HomeGain’s recent survey shows the top do-it-yourself home improvements that Realtors recommend to home sellers. HomeGain received responses from nearly 1,000 Realtors nationwide and configured a list of the top 12 do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvements that cost under $5,000 and benefit sellers most when they sell their homes. 

According to the HomeGain survey, the top five home improvements that Realtors recommend to home sellers based on cost and return on investment (from highest to lowest ROI) are: 

1. Cleaning and de-cluttering ($200 cost / $1,700 price increase / 872% ROI)
2. Home staging ($300 cost / $1,780 price increase / 586% ROI)
3. Lightening and brightening ($230 cost / $1,300 price increase / 572% ROI)
4. Landscaping ($320 cost / $1,500 price increase / 473% ROI)
5. Repairing plumbing ($385 cost / $1,250 price increase / 327% ROI) 

Cleaning and de-cluttering continues to rank as the top suggested home improvement (since the survey was originally conducted in 2000), recommended by 98% of Realtors, costing less than $200 and returning a value of nearly $1,700 to the home’s sale price, or an 872% return on investment. 

“Many Realtors agree, especially in a buyer’s market, that sellers who make these recommended home improvements often get their homes sold faster and at higher prices,” stated Louis Cammarosano, General Manager at HomeGain. “We have customized our Home Sale Maximizer online home improvement tool to help identify and prioritize the projects that can increase the salability and selling price of a home.” 

Rounding out the top 12, the list of low cost, do-it-yourself home improvements includes: updating electrical, replacing or shampooing carpets, painting interior walls, repairing damaged floors, updating kitchen, painting outside of home, and updating bathroom/s.

The home improvement projects with the highest price increases to a home’s resale value are updating the kitchen ($1,200 cost / $2,850 price increase), followed by painting the outside of the home ($900 cost / $1,815 price increase) and home staging ($300 cost / $1,780 price increase). 

“Inexpensive cosmetic home improvements and basic improvements greatly enhance the value of the home,” stated Carol Wilson of Carpenter Real Estate in Indianapolis, IN, HomeGain AgentEvaluator member since 1999. 

For more information, visit www.homegain.com. 

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The extension is part of a $24 billion economic stimulus bill that will extend the $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers who are purchasing their first home from the current November 30 deadline and expands the program to offer a credit of $6,500 to homeowners who have lived in their current home for at least five years and are seeking to relocate. 

The following details apply to the homebuyer tax credit expansion: 

Who is Eligible
-First-time homebuyers, who are defined by the law as buyers who have not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase, may be eligible for up to an $8,000 tax credit.
-Existing homeowners who have been residing in their principal residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight and are purchasing a home to be their principal residence (“repeat buyer”), may be eligible for up to a $6,500 tax credit.
-All U.S. citizens who file taxes are eligible to participate in the program. 

Income Limits
Homebuyers who file as single or head-of-household taxpayers can claim the full credit ($8,000 for first-time buyers and $6,500 for repeat buyers) if their modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is less than $125,000.
-For married couples filing a joint return, the combined income limit is $225,000.
-Single or head-of-household taxpayers who earn between $125,000 and $145,000, and married couples who earn between $225,000 and $245,000 are eligible to receive a partial credit.
-The credit is not available for single taxpayers whose MAGI is greater than $145,000 and married couples with a MAGI that exceeds $245,000. 

Effective Dates
-The eligibility period for the tax credit is for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009, and before May 1, 2010. However, home purchases subject to a binding sales contract signed by April 30, 2010, will qualify for the tax credit provided closing occurs prior to July 1, 2010. 

Types of Homes that Qualify
-All homes with a purchase price of less than $800,000 qualify, including newly-constructed or resale, and single-family detached, townhomes or condominiums, provided that the home will be used as their principal residence. Vacation home and rental property purchases do NOT qualify. 

Tax Credit is Refundable
-A refundable credit means that if the amount of income taxes you owe is less than the credit amount you qualify for, the government will send you a check for the difference.

