First-Time Buyers prefer “move-in” Ready Homes

A new survey by Coldwell Banker finds that 87 percent of first-time homebuyers who purchased their home within the past year preferred a move-in ready home to one that would require some work.

A home’s location to area amenities was also important to first-time buyers. Nearly four out of five buyers (78 percent) say it was important to find a home close to retail shops and services while three-fourths wanted to be close to their jobs and nearly two-thirds wanted to be near highly-rated schools.

Many buyers were surprised by the immediate benefits they received once they purchased their first home. For example, 67 percent said the market conditions provided them the opportunity to buy a home sooner than they expected, half said they found a home in a more desirable location than they expected, and 61 percent got a home for a better price than expected.

Tarrant County foreclosure postings down 7 percent

Residential foreclosure postings dropped 7 percent in Tarrant County for the March 1 auction, while the Dallas-Fort Worth area saw a 9 percent decline, the Foreclosure Listing Service said Thursday.

In Tarrant County, 1,697 foreclosures were posted, compared with 1,834 a year earlier. March postings were also down 10 percent from February.

For the region, which includes Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Collin counties, 5,071 foreclosures were posted, down from 5,548 a year earlier. The Addison-based real estate research firm said postings in the four counties have topped 4,000 for 30 consecutive months.

"Residential posting activity has been on the high end of the scale for some time now," said George Roddy Sr., the firm's president. "Posting activity tends to fluctuate at least some each month.

"The fact that postings filed for the upcoming auctions in March were about 9 percent lower than both this time last year and compared to last month does not elicit much excitement."

In the year's first quarter, Tarrant County postings increased 4 percent, to 5,439 from 5,234 a year earlier. It was the second-highest quarter, trailing only the fourth quarter of 2009, when 5,535 postings were filed, Roddy said.

Quarterly postings for the region were flat. From January to March, 16,194 postings were filed, a slight increase from 16,137 postings a year earlier. Collin County saw a 4 percent decline in the quarter, and Dallas County a 1 percent drop.

The auctions are held on the steps of the Tarrant County Courthouse. Postings must be filed with the county at least 21 days before the auction.

Generally, 25 percent to 40 percent of postings result in an actual foreclosure. In many of the other cases, homeowners are able to make up the arrears.

Mortgage Rates Hold Mostly Steady This Week

Mortgage rates mostly remained steady for the week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly report on average mortgage rates.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased just slightly this week to 4.81 percent from 4.80 percent the week prior. Mortgage rates have been steadily inching upward since reaching a 40-year low in November of 4.17 percent. Meanwhile, 15-year rates dropped to 4.08 percent this week from 4.09 percent last week.

Five-year adjustable-rate mortgages also fell slightly to 3.69 percent from 3.7 percent last week.

"Mortgage rates held relatively stable this week on news that the economy improved and inflation remained in check at the end of 2010,” says Frank Nothaft, chief economist at Freddie Mac.

Source: “Mortgage Rates Show Mixed Results This Week,” Freddie Mac (Feb. 3, 2011)

3 Reasons to Sell a Home Soon

What do you tell a client who asks whether to sell a house now or wait? Steve McLinden, real estate adviser with Bankrate.com, offers these three good reasons not to wait, even though the holidays are approaching:

1. The market is improving. Most markets have either turned or are close to turning.

2. All real estate is local. Homes in great locations are always in demand.

3. Spring is coming soon. Many potential buyers are starting their online searches right after the holidays, making mid- to late February a great time to start marketing.

Source: Bankrate.com, Steve McLinden