March 26, 2012
HARRY’S WEEKLY UPDATE

LOCAL ECONOMY GAINING JOBS IN PAST 18 MONTHS
The Gazette, Saturday, March 24, 2012

Thought the unemployment rate in the Colorado Springs area remains at a stubborn 9%, there is good news. The local economy has been adding jobs, rather than losing them, according to the revised payroll data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The revisions add more than 4,600 jobs per month to last year’s employment totals and reflect a local economy that began recovering from the most recent recession in late 2010, said Tom Binnings, a senior partner of Summit Economics, LLC, a Colorado Springs-based economic research and forecasting firm.

“This is what we were forecasting for last year but wasn’t reflected in the survey numbers, that the economy was much better than was estimated by BLS. We are very pleased that the local economy is gaining traction.’ Binnings said.

“If you look at the other economic indicators for the area,such as sales tax collections, vehicle sales and housing construction, they support that employment was higher than originally reported”, said Fred Crowley, senior economist for the Southern Colorado Economic Forum.

“All indications ar that the local economy is in recovery after bottoming out in early 2009 and has been moving forward at a faster pace than it originally appeared to be”, Crowley said.

That’s good news for our area !!!!


BUYING BEATS RENTING IN COLORADO SPRINGS
by Inman News, Thursday, March 22, 2012.

Thanks to nationwide price declines and rising rents, buying a home is now cheaper than renting one in 98 of the nation's 100 major metropolitan areas, according to a rent vs. buy index from real estate search and marketing site Trulia.

The rent vs. buy index is based on a price-to-rent ratio of asking prices to asking rents for properties on Trulia.com between Dec. 1, 2011 and Feb. 29. 2012, after adjusting for property and neighborhood attributes.

A price-to-rent ratio of 15 or below indicates it is less expensive to buy than to rent in an area.
The top 10 metro areas where it is cheaper to buy than to rent are:

Rank US Metro Price:Rent Ratio

1 Honolulu 17
2. San Francisco 15.5
3. New York 14.5
4. San Jose, CA 14.3
5. Orange County, CA 13.5
6. Los Angeles, CA 13
7 San Diego, CA 12.7
8. Colorado Springs, CO 12
9. Boston, MA 12
10 Albuquerque, NM 11


As rents rise and prices stagnate, homeownership is becoming even more affordable, but rising rents create a dilemma for people who can’t afford to buy yet,” says Jed Kolko, Trulia’s chief economist. “Rising rents make it harder for people to save for a down payment, which is the biggest barrier to buying a home that aspiring homeowners face.”

Paul Dales, senior economist at Capital Economics, estimated decreased vacancies in the home-rental market will push average rental rates up as much as 5% by early 2013, compared to 2.4% in January.

He expects rents to rise at an annual rate of 3% this year and remain at that level in 2013. "Assuming that the economic recovery gains firmer footing, in future years there is scope for rents to rise by around 4% a year," Dales said.

The bottom line for our local, Colorado Springs readers is that you should check with us to see if, considering your circumstances and present market conditions, buying might be better for you than renting, or, if your portfolio would profit from purchasing a rental property, we will be pleased to discuss that option with you. Call us at 598-3200,or,1-800-677-MOVE(6683) to discuss these opportunities.


IT’S TIME TO STOP BEING A MUGWUMP

A Mugwump is a bird that sits on a fence with his ‘mug’ on one side and his ‘wump’ on the other.

For the past few years, the real estate market has been full of prospective buyers (Mugwumps) who have delayed their purchasing decision, as they wait for mortgage rates to go even lower.

Well, folks, if you have been a Mugwump, it’s now time to get off the fence. All the evidence points to the fact that rates are not going to go down, but are even now starting to rise.

Within the past week, the Wall Street Journal, DS News, Housingwire and InmanNews have all featrured stories about the rise in mortgage interest rates. In addition to this rise in rates, you have to add in the fact that FHA costs are rising, the inventories of available homes is shrinking and, in many markets, credit scores are beginning to present problems for prospective buyers.

Locally, Tom Monroe of Residential Mortgage of Colorado LLC just quoted me some current data that emphasize this trend. For example:

• A 30-year, fixed rate, conventional mortgage, with a minimum 20% down payment is now going for around 4.375% - 4.5%....That still extremely low, but it’s higher than it was two weeks ago
• A 15 year, fixed rate, conventional mortrgage is now about 4.0%
• A 30 year, fixed rate for an FHA mortgage is now about 4%
• Our inventory of available homes is shrinking, and, as we all know, when supply shrinks, prices tend to rise.

real estate agents also see the lack of inventory as a problem . The number of homes for sale is down sharply from a year ago. That may stem partly from would-be sellers waiting for prices to firm up.

We strongly urge you to contact your local lender to see how the recent changes in rates, closing costs and FHA fees might affect your loan …and then call us for assistance in getting the best deal possible on your new home.