-For example:
-A first-time buyer who qualifies for the full $8,000 credit who owes $5,000 in federal income taxes would pay nothing to the IRS and receive a $3,000 payment from the government. If you are due to receive a $1,000 refund, you would receive $9,000 ($1,000 plus the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit).
-A repeat buyer who owes $5,000 would pay nothing to the IRS and receive $1,500 back from the government. If you are due to get a $1,000 refund, you would get $7,500 ($1,000 plus the $6,500 repeat buyer tax credit).
-All qualified homebuyers can take the tax credit on their 2009 or 2010 income tax return. 

Payback Provisions
The tax credit is a true credit. It does not have to be repaid unless the home owner sells or stops using the home as their principal residence within three years after the purchase. 

The www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com site is being updated. Check the site next week for more detailed information on the new tax credit. 

For more information, visit www.nahb.org. 

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com. 

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The annual College HPCI released by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC provides an apples-to-apples comparison of similarly sized 2,200 square foot, four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom homes in college markets home to the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools. This year, Akron, Ohio (University of Akron) is ranked as the most affordable college town, where a typical four-bedroom home costs $121,885. Muncie, Ind. (Ball State University) took the No. 2 spot at $144,996. Ann Arbor, Mich. (a quintessential college town home to the University of Michigan) came in as the No. 3 most affordable college market, where the sample size home only costs $148,000. 

Overall, the 2009 College HPCI revealed that real estate buyers can find a typical four-bedroom home for less than $250,000 in 62% of the college markets surveyed (72 total), including iconic American college towns such as: 

-Syracuse, N.Y (Syracuse University): $171,711
-South Bend, Ind. (University of Notre Dame) $183,938
-Athens, Ga. (University of Georgia): $205,862
-Oxford, Miss. (University of Mississippi): $212,000
-Knoxville, Tenn. (University of Tennessee): $223,850 

Further research indicates that the charm and affordability of college towns is appealing to more than just students. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey; Austin, Texas (University of Texas), Provo, Utah (Brigham Young University), and Raleigh, N.C. (North Carolina State University) were among the metropolitan cities with the greatest population growth in 2008. In all three rising cities, home buyers can find a four-bedroom home for very a reasonable price; only $226,642 in Austin; $231,000 in Provo; and $241,462 in Raleigh. 

“College markets have long-been one of the real estate industry best-kept secrets,” said Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Real estate professionals have been investing in college towns for years, often purchasing homes for their children who are attending school. However, these vibrant cities are not only for students; many empty nesters and families are attracted to the health care systems, culture and overall quality of life that college towns offer.” 

While real estate in college markets may be an undiscovered gem, pride for teams and alma maters are definitely not under-wraps, regardless of how pricey the school or city. For an added perspective, Coldwell Banker asked fans to share “what’s best” about living in their college towns for its new Coldwell Banker On Location video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0S7eKOih7k. 

More expensive college towns are also worth the investment for many people. For example, students have been competing for years to get accepted into prestigious schools like Stanford University, despite its high tuition and cost of living. Located in the most expensive college market in the nation (Palo Alto, Calif.), an average 2,200 square foot home costs a whopping $1.49 million. 

2009 Coldwell Banker College HPCI – Highlights & Interesting Real Estate Related Facts: 

This year, there is a $1,367,841 price difference between the sample size four-bedroom home in the most affordable college town (Akron, Ohio) and most expensive college market (Palo Alto, Calif.). 

Five schools with football-teams-to-watch this year currently ranked in the BCS top 25 standings are also front-runners for home buyers:

-Fort Worth, Texas (Texas Christian University), $153,450
-Houston, Texas (University of Houston), $159,847
-Cincinnati, Ohio (University of Cincinnati), $189,750
-Boise, Idaho (Boise State University), $215,432
-Iowa City, Iowa (University of Iowa), $217,500 

The Mid American Conference is the most affordable conference overall, where a typical four-bedroom home costs an average of $182,322.

For more information, visit www.coldwellbanker.com. 

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Flexibility may be the buzzword of the millennia. Flexible schedules, flexible work hours, flexible space—Americans are regaining control by rearranging the flow of their day-to-day lives. Very few of us lead cookie-cutter lives, so cookie-cutter home solutions don’t always work. If every family has a unique configuration and life pattern—consider single moms, empty nesters with visiting kids and grandkids, families with young children, multigenerational families—shouldn’t the architecture that surrounds them be flexible enough to accommodate their needs? The opportunity is to identify houses that offer “adaptable possibilities” and develop talking points aligned with your client’s situational needs. 

