estate brokerage business models to support the Realtor® community, rather than requiring Realtors® to purchase data aggregated by third parties." RPR(TM) is not a national MLS, and will carry no offers of cooperation and compensation, Stinton added. "It is a private, NAR members-only benefit. The assets acquired by NAR will be directed through a wholly owned subsidiary corporation, Realtors Property Resource, LLC," Stinton said.

Fannie Mae announces deed for lease program

Fannie Mae is implementing the Deed for Lease Program under which qualifying homeowners facing foreclosure will be able to remain in their homes by signing a lease in connection with the voluntary transfer of the property deed back to the lender.

The new program is designed for borrowers who do not qualify for or have not been able to sustain other loan-workout solutions, such as a modification. Under Deed for Lease, borrowers transfer their property to the lender by completing a deed in lieu of foreclosure, and then lease back the house at a market rate.

To participate in the program, borrowers must live in the home as their primary residence and must be released from any subordinate liens on the property. Tenants of borrowers in this circumstance may also be eligible for leases under the program. Borrowers or tenants interested in a lease must be able to document that the new market rental rate is no more than 31% of their gross income.

Leases under the new program may be up to 12 months, with the possibility of term renewal or month-to-month extensions after that period. A Deed for Lease property that is subsequently sold includes an assignment of the lease to the buyer. For additional information about the Deed for Lease Program, including full details on program eligibility, please review the Guide Announcement by clicking here.

Tax Credit Extended and Expanded!

Senate and House approve homebuyer tax credit extension

The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday night and the House of Representatives on Thursday to extend the $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers beyond its scheduled November 30, 2009, expiration date. The bill will be sent to the White House for his signature possibly as early as tomorrow. The credit would be available until April 30, 2010. Under the new legislation the credit will also now apply to repeat homebuyers.

Under a compromise reached late last week, the tax credit for veteran homeowners will apply only to those who have lived in their current residence for at least five years. The credit for these buyers will be capped at $6,500 while first time buyers will continue to receive $8,000.

Income levels will be extended from the current limits of $75,000 for a single purchaser and $150,000 for couples to $125,000 and $225,000 respectively. Above those limits there are diminishing credits available.

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-Ford Craven, REALTOR