Foreclosures are not over running our local real estate market here in New Bern NC but they are popping up even more these days. In fact there is one in my neighborhood that would be a great buy for someone.

This house has about 1 acre of usable flat land, a swimming pool that is in ground, 3/4 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, open bonus room, 2 car garage and more.

Contact New Bern NC Real Estate for more information on this and other homes in foreclosure.

Also, People from foreign countries are taking people’s information from their websites and are posting it on Craig’s list. These people claim to be the owners of the property in the ad but they are not. In fact these scammers are out of the country so they are unable to show the home to the potential renter. See Homes in New Bern for more information. Real estate agents need to be aware of these scams. Here is an example ad.

Date: 2009-06-12, 2:53PM EDT This fabulous home was built in 2004. Bonus Room is 4th bedroom with 1/2 bath. Breakfast area, breakfast bar, formal dining room, gas fireplace with blower, laundry room, 2 walk-in closets in master suite. Hardwood floors in foyer, living & dining rooms.

Address: 203 Fishing Creek Drive City: New State: NC Zip Code: 28562 County: Craven
Close To: Ben Quinn, River Bend
Sq. Footage: 1848 Lot Size: .24 acres Basement: Slab/none Year Built: 2004

Fishing Creek Drive

• cats are OK – purrr
• dogs are OK – wooof
• Location: New Bern, NC
• it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

The extension of the credit should inject some sales into the winter market.  Remember – October-March are the slowest sales months of the year for real estate – people like to move while school’s out and the weather’s good and this is the case for Augusta Real Estate as well.

The bottom line is that nationally, 1st Time Homebuyers accounted for only 36% of sales in 2006, see more at Real Estate In Augusta and by some accounts they now account for almost 50% of all sales.  It has provided a good “bump” for sales, but it is far from the cure.

The housing crisis has its roots in the mortgage industry and predatory lending.  One required nothing more than a pulse to obtain a mortgage, and astounding products where rolled out to enable people to afford five times the home they should actually purchase.  Adjustable Rate Mortgages, Alt-A products, and sub-prime loans all caused what we’re now going through – not the lack of a “credit” for buying a home.  There is a natural order to things – we over-built, over-bought, over-spent, and over-borrowed.  Now we’re spending less, borrowing less, and only buying essentials.  Deplete the existing inventory through qualified buyers, and the market adjusts – back to another “Sellers Market.” Visit www.augustalistingexpert.com for more information about the market.

Artificially inflating the market with a gallon of tax credit may help in the short run, but it is not the natural order of things.  My milk has an expiration date, I’m glad the tax credit does too.

Good news for home buyers and the housing market recovery. Following the Senate’s favorable vote, the U.S. House of Representatives just voted 403 to 12 to extend the home buyer tax credit, expanding the parameters to include existing homeowners and not just first-time buyers. We expect President Obama to sign the legislation in short order. You can find more information about the The Silveria Team and the real estate market at our website.

As it now stands, the federal tax credit will be extended through April 30, 2010, with a 60-day extension if a binding contract is in place prior to the deadline. First-time home buyers will continue to be eligible for a tax credit of up to $8,000, while existing homeowners will be eligible for a reduced credit of up to $6,500. To qualify for the $6,500 credit, existing homeowners must have lived in their current residences for at least five years. The bill also increases the qualifying income limits from $75,000 for single tax filers and $150,000 for joint filers to $125,000 and $225,000, respectively. The purchase price of the home is capped at $800,000 in both instances. You can learn more at www.thesilveriateam.com and browse our list of featured properties.

Under additional provisions included in the bill, taxpayers can claim the credit on purchases completed in 2010 on their 2009 income tax returns. The legislation maintains the provision that home buyers do not have to repay the credit provided the home remains their primary residence for 36 months after purchase, and waives this requirement for active duty military personnel who move due to a military order.

Nationwide, more than 1.4 million first-time home buyers were given the opportunity to become homeowners as a result of the Federal Tax Credit for First-time Home Buyers.  This should help people find homes in Tracy California and nationwide. We expect that number to increase dramatically in the months ahead with this new legislation in place.

The Chapel Hill Real Estate market is doing well.  This information provided by Durham Homes For Sale
•    Closed sales are down 12%.  This is actually a great number since this time last year sales were down close to 25%.
•    Median prices are up 3%.
•    Average prices are down .5%
•    Days on market increased from 81 to 97.
I am happy to report that sales are down less and that prices are holding their own.  Yes, it is talking a little longer to get homes sold but the great news is that they are selling.  I only expect things to get better in the coming months.
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