FW: Weekly Video Channel Update - Michael Clarkson - REMAX Alliance

Here is a link to my weekly "REAL ESTATE NEWS CHANNEL":

Click Here

This week's segments are full of interesting and useful information that I think you will enjoy whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter.

Some of the topics covered this week are:

Real Estate Outlook - When the national housing market numbers bottom out and start to improve again, will anyone tell us? That's a sobering question to have to ask. But based on media coverage of last week's national report on new foreclosure filings, it's relevant.
Mortgage Moment - Jan Demas discusses "No Points / No Closing Cost Loans?"
Market Condition - Stony Brook, NY - Realtor Frank J. Mosca, of Stony Brook, New York -- located on the North Shore of Long Island, reports that "for the first time in the last five years, Long Island home prices are rising by less than 10 percent annually"
Ask the Expert - "A few years ago I purchased a home with a subprime mortgage. I put no money down and have been making interest only payments. I am getting worried, as I don't think I'll be able to make the new, higher payments when they start up next year. I don't want to move out of my home. I love it here! Any advice?"
Video of the Week - This week's amazing video.

You can also tour my latest listing as well as view some of my personal favorites.

I hope you enjoy this week's show. If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me.

 

Oh, by the way™

… if you know of someone looking for a Realtor® whose service is "Mile High" and would appreciate the level of service I provide, please call me with their name and business number and I will be happy to follow up and take great care of them.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Michael

 

Michael J. Clarkson Broker Associate
Work: 1.303.403.2641 Mobile: 1.303.332.6393 Fax: 1.866.723.4337 Email: mj@milehighhomehunter.com IM: mjclarksondenver (MSN) Home Page RE/MAX Alliance 9737 Wadsworth Parkway Westminster, CO 80021 USA
See who we know in common	Want a signature like this?

 

Growth Slows in Some States

Growth Slows in Some States

By Conor Dougherty
From The Wall Street Journal Online

Population growth in several of the fastest-growing states is slowing -- in Arizona, Florida and Nevada, in particular -- in a trend both reflecting and fueling the housing-market malaise in those areas.

Signs Of Change • The Census Shows: Growth in several of the fastest-growing states has slowed. • What It Reveals: Malaise in the housing market is changing the way Americans relocate. • Bottom Line: The West and South continue to gain residents from the Midwest and Northeast. • Home-Price Declines Accelerate

"This is our first chance to see what has been the migration impact of the housing-market slowdown, and it's showing up in these highflying states," says William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

The Census Bureau's annual estimate of state population changes covers the 12 months that ended July 1. It shows that people continue to flee the Midwest -- especially Michigan, one of two states to lose people -- and that the Mountain states in the West continue to post large population gains as people arrive from California and elsewhere.

Arizona, Florida and Nevada are still among the fastest-growing states in the country, by percentage. Nevada saw an increase of 2.9%, or 72,955 people, tallying births, deaths and migration from inside and outside the U.S.

That was less than the previous year's 3.5% increase and lower than the 3%-plus growth rate for the six previous years. Arizona, the second-fastest-growing state, saw its population increase 2.8% in the most recent period, compared with a 3.6% rise in the previous year.

U.S. Census, 2007 VS. 2006 See a sortable chart of states' shifting populations.

Florida, which has suffered heavily in the housing bust, saw the sharpest falloff in population growth. Florida grew 1.07%, slightly faster than the U.S. growth rate of 0.96%. During the year, 35,301 people moved to Florida from another state, 134,798 fewer than in the previous year. That is the slowest rate of domestic migration into Florida since at least 1990, the year the Census Bureau began publishing annual estimates of migration between states.

Pain in the manufacturing sector, especially auto manufacturing, continued to purge residents from the Midwest. Michigan lost 30,500 residents, a 0.3% decline. Ohio was essentially flat, gaining 3,404. Besides Michigan, the only state to lose population was Rhode Island.

