SUWANEE TALK!: Georgia

SUWANEE GA - APPRAISAL'S in TODAY'S ATLANTA REAL ESTATE MARKET

Don't blame the real estate appraiser if the house you're trying to sell or buy isn't worth what you thought it was. Don't shoot the messenger said Appraisal Institute President Sara W. Stephens. Stephens went on to say buyers and sellers often have emotional value attached to a home or are unaware of the market. Stephens pointed out that appraisals completed for mortgage transactions are used to assist lenders in making lending decisions and are not intended to confirm a listing, contract or sales price. Theres no reason to assume the contract price is the correct price. Appraisers dont set the real estate market; they reflect whats happening in the market.
Today the law prohibits the loan officer from talking to appraisers or selecting the appraiser. However, experienced and competent appraisers know how to adjust properly when factoring in foreclosed and/or distressed properties against a subject property. Whether you are buying or selling, when you engage a REALTOR to assist you with your real estate transaction, a comparable market analysis should give you the proper guidance on where to price your home if you are listing; and, help you determine a fair offer price if you are the buying.

 

 


Visit: MySUWANEEhome.com




Source: RisMedia

GWINNETT COUNTY; SUWANEE GA - LOCAL ELECTIONS (SUNDAY ALCOHOL SALES)

November 1, 2011 gave local voters the opportunity to have their voice heard as they cast their ballot for local city mayoral elections in Gwinnett County as well as giving voice to a couple other issues. Among those items to be determined by voters included:

  • Extending the ESPLOST tax for Gwinnett County schools
  • Sale of wine and beer on Sundays 
  • Suwanee Mayor

Perspectives on whether the SPLOST tax  for the schools should be extended vary. With the economy struggling and Atlanta's unemployment over 9%, some wonder how you can continue to squeeze blood out of a turnip. However, to maintain the quality school system that Gwinnett County currently is recognized for how can you put an end to the tax? Those questions were put to rest as voters went to the polls on Tuesday. The extension of the SPLOST tax won by 60%. With about 14% of registered voters going to the polls, a total of 30,955 people voted "yes" while  20,277 people voted against it.  The extension of the tax is projected to bring approximately $876 million dollars to the school system for technology, building of schools as well as make renovations over the next five years.
Anyone who lives in Suwanee - especially for a long period of time, can attest to the fact that the City has done an amazing job of making Suwanee one of the most desired places to live in the United States. Of course in order to make that list, it did require.....tax increases over the years. However, when I look around and see my tax dollars at work creating a beautiful Town Center, four very popular city parks I am more than happy to contribute to that success through my annual property tax bill. I am sure, however, this perspective probably is not shared by all.  The majority of Suwanee residents love their city; and, overall have been happy with the live, work and play environment that has evolved over the past 20 years or more. And it looks like Jimmy Burnette, born and raised in Suwanee, will be able to keep the momentum and trend going as he won the election by obtaining 876 votes; and his opponent, Dan Pittman, took 454 votes.
When visiting Atlanta, it is suprising to visitors to see that beer and wine is not sold in stores on Sunday. A law that has kept alcohol sales from being sold here in the Gwubbett County came to an end on Tuesday - for the individual cities. Thirteen (13) cities had the beer, wine referendum on the ballot.  As the title read on the front page of the Gwinnett Daily Post Wednesday morning, "SUNDAY SALES SAILS".  Suwanee voters sent a resounding message to have Sunday sales of beer and wine by a vote of 1023 (yes); and, 341 (no). With the exception of Lilburn, most of the other cities adopted ordinances when they placed the measure on the ballots. In these cities, you can expect to pick up your favorite bottle of wine or your six pack of beer within a week and a half.  For those living in unincorporated Gwinnett County you may have the option to have your voice heard in March, 2012.

 


Come to my house:
MySUWANEEHome.com

METRO ATLANTA REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT - September 2011

 

National Home Builders Association came out with their Market Index Report on November 7, 2011.  A total of 30 U.S. cities made the list of improving housing markets compared to only 23 cities in the previous report. Unfortunately, none of Metro Atlanta's cities made the list.
According to a report out from Steve Palm/Smart Numbers (Marietta GA) units closed for the month of September was up, inventory levels are down; and still - home prices continue to struggle.

