It's not just the housing market that's improving nationwide -- it's the economy overall. The number of U.S. metropolitan areas showing "measurable and sustained growth" climbed to 103 this month. The data is measured by the Improving Markets Index, a monthly metric from the National Association of Homebuilders. The Improving Market Index is meant to identify which U.S. markets are experiencing broad economic growth -- not just growth in terms of housing. The index's conclusions are based on three data series -- each collected separately; each from a different division of the U.S. government; and, each tied to specific local economic conditions. Those three data series are : Employment Statistics (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics) Home Price Growth (from Freddie Mac) Single-Family H... 10/10/2012

Upcoming Events in Parkland Florida Every month the city of Parkland Florida has a special event going on that everyone can enjoy. This month, October 13, 2012, there will be a band called Crossroads  doing a "Eric Clapton Tribute". They will be rocking out at the Pine Trails Park Amphitheater from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Bring your whole family and plenty of blankets and lawn chairs as we rock the night away. Then, the next month, November, Another band doing a tribute of "Pink Floyd". They are the Wall of Echoes. That one will be held at the same place, same time on November  3, 2012. For more information on upcoming concert events, contact the Main Parks and Recreation Phone Number (954) 757-4105. Then, on November 16, there is a Movie in the Park! Grab a picnic basket and a blanket and... 10/10/2012

Mortgage markets worsened last week for the first time in a month as the U.S. economy showed signs of improvement, and the Eurozone stepped closer to launching its $500 billion euro rescue fund. Conforming mortgage rates in Florida rose last week on the whole -- even though Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey proclaimed that they fell. This occurred because Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rate survey is conducted between Monday and Tuesday each week and, last week, mortgage rates were lower when the week began. Through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, however, they rose. According to the Freddie Mac survey, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage slipped to 3.36 percent nationwide last week, while the 15-year fixed rate mortgage fell to 2.69 percent. Both rates required 0.6 disco... 10/09/2012

It's a dangerous time for home buyers in Parkland Florida to be without a locked mortgage rate. Friday morning, at 8:30 AM ET, the government releases its Non-Farm Payrolls report for September. More well-known as "the jobs report", Non-Farm Payroll data has the power to move mortgage rates up or down. Unfortunately, ahead of the release, we can't know which. Last year, job growth more than doubled between August and September. If this year shows that same growth, Parkland Real Estate home buyers mortgage rates are expected to rocket higher. The connection between rising jobs and rising rates is a chain reaction-type link, and is often quite tight. Jobs are a growth engine for the U.S. economy and mortgage rates are "made" based on future expectations for the U.S. economy. In general, ... 10/04/2012

Home values are rising in many U.S. markets. The S&P/Case-Shiller Index has home values up 1.2 percent as compared to last year, and the government's Home Price Index shows an increase of 3.7 percent. This has been partially evidenced by rising median home sales prices nationwide. Versus last year, the median sale price of a new construction home has climbed 17 percent, and the median sale price of an existing home sale is higher by 10 percent. For home sellers, an improving market means the chance to net more proceeds from a home sale. Or does it? In this 3-minute piece from NBC's The Today Show, we hear about the home appraisal process and how it may be limiting the number of home sales nationwide, plus the prices at which homes are selling. The interview includes several key insight... 10/03/2012

There have been no shortage of "housing market" stories lately. After sinking through much of late-last decade, home values slowly stabilized into mid-2011. By October 2011, values appeared to have bottomed. Today, nearly five-and-one-half years after the April 2007 housing market peak, home prices are finally showing their ability to rebound. Over the past 12 months, a bevy of housing market data highlights broad-based market growth. For example, as compared to August 2011, Existing Home Sales are up 9.3 percent nationally; New Home Sales are up 27.7 percent nationally; and home inventories have slipped to multi-year lows in Parkland Florida and throughout the country. Furthermore, multiple home value trackers show home prices rising both regionally and nationwide. Last week, the gove... 10/02/2012

