Real Estate Latest Blog

by Stefan Swanepoel

We all know that 2000 – 2005 comprised one of the hottest real estate markets on record in which the industry enjoyed tremendous growth. But are there any consequences to the industry?

“Definitely” says Stefan Swanepoel, author the annual Swanepoel Trends Report in his latest 2007 edition. “During this period of growth the country experienced a buying frenzy fed by low interest rates, a plate full of (more…)

The real estate boom over the past two decades has been felt all over North America, especially in major centres across the United States and in Canada. However, in each of these cities and towns, the types of real estate properties that are of most interest to home buyers and real estate investors is surprisingly quite different. For example, Miami residents are most interested in waterfront villas and tall residential high-rise buildings along the water and marinas. For New Yorkers, finding the perfect loft or condo residence close to where they work is usually the most important factor. Boston residents find brownstones and town houses the most interesting and unique type of housing available in the United States while Seattle is most interested in master-planned condo communities that provide extravagent amenities and condo features. However, whatever type of property you are looking to live in, every city will have.

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CLEVELAND (CNNMoney.com) — All over Slavic Village, Cleveland, a neighborhood with the one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, empty houses have invaded once vibrant streets.

Many of the owners left behind live near abandoned houses that shelter squatters and worse. Crime has soared and owners would leave, if they could, but their homes have plunged in value. Leaving would mean starting from scratch.

“[The remaining residents] are hard working citizens who have seen the value of their most valuable assets, their homes, plummet,” said Jim Rokakis, treasurer of Cuyahoga County.

Some of them soldier on, fighting back to reclaim their neighborhood and restore some of the value to their homes.

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When talking about real estate and property ownership in the United States, there is a common fear among home owners and real estate investors that we are upon a real estate market crash within the next decades. Already proving that no market can continue to expand and increase in value forever, San Francisco and Las Vegas have seen recent dips in property values over the past two years. While many home owners and ’self-made’ investors are calling fowl by banks who were offering ‘too good to be true mortgages’ and selling off their properties at a loss, many savvy real estate investors know that in any type of market (either boom or crash), there is money to be made in the long run.

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One of the biggest concerns when I talk to real estate agents is, What are the chances that my site will be found? After seeing the most recent survey on top real estate sites on the internet, I would say very good. Very, very good.

The big boys that we who follow the real estate market closely do not have the penetration in the market that we would assume.

When the top 10 sites comprise only 5.34 percent of the real estate searches, that is a huge win for the long tail. It also means that branding by the big boys is important but not overwhelming. Instead, focusing on the local seaches in your area has a great chance of being an effective strategy for the long term.

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(Photo source:http://www.islandsproperties.com/properties/4beachhouse-nearb.htm)If you are considering to open a new business and you don’t know yet what type of business you wanted to venture at the moment. Then, you may want to consider investing your money to real estate. Though, return of investment is not that fast because it will take a year or more before you can actually harvest the fruit of your earnings. Properties have appreciation rate annually by 5to10% depending on the status of the economy, don’t worry even if it takes a long time before you can earn; the rate of return when purchasing a house is greater than any other investment you are planning to do.

The collapse of the many real estate developers and owners who operate many malls in the US sent shivers down the spine of many estate agents and industry experts who got a wake-up call as to the extent of the real estate market troubles that are plaguing them to this day. These are some of the largest rental property owners in many US states and them falling victim to the faltering economy are a staunch reminder that recovery is to be long and painful. People are also finding it harder to cope with the economic conditions due to more troubles on the economic sides and with the social impacts of such economic woes. (more…)

Well, the news sounded good at the time, but it seems that movement seen last February might have been due to the massive inventories of homes being sold by banks who have managed to issue tons of bad loans to customers who wanted homes, for which they couldn’t have cared much for at the time due to the housing market boom that was well, booming. The word is fitting for the booming market quickly burst sending millions of homeowners without anything to pay for their home loans. (more…)

February home sales surged a bit, giving the worn out and beaten real estate industry that is managing to get by with whatever minimal sales they get. But will it last, that’s a totally different story for any gains in the economy are downplayed by other issues that continues to plague the whole economic picture. Jobless rates are at their highest and they continue to swell in spite of measures being put in place to augment the many faltering businesses. (more…)

Christmas has come and gone and the new year fails to bring hope to the faltering real estates market. Jobs are expected to be shed, even from some of the largest global firms as the global economy slips deeper into recession. The weather is also playing its part in making this one of the coldest winters of all time (except for the Ice Age maybe) aggravating the despair of people who have lost homes due to unpaid mortgages leading to foreclosure.
These foreclosed homes, though recovered by financiers and lending companies, cannot be turned back into cash to re-inject into the system causing it to seize up. More houses to sell, still not enough buyers, not good for an industry that relies on public spending for their income.