 

AVERAGE SALES PRICE
(DETACHED - Single Family)
September 2010 vs September 2011

 

Inventory levels in September 2011 took a dip as many analysts have said.  Metro Atlanta homes on the market in September 2011 dropped 5 percent compared to September 2010.

 

 

 

AVERAGE PRICE per SQUARE FOOT
(DETACHED- Single Family)
September 2010 vs September 2011

 

No real surprse here. Homes sold in September 2011 saw a decrease in the price per square foot by 11 percent compared to one year ago.

 



AVERAGE DAYS on MARKET
(DETACHED - Single Family)
September 2010 vs September 2011

 

Home values struggle as  foreclosures and short sales continue to play center stage in our Atlanta real estate market. Coupled with the low interest rates, homes are sitting on the market for a shorter period of time compared to a year ago. September numbers indicate a 4 percent drop for days on market compared to one year ago.
You can also see by the chart, although analysts don't see much improvement in our housing prices; the list to sale price is actually improved with an 11% increase compared to one year ago.

 

 

MONTHS of INVENTORY
(DETACHED - Single Family)
September 2010 vs September 2011

 

Holding true to other reports, this graph tells the same story. Inventory levels are dropping which may also explain why the list to sale ratio is improving. With less houses to choose from, banks and home owners alike are able to get close to their asking price.  With a 32% drop in months of inventory September 2011 reflected only 8.2 months of inventory compared to 12 months of inventory one year ago.

 

Graphs are created from and with permission of Trendgraphix, In.c Data is collected from FMLS (First Multiple Listing Service) and includes only those Metro Atlanta counties which list within the FMLS.

 


Come to my house:
MySUWANEEHome.com

METRO ATLANTA - REAL ESTATE GAB - NOVEMBER 2011

REAL ESTATE GAB - Keeping up on today's real estate market isn't easy. However, monthly MySUWANEEHome, provides updated information in multiple medias to help keep you informed. Real Estate Gab is a monthly real estate newsletter with market statistics for the Metro Atlanta area; plus articles to help you be an informed buyer or seller. Hope you will enjoy this month's issue of Real Estate Gab. Please feel to email me with comments and/or ideas of what you would like to see in feature issues.

 
 

Where Are Home Values Headed For Metro Atlanta?

 



 

It can be very confusing these days to filter through all the news about the housing market. The sensationalist national headlines may sell advertising but are often wrong or misleading for Metro Atlanta or your local market. To further complicate matters, the typical metrics used to track real estate trends do not tell the accurate story in the current market.

  • Did you know that over 50% of all transactions in 2011 have been under $125,000? That has historically been around 10-15% of the market.
  • Did you know that approximately 60% of all transactions are foreclosures or short sales? That is also normally 10-15% of the market.
  • Did you know that many bank-owned properties are selling above their list prices?

These changing trends make the traditional metrics for real estate unreliable. Ratios like average sale prices, median sale prices or list-to-sale ratios can be very misleading. One metric we like to track is the “previous sold price” to “current sold price” ratio. We believe that is a more accurate approach to considering home values. This is the method used by the Case-Shiller Index. Each month, we write a detailed article which explains the latest Case-Shiller results for metro Atlanta.

Click here to see the most recent article

The Case-Shiller index is a good indicator for Metro Atlanta home values. But real estate is local and every market is different. I have access to proprietary information resources and can help you determine the most accurate value for your property.

 


Come to my house:
MySuWANEEhome.com

METRO ATLANTA - Housing Market Really Improving?

A recent article out by Rismedia indicates there are a few indicators showing there is some improvement in our housing market - although regionally.

  • 15% increase in September housing starts
  • Increase in mortgage applications

I think it would be safe to say, with regards to our local Metro Atlanta market, housing prices are beginning to stabilize thus taking us out of the "declining market" status.  Additionally, in some metro counties, we are beginning to see a gradual increase in new housing starts from some of the nationally recognized builders like Ryland Homes and Beazer Homes.  The markets that continue to struggle, according to the article by Rismedia, is Oregon, Washington and California.