Mortgage rates dropped to another all-time low last week as concerns for global economic growth helped U.S. home buyers and refinancing households nationwide. U.S. mortgage rates responded to non-U.S. events, and for rate shoppers and home buyers in Parkland or Coral Springs , Florida , home affordability improved. Early in the week, with Greece and Spain debating new austerity measures, and with citizen protests rampant, a flight-to-quality helped to boost demand for U.S. mortgage bonds. So did rumors of a weakening Chinese economy. "Flight-to-quality" is a trading term for when investors shun investment risk in favor of safer, more high-quality portfolio assets. Typically, this involves selling stocks and buying bonds, including mortgage-backed ones. When demand for mortgage-backed b... 10/01/2012

Sable Pointe of Heron Bay St. John Model sold by Ed Poirier in Parkland FL 33076 Ed Poirier of Coldwell Banker has sold another beautiful home in Heron Bay. This Saint John model built by WCI in 2007 has a nice pool & water view in Sable Pointe. If you would like more information about homes currently for sale in Heron Bay please visit HeronBayHomesFlorida.com This St. John model was completely redone inside with new paint, new appliances, new crown moulding & more. Great pool with Jacuzzi and water view. Get a great deal on a home like this by calling 954-295-8015.   ED POIRIER CAN ASSIST WITH SELLING YOUR HOME, BUYING A HOME, NEW CONSTRUCTION IN PARKLAND, SHORT SALES & BANK OWNED REO FORECLOSURE HOMES. PLEASE CALL TO GET MODELS, FLOOR PLANS AND PRICE LISTS FOR HERON BAY, PARKLAND GOL... 09/28/2012

Nationwide, homes continue to sell briskly. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the Pending Home Sales Index read 99.2 for August -- the fourth straight month in which the index hovered near its benchmark value of 100. A "pending home" is a home that is under contract to sell, but has not yet closed. The index measures with fair accuracy the future strength of the U.S. housing market. For today's Parkland home buyers, the August Pending Home Sales Index is relevant for several reasons. First, the index remains near its highest point since April 2010, the last month of that year's federal home buyer tax credit. This implies that the current housing market is performing nearly as well as the "stimulated" market of two years ago -- except without the accompanying federal s... 09/27/2012

  Here is the new community site plan. If you would like floor plans, pricing, etc., please email me at jon@jonklein.com or call me at 954-415-5595.   Jon Klein, P.A.,GRI, Realtor Real Living 1st Choice Realty 954-415-5595 fax 954-827-0464 www.jonklein.com www.facebook.com/JonKleinRealtor     09/27/2012

The home resale market put forth another strong data set last week. Home sales prices are higher nationwide and sales volume has moved to a 2-year high. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 4.82 million "existing homes" sold on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis in August, representing a near 8 percent improvement from the month prior and a nine percent jump from August 2011. Home sales were unevenly split across price tiers, with more than half of all homes selling for less than $250,000. This suggests that the first-time home buyers and real estate investors continue to be active in today's market as a foundation for growth is built. According to the Existing Home Sales data : First-time buyers accounted for 31% of all home sales Real estate investors accounted fo... 09/24/2012

Mortgage markets improved for the second consecutive week last week as demand for U.S. mortgage-backed bonds remained high. A series of economic reports showed strength in housing and a stability in jobs. Wall Street looked past it, however, to send mortgage rates to their lowest levels in history. One week into the Federal Reserve's newest bond-buying program, the stimulus appears to be working. According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate slipped to 3.49% last week for borrowers willing to pay an accompanying 0.6 discount points at the time of closing. Discount points are a one-time closing costs where 1 discount point is equal to one percent of your loan size. 3.49% marks a new all-time low for the 30-year fixed rate mortgage. The 15-year fixed rate mortgag... 09/24/2012

For the first time in 9 weeks, mortgage rates have made new lows. According to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell 6 basis points to 3.49% this week, tying the all-time low set in late-July. The 15-year fixed rate mortgage also dropped, moving to 2.77%. This, too, marks an all-time low. The Federal Reserve's plan to pressure mortgage rates down may be working. However, depending on where you live, your access to these all-time low rates may be limited. This is because the Freddie Mac "published rate" is a national average based on the government-backed group's survey of more than 125 banks. Mortgage rates can vary by region. For example, this week, mortgage applicants in the West Region are most likely to get the lowest... 09/21/2012