Broadly, people in the Northeast and Midwest continue to leave for the West and South. Utah and Idaho were the third- and fourth-fastest-growing states, respectively. Colorado and Wyoming were eighth and ninth, respectively. Both states saw their rate of growth increase.

Residents of California, on the other hand, continue to leave: In the most recent period, 263,035 people left California for another state. The state's 0.8% population growth was mostly because of births.

In the South, states including Georgia and North Carolina have taken the fast-growing mantle away from Florida, while Texas continues to suck up new residents. Georgia and North Carolina grew 2.17% and 2.16%, respectively. Texas grew 2.12%. Those states also are among the biggest gainers in absolute terms. Texas gained 496,751 residents, more than any other state. Georgia had the third-largest increase, with 202,670, and North Carolina was fifth, with 191,590.

Following the exodus of residents after Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana added about 50,000 people in the year to July 1. There is still a ways to go, though: From July 2005 to July 2006, the state lost about 220,000 residents.

 

 

 

 

 

Source: http://www.realestatejournal.com/buysell/relocation/20071228-dougherty.html?refresh=on

MileHighHomeHunter.com - Weekly Real Estate News Channel

Here is a link to my weekly "REAL ESTATE NEWS CHANNEL":

Click Here

This week's segments are full of interesting and useful information that I think you will enjoy whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter.

Some of the topics covered this week are:

Real Estate Outlook - The economy's messages for real estate in the past week have been just about as mixed as you can get.
Mortgage Moment - Jan Demas discusses making "Mortgage Payments online".
Market Condition - Kihei, Hawaii, fueling a healthy housing market is super healthy job growth -- reported in the last few year at 17.94%.report local experts.
Ask the Expert - "My grandfather is giving me his home. There is a $20,000 mortgage balance. The lender says that I cannot get a loan unless my grandfather sells the house to me for at least the $20,000 value. He says my grandfather can "give" me the equity. Do I have to do it this way?"
Video of the Week - This week's amazing video.

You can also tour my latest listing as well as view some of my personal favorites.

I hope you enjoy this week's show. If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me.

 

Oh, by the way™

… if you know of someone looking for a Realtor® whose service is "Mile High" and would appreciate the level of service I provide, please call me with their name and business number and I will be happy to follow up and take great care of them.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Michael

 

Michael J. Clarkson Broker Associate
Work: 1.303.403.2641 Mobile: 1.303.332.6393 Fax: 1.866.723.4337 Email: mj@milehighhomehunter.com IM: mjclarksondenver (MSN) Home Page RE/MAX Alliance 9737 Wadsworth Parkway Westminster, CO 80021 USA
See who we know in common	Want a signature like this?

 

News from The Mile High Home Hunter

 

 