Want to read more?
Housing Starts Rise in September
MBA Shows Mortgage Applications Increase

 Source:  Rismedia - Multiple Signs Point to Rebound


Come to my house:
MySUWANEEHouse.com

METRO ATLANTA - OCT 2011 - FORECLOSURES - GWINNETT RANKS AT TOP

 

Realty Trac released new reports week-ending October 15. Their current report shows Georgia fourth in the nation for foreclosures. Their numbers include default notices, auctions and bank repossessions. Notably, due to missteps by lenders, foreclosure filings have been artificially down during 2011. However, lenders have worked to correct their processing of potential mortgage defaults; and as a result, it is likely we will see an uptick in foreclosures nationwide in coming months.

Currently one in every 121 homes shows a foreclosure filing in Georgia; with one in 89 homes in Metro Atlanta showing a foreclosure filing. Foreclosure notices for October is up  16% compared to September. As a non-judicial state, homes are sold on the court house steps in Georgia the first Tuesday of each month.

 

Foreclosure rankings for the Metro Atlanta area county by county
(highest to lowest)

1)   Gwinnett - 1,889   
2)   Fulton - 1,632
3)   DeKalb - 1,377
4)   Cobb - 977
5)   Clayton - 750
6)   Henry - 527
 
7)   Cherokee - 363
8)   Douglas - 315
9)   Forsyth - 256
10) Hall - 252
11) Rockdale - 217
12) Bartow - 155
13) Fayette - 135

 

 

ATLANTA GA - OCTOBER 2011 REAL ESTATE MARKET NEWSLETTER

REAL ESTATE GAB - Keeping up on today's real estate market isn't easy. However, monthly MySUWANEEHome, provides updated information in multiple medias to help keep you informed. Real Estate Gab is a monthly real estate newsletter with market statistics for the Metro Atlanta area; plus articles to help you be an informed buyer or seller. Hope you will enjoy this month's issue of Real Estate Gab. Please feel to email me with comments and/or ideas of what you would like to see in feature issues:  Email Janice
 
 
 
  
 
Looking for more real estate market information? Click on the map or link below

    

REAL  ESTATE  NEWSLETTER  &  MORTGAGE  CENTER

METRO ATLANTA UNEMPLOYMENT AND ITS EFFECT THE LOCAL REAL ESTATE MARKET

 

A recent report out by Rismedia shows the U.S. economy added more new jobs than was expected. Despite the 9.1 percent unemployment rate, the unexpected news coupled with the uptick in corrected employment gain numbers for the previous two months caused the mortgage rates to tip the mortage rate ladder back up over 4 percent after buyers enjoyed mortgage rates of 3.94% the first week of October.
The most recent unemployment numbers for the Metro Atlanta area, however, remain higher than the national average at 10.4 percent. The struggling employment market in the metro area is having a profound effect on our real estate market as well.
The most recent housing numbers for Metro Atlanta (August, 2011) show closed units up with a total of 4,725 total single family homes closed. This is up 30% from one year ago. However, home values continue to struggle with the average sales price for August 2011 at $178,232 compared to $203,459 - a 12% decline in property values.
My most recent post (10-11-11) talked about a 16% increase in foreclosure notices for the month of September with Gwinnett County leading the pack (once again).
Without question, current year trends show that a few things will have to happen before the Metro Atlanta real estate market will be robust again:  People are able to find jobs; foreclosures are absorbed and short sales become a distant memory.

Real estate sales data is courtesy of FMLS (First Multiple Listing Service) and includes only those counties in Metro Atlanta who list in the service.

More Reading: 
Jobs Report Lifts Rates Above 4 Percent
Metro Atlanta Unemployment Rate Increases

 


Come to my house:
MySUWANEEHome.com

METRO ATLANTA - OCTOBER 2011 FORECLOSURES

October foreclosures for Metro Atlanta is up 16% over September 2011. A total of 8,845 foreclosure notices went out compared to 7,634 notices sent out in September. Gwinnett County once again leads the area counties with the most foreclosure notices sent with a total of 1,889 notices.
According to an article by Christopher Quinn (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) approximately 70 percent of the notices sent out in October had "run in a prior period."

To read more:  Metro Atlanta Foreclosures Rise Again

 


Come to my house:
MySUWANEEHome.com