The Internet Has Changed The Real Estate Business!

Change is not easy. And change is even harder for an old timer like me ! But change is necessary to survive in this new world of Real Estate .
What A Difference The Internet has made in the Real Estate business! The Internet has totally changed the rules of the game.
For 32 years now I've followed all the rules on personal promotion and "The Marketing of Me." I followed all the suggestions in the seminars, the classes and the books. Internet savvy consumers have changed everything. You don't care about all the self promotion...you want to know what I can do for you.

Today's typical buyer and seller is very familiar and comfortable with the Internet.The National Association of Realtors says the typical Buyer and Seller will first browse the Internet before contacting an agent.
If you are looking on-line for a home, and /or a Realtor, sure, you want to know that I know what I am doing…. But most importantly, you want to know what's in it for you.
You want up-to-date information. And you want it now. All the marketing stuff we Realtors have been doing for years including post cards ,flyers, ads in the newspapers and in magazines, ALL of that takes a back seat to the Internet.

I began to blog just recently ,and I am amazed at the positive response I've received!
Here on my blog, you will find your Stone Harbor and Avalon Real Estate information. Each month I'll update you on homes that are now on the market, what went under contract, and what has Sold in the month.

Would you like more information? If you do not find what you need at www.StoneHarborRealtor.com , please e-mail me at Nancy@NancyMAlexander.com
Or call me…I Love To Talk Real Estate ! 800.708.5792

Real Trends Newsletter

COMMENTARY
The New Year: The Worst Looks to be Behind Us
According to the REAL Trends Housing Market Report released on January 17, closings for the fourth quarter 2007
were down 21 percent from the same quarter in 2006. However, the good news is that closings for each month from
October 2007 through December 2007 were down fairly uniformly from the same months in 2006.
Prices were down in much the same pattern. Prices for closed homes were off about 1.5 percent for the quarter, but
were off fairly uniformly for each month of the fourth quarter.
Hence, while business is down, it did not appear to be declining much throughout the fourth quarter of 2007.
The REAL Trends Housing Market Report was launched in October of 2007. It is a
compilation of closed home sales from brokerage firms representing nearly 40
percent of all broker assisted sales throughout the country. The report covers all
states and MSAs and represents a cross section of price ranges and types of homes.
A new report from REAL Trends, the Pulse, a survey of 750 brokerage CEOs that
we launched in January, indicated that many brokerage firms improved in January
over the prior month. Sixty-four percent of CEOs said they strongly supported or
somewhat supported the statement that their business was measurably better as of
the end of January. Almost 70 percent strongly said that a temporary raising of the
conforming loan limit would have a material positive impact on their business –
which Congress and the President appear ready to sign.
Mortgage rates dipped on interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve Board as economists
indicated that the risk of recession was near or upon us. Retail sales and credit card
growth were down measurably in December and January, indicating that consumers are
cutting back. While a recession is not an event to be sought, it can lead to an easing of
credit demand and lower rates. Lower rates can stimulate housing demand, even in
the fact of a downturn in employment, as we saw in the modest downturn of 2001.
Lower rates for mortgages and softer prices for homes mean a rise in affordability, all
other factors being equal. All of these trends should support increased buyer activity.
According to many sources, housing price indexes prices are down. The REAL
Trends Housing Market report showed that prices for closed homes were down
1.5 percent from the year before. NAR and OFHEO show soft house price declines.
Zillow’s Zindex and Cyberhomes show 3-5 percent home price declines on a
national basis. Even the S&P/Case-Schiller Index, the most bearish indicator of
house prices, says that there are many markets that remain healthy.
While homebuilders continue to report record soft sales and starts, a drop in the
supply of new homes is not bad for this housing market. Also, there are numerous
reports of investors gathering portfolios of distressed mortgages and real estate.
When large pools of investors are beginning to purchase real estate, it signals that
professional investors smell the bottom of the market.
We do not think most markets will decline much further in terms of transactions.
However, should the predicted recession be more than a mild one or the Fed
becomes more worried about inflation than a growing economy, then 2008 will not
likely be a year where housing turns upward.

Nancy@NancyMAlexander.com
www.StoneHarborRealtor.com

Realtor Magazine Article Home Improvements Cost vs Value

This article was published on: 12/01/20062006 Cost vs. Value Making Home Improvements Pay What’s the return for remodeling? Remodeling magazine’s annual report compares construction costs with resale values for 25 common remodeling projects in 60 U.S. markets.Prices for most remodeling projects continue to climb, while the recoup value of improvements at resale is declining to levels last seen in 2002. These are the findings of Remodeling magazine’s 19th annual Cost vs. Value Report — the eighth prepared in cooperation with REALTOR® Magazine. None of this should come as much of a surprise to you: This year’s recoup values confirm the housing slowdown many parts of the country are experiencing. With both home-sale and remodeling activity at record levels in the last five to six years, some cooling is inevitable. Indications are that the current downturn represents a return to “normal” levels. A number of improvements designed to make the report more reliable and useful has also affected both cost and value data. For starters, Remodeling took a fresh look at the specs for the 25 projects it studies each year. (REALTOR® Magazine, in the past, has limited the number of projects it included in its coverage.) The cost-to-construct figures (which include labor, material, subcontractors, and gross profit) are higher than in previous years, but also more accurate. (Read full project descriptions at www.remodelingmagazine.com.) The estimates of resale value are also more accurate than ever before (see “Survey confidence is high,” below), thanks to the more than 2,000 members of the NATIONAL ASSOCATION OF REALTORS® who completed Remodeling’s e-mail survey this past summer. In addition, the report introduces nine regional averages, following the divisions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. This breakdown provides higher confidence levels than could be achieved with the four larger U.S. regions measured in previous years. What the numbers meanWhen comparing cost estimates for actual projects, remember that averaging tends to have a leveling effect on “Job Cost” data. And, seemingly small differences in size, scope, or quality of finishes can dramatically affect the final project cost. Remember, too, that, even in neighborhoods in the same city, local conditions can affect both the cost and value of a remodeling project, making our numbers appear too high or too low. In an actual real estate transaction, the “cost recouped” for a given remodeling project depends on a variety of factors. These include the condition of the rest of the house, the value of similar homes nearby, and the rate at which property values are changing in the surrounding area. A home’s urban, suburban, or rural setting also affects its value, as does the availability and cost of new and existing homes in the immediate vicinity .

Nancy@NancyMAlexander.com
www.StoneHarborRealtor.com

Avalon Bayfront Homes Sold since September 2007

4725 Fourth Avenue. 60x250 lot. 5 bedrooms,2 baths. Listed for $2,575,000.Sold 1/15/08 for $2,200,000
50 Flamingo Dr. 93x141 lot. 6 bedrooms,4 baths. Listed for $5,195,000. Sold 10/1/07 for $4,725,000
Please e-mail me for more Avalon bayfront information.

Nancy@NancyMAlexander.com
www.StoneHarborRealtor.com