Warning: The Sturgeon General advices you to be careful reading or listening to positive homes sales news which maybe dangerous to your health or at least a shock to your system compared to the normal news environment. Care should be taken when reading or listening to positive news.

I get up every morning with a positive attitude with the goal to make it a positive day. During my morning drive to work I listen to the news talk radio station. I don’t know about you but I almost hate turning on the radio or any news these days. My positive attitude flies right out the window after listening to a few minutes of the morning economic news. Most of the news seems to be about the bad housing market, failing mortgage market, and of course the main headline these days the high gas prices. So here is my attempt to go against the news trend and share some good news for a change.

The National Association of Realtors® released this week their homes sales forecast based on April’s pending home sales index data. April’s index showed a national gain in homes sale contracts of 6.3% over March.  NAR’s economists forecast a continued moderate home sales increase in the next few months and it may get better in the second half of the year.  

The West coast has shown the most improvement. Positive sales growth was also felt in the Midwest and the South. The Northeast was still showing a decline by 1.9%. Pending homes sales numbers have picked up significantly in areas seeing significant home value price drops like the West. But economists predict home values will stabilize in most areas in the second half of the year.

As for the Fort Mill, Tega Cay SC area, the Charlotte Regional Realtors Association reported steady increases each month from January through April which is consistent with the NAR report. The total homes under contract nationally and locally are below last years numbers but the positive news here is the sales are gaining each month. 

I apologize if this news is shocking to you. I know this is not the normal news you hear now days. I hope this news may brighten your day or moment until the next negative news story hits. It’s no problem, this positive info is free of charge. Maybe I should listen to those old 8 tracks in the car instead of the radio news. Ops, I am dating myself. Enjoy the positive news for moment at least.

This ends the postive news warning….

Carmen sent me a link the other day for a website called housingmarketfacts.com. So I’ve now become a real estate website critic during my lunch. Should I say two thumbs up?

Anyway, the new website is by the National Association of Realtors® or Realtor.com. The website is a resource promoting the benefits of owning a home. The single web page is populated with home ownership facts, many resource links, and an embedded welcome video with a women walking on your screen to say hello. I was bothered by the fact the women stays on the screen after delivering her welcome message and just stands in place staring at you. OK, moving on.
Here are a few housingmarketingfacts.com or NAR home ownership highlights:

• A home investment could yield you a return 5 times that of the stock market.
• Home owners stay in a home on an average of 6 years. (We have not hit 6yrs yet)
• Financing info links.
• Property search links.
• Research local school and neighborhood links.
• A home equity calculator.
• And of course, facts on why Realtors® add value to the home selling or buying process.

I found an interesting link to Freddie Mac’s mortgage rate history chart by month since 1971. Here is a brief summary of the last 36 years based on a 30 yr fixed rate (average for the year and points varied):

• 1972 – 7.38%.
• 1979 – 11.20% first time over 10% since 1971.
• 1981 – 16.04% high point.
• 1991 – 9.25% finally came down under 10%.
• 2003 – 5.83% bottom.
• 2007 – 6.34%.
• Today’s rate is 6.04%.

I bought my first home in 1983 and I thought 13% was good. The site seems helpful so I’ve added the housingmarketfacts.com link to the blog links section for your future use. You can turn off the sound of the welcome lady but you can’t make her leave.

The National Association of Realtors® announced in their latest homes sales forecast that existing home sales are projected to trend up in 2008 while recovery of new home sales is unlikely before 2009.

Click to read more of the NAR press release