Mile High Home Hunter News ALERT! IS DENVER POISED FOR A TURNAROUND IN 2008? What is going on here?  In real estate, you get to meet a lot of people, and you hear a few funny stories -- some of which are timely and real estate related.  For example, I heard a joke about the Broncos that went:   Q: Did you hear that someone vandalized the Broncos Offensive Team's homes?   A: Yeah, someone put an end-zone in front of their homes and they couldn't get in!   Jokes aside, which of these three opportunities do you think is the best for someone interested in Denver real estate in 2008? Being the listing real estate agent for all the Broncos who will get whacked this year in training camp? Being the buyer's agent for all the new players moving to Denver to play for the Broncos in 2008. Buying or selling a new home in Denver in 2008? In my opinion, it's #3.  Though, either #1 or #2 would certainly generate a lot of business, things in our market appear to be looking favorably. As those of you who have been long-standing clients of me know, I have been sharing data that tends to indicate that there are favorable factors pointing to a stronger market in Denver in 2008.  This is a trend I have been seeing and sharing in my blog at http://www.MileHighMLS.com for quite some time now.  As of this writing, the trends are moving favorably.   So, is NOW the time to buy or sell? Well, that's a personal decision that is based on your particular goals -- goals I can help define in the context of the current market.    What I CAN tell you is that the following are data points that have been publicized in leading real estate resources in the past 60 days: Denver was in the TOP 10 of HIGHEST Year-Over-Year Job Growth (as identified by Monster.com in November 2007) Year-Over-Year Job Growth was UP 14% over the trailing 12 months Click here to see the chart Colorado is in the TOP 8 of the FASTEST GROWING STATES (in terms of population) Population is up 95,267 to a total of 4,861, 515 -- making Colorado the 22nd most populous state That is a 2.0% increase year-over-year from 2006 Click here to see the Wall Street Journal Online's interactive chart The National Association of REALTORS� identified DENVER as one of the TOP 5 HIGHEST POTENTIAL MARKETS in 2008. Click here to see the presentation (This is a PowerPoint presentation that you will need to open or save to your hard drive. To ensure the data is not changed, you will need to open it as "Read Only" as it is password protected.) Additionally, national stories on my Real Estate Video Channel, published in my monthly eNewsletter, are telling the story of a stronger market -- despite the media reporting (click here to see the report) Or click here to check out my weekly real estate video channel provided to my clients AND, I can tell you as a practicing REALTOR� working in the field everyday, that I am seeing multiple offers coming in concurrently on foreclosure/bank owned listings.  Though this is more of an analogy rather than a piece of raw data, I am seeing it in every offer I have written this year for foreclosure/bank owned listings. So, competition with other buyers is heating up. So, is this 1999 ~ 2000 all over again? Not by a long shot!  (That is a GOOD thing!) However, there are compelling reasons to buy right now: Demand and supply of homes is moving into more of an equilibrium The debt-forgiveness plan passed by Congress and signed by the President (click here to see the Act) are intended to normalize the market Interest rates are at HISTORIC LOWS STILL!!! (click here to see the latest rates) AND, qualified buyers are ALWAYS desirable to lenders. All together, this should slow down ARM pops and, thus, slow the pace of foreclosures -- meaning less supply of foreclosed homes and, by extension, total homes up for sale. In fact, I have had several clients taking advantage of the current market by investing.  They have bought or are in the process of buying a new home and renting out their current home, in some instances to recently displaced homeowners. These investors were encouraged due to the very high occupancy rates and upward pressure on rents in the Denver metro area.  In fact, one client had their home contracted for rent within 4 days of advertising it! Afraid of being a landlord?  I have access to lots of resources to help make you through the process. So, if historically lower interest rates, a currently favorable supply of homes and the data presented from the resources above have you thinking now is the time for you, then I am here to be of help.   Also, if you know of anyone buying or selling - either as a homeowner or an investor - and would appreciate the level of professionalism and service I offer, please provide me their name and number and I will be happy to follow up with them and take great care of them.  I am always complimented most highly when I am referred by you.  Quick Links Our Website Buyers' Resources Sellers' Resources Just Listed Around Denver RE/MAX Alliance Michael Clarkson REALTOR�, GRI

Forward email   Email Marketing by RE/MAX Alliance | 9737 Wadsworth Parkway | Westminster | CO | 80021

Denver Metro Market Trend Analysis - Denver Metro Selected Towns/Cities

This will be the last update in 2007. December's update will occur January 10, 2008.

As this year wraps up, I continue to find increasing agreement from the top producing REALTORS® that the Denver market is improving. You will note that - even though we are in the slower part of the year (holidays and winter) - that the market dynamics are improving. Of the communities sampled below, last month there were 8 Seller's Markets, 4 Buyer's Markets and 5 Neutral Markets. THIS MONTH, the composition is: 10 Seller's Markets, 4 Buyer's Markets and 3 Neutral Markets. HOWEVER, the composite of the selected areas did soften by about 0.3 months of inventory (inventory went up).

What does this mean? Well, given that a meaningful amount of buyer's drop out of the market during the Thanksgiving week, one would expect about a 0.25 months (or 1 week of 4 weeks in a month, or 0.25 months) of inventory increase -- just from the natural holiday inactivity. The overall context means that transaction levels stayed largely the same, adjusted for the holiday. Given the shocks related to the "subprime implosion", uncertainty about interest rates, rising oil, food and consumer prices, and the grossly misrepresented foreclosure rate in Colorado, the market is doing pretty well.