Call us at 598-3200, or, 1-800-677-MOVE(6683) to discuss the present opportunity for you to buy your home….and leave the other Mugwumps on the fence !!!


FEBRUARY NATIONWIDE HOME SALES UP STRONGLY FROM A YEAR AGO

Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are 8.8 percent higher than the level in February 2011.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says underlying factors are much better compared to one year ago. “The market is trending up unevenly, with record high consumer buying power and sustained job gains giving buyers the confidence they need to get into the market,” he says. “Although relatively unusual, there will be rising demand for both rental space and homeownership this year. The great suppression in household formation during the past four years was unsustainable, and a pent-up demand could burst forth from the improving economy.”

“The bottom line is investors and first-time buyers are competing for bargain-priced properties in much of the country, with home prices showing signs of stabilizing in many areas. People realize that homeownership is an investment in their future. Given an apparent over-correction in most areas, over the long term home prices have nowhere to go but up.”

Call us at 598-3200, or, 1-800-677-MOVE(6683) to discuss the present opportunity for you to buy your home.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE RISES NATIONALLY

A new national survey released by Prudential, shows that Americans are significantly more optimistic about home ownership than they were a year ago. According to the survey, a full 60 percent of Americans have favorable views toward the real estate market. That is up eight points since last year.
More details from the national Prudential Survey:

• With interest rates at historically low levels, 96 % agree or somewhat agree that now is a good time to buy.
• A full 70 % of respondents have some degree of confidence that property values will improve over the next two years; with an eight-point increase in those “very confident”, or “confident” compared to last year.
• 63 % believe that real estate is a good investment despite the recent market volatility; that is up 11 points from last year.

And, please remember, I would be honored to serve as your Broker for all of your residential real estate needs. I want to help you, my reader, make the most prudent and accurate Real Estate business decision.
 

Also if you know of anyone who desires to buy or sell local real estate, or, who is moving in or out of the Pikes Peak region, remember that, with over 39 years of providing relocation and Real Estate services to clients throughout the country, I am uniquely qualified to assist them with the relocation process, including buying and/or selling their homes on both ends of their move. Please allow me to implement my negotiating skills on your behalf.

Just click on the icon at the top of this email to listen to my latest podcast.

LATEST STATISTICS

Click here for the latest Sales and Listing statistics for the Pikes Peak area. These statistics are issued each month by the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors and enable us to help you determine current Listing prices and Sales prices in every neighborhood in this area. Please give us a call, if you have any questions about the numbers.


JOKE OF THE WEEK

OK, we know that some people are offended by ‘blonde jokes’, so we have edited the following to refer to ‘Green-Haired-Ladies’ (GHL). There, now. Nobody has to be offended, so just enjoy!!!

FIRST DEGREE
A married couple were asleep when the phone rang at 2 in the morning.
His GHL wife picked up the phone, listened a moment and said 'How should I know,
that's 200 miles from here!' and hung up. The husband said, 'Who was that?'
The wife answered, 'I don't know, some woman wanting to know if the coast is clear.'

SECOND DEGREE
Two GHLs are walking down the street. One notices a compact on the sidewalk and leans down to pick it up. She opens it, looks in the mirror and says, 'Hmm, this person looks familiar.'
The second GHL says, 'Here, let me see!' So, the first GHL hands her the compact.
The second GHL looks in the mirror and says, 'You dummy , it's me!'

THIRD DEGREE
A GHL suspects her boyfriend of cheating on her, so she goes out and buys a gun. She goes to his apartment unexpectedly and when she opens the door she finds him in the arms of a redhead. Well, the GHL is really angry. She opens her purse to take out the gun, and as she does so, she is overcome with grief. She takes the gun and puts it to her head. The boyfriend yells, 'No, honey, don't do it!!!' The GHL replies, 'Shut up, you're next!'

FOURTH DEGREE
A GHL was bragging about her knowledge of state capitals. She proudly says, 'Go ahead, ask me, .. I know 'em all.' A friend says, 'OK, what's the capital of Wisconsin ?'
The GHL replies, 'Oh, that's easy . it's W.'

FIFTH DEGREE
Q: What did the GHL ask her doctor when he told her she
was pregnant? A: 'Is it mine?'

SIXTH DEGREE
Bambi, a GHL in her fourth year as a UCLA Freshman, sat in her US Government class The professor asked Bambi if she knew what Roe vs. Wade was about. Bambi pondered the question; then, finally, said, 'That was the decision George Washington had to make before he
crossed the Delaware .'

SEVENTH DEGREE
Returning home from work, a GHL was shocked to find her house ransacked and burglarized. She telephoned the police at once and reported the crime. The police dispatcher broadcast the call on the radio, and a K-9 unit, patrolling nearby, was the first to respond. As the K-9 officer approached the house with his dog on a leash, the GHL ran out on the porch, shuddered at the sight of the cop and his dog, then sat down on the steps. Putting her face in her hands, she moaned, 'I come home to find all my possessions stolen. I call the police for help, and what do
they do? They send me a BLIND policeman!'