Entries by The KCM Crew

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5 Reasons to Sell Now

Many sellers feel that the Spring is the best time to place their home on the market as buyer demand increases at that time of year. However, the Fall and Winter have their own advantages. Here are five reasons to to sell now. Only Serious Buyers Are Out At this time of year, only those purchasers […]

Thinking of a Vacation or Retirement Home? Buy It Now

When the economy was exploding in the early 2000s, many of us began to dream about purchasing that vacation home on the lake or securing a home in a more appropriate location for our retirement years. However, with the booming economy came skyrocketing house prices. Many of the homes we fell in love with quickly […]

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What Does QE3 Mean to Housing?

UPDATE: Some of our readers wanted a clear definition of what QE3 actually is. The best explanation we have seen can be read here. The article was posted prior to the decision to move forward by Mr. Bernanke . Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke announced last week that the Fed would again be pumping money into mortgage-backed-securities […]

5 Reasons to Buy a Home Now

Based on prices, mortgage rates and soaring rents, there may have never been a better time in real estate history to purchase a home than right now. Here are five major reasons purchasers should consider buying: Supply Is Shrinking With inventory declining in many regions, finding a home of your dreams may become more difficult […]

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The Finances of Renting vs. Buying

Trulia reported this week that homeownership is 45% cheaper than renting in the United States. Jed Kolko, Trulia’s Chief Economist explained: “Homeownership is cheaper than renting in all of the 100 largest metros, by a wide margin. Despite the recent price rebound, rents continue to rise faster than prices, and mortgage rates are near record […]

Will Strategic Defaults Be the Next Challenge to Housing?

Strategic defaults may be the next challenge to a housing recovery. Investopedia defines ‘strategic default’: “A deliberate default by a borrower. As the name implies, a strategic default is done as a financial strategy and not involuntarily. Strategic defaults are commonly employed by mortgage holders of residential and commercial property who have analyzed the costs […]

Pending Contracts Up Over 12%

Last week the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their Pending Home Sales Index. The Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings (not closings), rose 2.4 percent to 101.7 in July up 12.4 percent above July last year. The index is at the highest level since April 2010, which was shortly before the closing […]

Baby Boomers About to Bust Out of Homes

This week, we have been introducing what we believe will be five mid-to-long-term opportunities in real estate over the next few years. Today is #4 – The Baby Boomers – The KCM Crew “As the Baby Boom generation has passed through age groups and life stages, they have had profound effects on housing demand and […]

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Hispanics’ Impact on the Housing Market

This week, we have been introducing what we believe will be five mid-to-long-term opportunities in real estate over the next few years. Today is #3 – The Hispanic Segment of the Market. – The KCM Crew To begin, we want to be sensitive to the feelings of all Americans who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking […]

Green Homes: Starting to Take Root Again

All this week, we will be introducing one of the five mid-to-long-term opportunities we believe will be the key areas for business growth over the next few years. Today is #2 – The ‘green’ initiative in new construction and  existing home sales. – The KCM Crew Earlier in the last decade, the real estate industry […]

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NAR’s Latest Ad Campaign: The Actual Research

There are many questioning the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) latest television ad espousing the benefits of homeownership. The questions seem to fall into three categories: Should NAR even be running ads for its membership? If yes, is this ad appropriate from a branding/messaging standpoint? Are the claims in the ad backed up by actual […]

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Housing Update from Ashley Garner

Today we are honored to have Ashley Garner, one of the great young minds in real estate, share with us his thoughts on today’s national housing market. Enjoy! – The KCM Crew The Good News Is… the recovery of the Real Estate Market is unfolding exactly as it should and exactly as we have predicted. […]

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House Prices: An Important Update

Back in February, we posted a blog (seen below) explaining that there would be a ‘window of opportunity’ for sellers to sell at a better price than they could after some distressed properties entered the market this summer. The concept was correct as prices have stabilized and, in some markets, are actually showing mild appreciation. […]