So, I hear the "So, what does that mean for me? How do price to sell in a market like this?"

Well, listen to your REALTOR® and price your home based on their professional opinion. Overpricing will actually cause you to lose out in the end. For more information, check out my main website: http://www.milehighhomehunter.com after Monday, December 10, 2007, for two articles: 1) A study about how overpricing actually led to a LOWER price when sold (not to mention the additional carrying cost) and 2) A study from the National Association of Realtors® about what your home improvements cost and what they earn you in the market place.

To receive these and other updates via email, join my subscriber list at the "Join My Email List" box at http://www.MileHighHomeHunter.com or my blog at http://www.MileHighMLS.com

Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas and a joyous Holiday Season to all!

And remember, I am never too busy for any of YOUR referrals!

Michael Clarkson
RE/MAX Alliance - Westminster

---

Market Trend Analysis - Denver Metro Selected Towns/Cities
Based on information from Metrolist, Inc. for the period November 2, 2007 until December 2, 2007.
Single Family Residences Between $100k and $1,000k
Excludes Housing Not Listed in MetroList
Note: Six (5.5 to 6.5) Months of Inventory Tends to Indicate Neutral Market, Over 6.5 Months a Buyer's Market, Under 5.5 Months a Seller's Market
					6
Locale	Active Listings	Prior 12 Months Sold	Sold per Month (Avg)	Months of Inventory (MOI)	Current Mkt State	Under Con-tract	Curr. Mo.  Vs. Ann'l Sold per Mo.	Under Cont-ract vs. 12 Mo. Sold
Arvada	579	1,432	119.3	4.9	Seller's Market	118	Buyer's Trend	-1%
Broomfield	296	814	67.8	4.4	Seller's Market	77	Seller's Trend	14%
Castle Rock	711	1,312	109.3	6.5	Buyer's Market	139	Seller's Trend	27%
Denver	4,232	7,785	648.8	6.5	Buyer's Market	813	Seller's Trend	25%
Erie	179	292	24.3	7.4	Buyer's Market	39	Seller's Trend	60%
Golden	445	703	58.6	7.6	Buyer's Market	55	Buyer's Trend	-6%
Highlands Ranch	316	901	75.1	4.2	Seller's Market	75	Buyer's Trend	0%
Lafayette	84	214	17.8	4.7	Seller's Market	16	Buyer's Trend	-10%
Lakewood	565	1,400	116.7	4.8	Seller's Market	147	Seller's Trend	26%
Littleton	903	3,040	253.3	3.6	Seller's Market	225	Buyer's Trend	-11%
Louisville	31	104	8.7	3.6	Seller's Market	8	Buyer's Trend	-8%
Northglenn	193	425	35.4	5.4	Seller's Market	41	Seller's Trend	16%
Parker	712	1,644	137.0	5.2	Seller's Market	100	Buyer's Trend	-27%
Superior	31	131	10.9	2.8	Seller's Market	10	Buyer's Trend	-8%
Thornton	783	1,593	132.8	5.9	Neutral Market	176	Seller's Trend	33%
West-minster	610	1,260	105.0	5.8	Neutral Market	124	Seller's Trend	18%
Wheat Ridge	151	306	25.5	5.9	Neutral Market	24	Buyer's Trend	-6%
Total of Selected Towns & Locales	10,821	23,356	1,946.3	5.6	Neutral Market	2,187	Seller's Trend	12%
Total MetroList*	20,603	36,391	3,032.6	6.8	Buyer's Market	3,175	Seller's Trend	5%
* Single Family Residences Only
http://www.MileHighHomeHunter.com
http://www.MileHighForeclosure.com
http://www.CashPathRealEstate.com
http://www.HomesInColorado.com/mclarkson
Note: This representation is based in whole or in part on content supplied by Metrolist, Inc. Metrolist, Inc. does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Content maintained by Metrolist, Inc. may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.