The new construction housing market continues to make gains. Wednesday, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Housing Starts for single-family homes up 5.5 percent in August to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized count of 535,000 units nationwide. The report marks the fifth month of six that single-family starts increased, and marks the highest starts tally since April 2010 -- the last month of that year's federal homebuyer tax credit program. A "housing start" is a new home on which construction has started and the steady growth in single-family homes starts suggests a stronger FL housing market into 2013. All four U.S. regions showed single-family housing start growth on both a monthly basis and on an annual one : Northeast Region : 4.5% monthly growth; 31.4% annual growth Midwest Region : 1... 09/20/2012

Home builder confidence continues to make new highs. As reported by the National Association of Home Builders, the Housing Market Index, a measure of builder confidence, rose to a reading of 40 in September -- its highest mark since June 2006. The index is now higher through five straight months and 11 of the last 12. For home buyers in Parkland , the survey may be signaling higher new home prices ahead; when builders are more confident in housing, they may be less likely to make concessions in price, and to "sweeten" deals with free upgrades and/or subsidized mortgage rates. The Housing Market Index is published monthly, based on responses to a 3-question survey that the NAHB sends to its members. The questions cover three distinct parts of a builder's business, each requiring a simpl... 09/19/2012

Mortgage markets improved last week as the Federal Reserve introduced new economic stimulus. The move trumped bond-harming action from the Eurozone, and a series better-than-expected U.S. economic data. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate dropped last week for most loan types, including for conforming, FHA and VA loans. 15-year fixed rate mortgage rates improved, as well. Mortgage rates are back near their lowest levels of all-time. Last week's main event was the Federal Open Market Committee's sixth scheduled meeting of 2012. Wall Street expected the Fed to launch a third round of quantitative easing (QE3) after its meeting and the nation's central banker did not disappoint. It launched QE3 and did so with such scale that even Wall Street was shocked. The Federal Reserve announced a ... 09/17/2012

The Federal Open Market Committee ends a 2-day meeting today, the group's sixth of 8 scheduled meetings this year. As a Parkland home buyer or would-be refinancer, be ready for mortgage rates to change. The Federal Open Market Committee is a 12-person sub-committee of the Federal Reserve. Led by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, it's the group within the Fed tasked with voting on U.S. monetary policy. The act for which the FOMC is most well-known is its management of the Fed Funds Rate. The Fed Funds Rate is the interest rate at which banks borrow money from each other overnight. It's one of several interest rates under Federal Reserve management. "Mortgage rates", however, is not among them. The Federal Reserve does not set or make mortgage rates -- Wall Street does. Further, there is no his... 09/13/2012

The number of U.S. housing markets showing "measurable and sustained growth" has increased by 19 this month, according to the National Association of Homebuilders' Improving Market Index. The Improving Market Index is a monthly report meant to identify U.S. markets in which economic growth is occurring broadly -- not just in terms of home prices. The IMI's conclusions are based on three separately-collected data series, each from a different division of the U.S. government and each tied to specific local economic conditions. In this way, the Improving Market Index gives a better idea of which markets will outperform averages in the months and years ahead. The three data series incorporated into the Improving Market Index are : Employment Statistics (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)... 09/12/2012

For today's home buyers and refinancing households, the value of "good credit" has never been higher. Mortgage approvals hinge on your FICO score, as does your final mortgage pricing. If you're shopping for a home in Parkland or Coral Springs Florida , therefore, or contemplating a refinance, be aware of how everyday credit behaviors can affect your FICO. Even small events can make a big impact. Here are some common-sense steps to help improve your credit score. First, keep a "cushion" on your credit cards. 30 percent of your credit score is linked to "Amount Owed" and a big part of Amount Owed is a raw calculation of (1) What you owe in dollar terms, against (2) How much credit you have at your disposal. The credit bureaus want to see at least 70% of your credit "available". If you ca... 09/11/2012

Beginning as soon as next week, new mandatory mortgage fees will push mortgage rates higher throughout Parkland and nationwide. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are raising their respective "guarantee fees". Guarantee fees are fees that mortgage-backed securities providers charge to lenders for mortgage-related services including the bundling, selling and reporting of mortgage-backed bonds. Guarantee fees are also used to insure providers against credit-related losses. As announced by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, effective for all conforming loans delivered to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, beginning November 1, 2012, guarantee fees will be raised by an average of 10 basis points per loan. Conforming mortgages already average close to 30 basis points in guarantee fee per loan. This is the... 09/07/2012