Buying a home today is an emotional, economic and deeply considered purchase. That home will be a base station for family, friends, neighbors, school, work and play and its layout and traffic pattern will need to accommodate the “busy-ness” of life. As buyers imagine themselves in a potential home, adaptable space may be a selling point over and above simple staging. Here are a few spaces to consider: 

-Kitchen: We cook, we do homework, we entertain, we do crafts there. Open or co-located areas for simultaneous activities and multiple people usually top the wish list. If space is limited, suggest a corner of the kitchen or an adjoining dining room as a homework/conversation area.

-Open, accessible plans: If your client is single, an open plan delivers a great space for entertaining. An older or multi-generational family may view it in terms of accessibility. Either will have visiting family members, so having a “visitable” home offers the opportunity to welcome anyone regardless of age or ability. One zero-threshold entry, wide doorways and a main floor bathroom offer ease of use and accessibility whether you’re unloading groceries or have a temporary or permanent physical impairment.

-Home office/library/reading space: Part of a dining room, den, extra bedroom or even an extra closet can be furnished to create a small space for quiet activities. Bookcases lining a wall speak volumes regarding functionality far beyond the original intention of the room.

-Basement: This extra square footage offers many options so even if the space is un- or partially-finished, paint the vision for tomorrow’s media room, game room, exercise or craft area.

-Outdoor living spaces: Whether it’s a tiny lot or large open space, suggesting ideas that go “beyond the deck” with landscaping, pathways and sitting areas brings even the mundane to life. 

Seeing a home through a different lens may help your clients imagine the space as they would actually use it and gain a new perspective on possibilities. Going beyond the basics of BR/BA-speak to engage your clients in lifestyle discussions will not only help you find solutions that are right for each family; it will help them find the perfect fit for the architecture of their lives. 

Melissa Birdsong is vice president for Trend, Design & Brand, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. 

For more information, visit www.lowes.com. 

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The homebuyer tax credit, due to expire at the end of November would be extended through April 30 of next year. First-time buyers who are in the process of making a purchase would not need to worry about qualifying for the $8,000 credit if they close after the November 30 deadline. 

For the first time, the legislation that was recently cleared makes move-up buyers as well as first-time buyers eligible for a credit. The $8,000 maximum first-timer credit will continue and will now be available to couples with income up to $225,000, a nearly $55,000 increase above the level in existing law. A new $6,500 maximum credit would also be available to move-up homeowners who have lived in their current residence for five of the prior eight years. 

For homebuyers across the country, the expanded tax credit would allow more people to qualify for the credit. While two-thirds of American families own their own home, and most earn less than the income limits that have been established within the extension, more buyers may be eligible. Move-up buyers don’t have to sell their current home to qualify for the new credit, but the money cannot be used to buy a vacation home. “It’s only for a primary residence,” said Regan Lachapelle, a spokeswoman for Sen. Harry Redi (D-Nev.), who helped engineer the deal. “In expanding the tax credit, we are helping first-time home buyers, as well as homeowners looking to move up to a new home, but we would exclude from the credit speculators who may have recently purchased a home intending to flip it for a fast profit,” said Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana and chairman of the Finance Committee. 

The tax credit has fired-up the housing market, driving existing home sales to the highest level in over two years. The National Association Realtors reported sales jumped 9.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million units in September and are 9.2% higher than the 5.10 million-unit pace in September 2008. 

The legislation included provisions added to address complaints of fraud as well. The Internal Revenue Service is given greater authority to oversee the process to root out fraud, and provisions are added in response to past abuses of false sales or underage buyers. An investigation by the Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration found that more than 580 children, some as young as four years old, had received $627,000 in first-time homebuyer credits. The IRS has identified 167 suspected criminal schemes and opened nearly 107,000 examinations of potential civil violations of the first-time homebuyer tax credit.

For more information, visit www.realestateeconomywatch.com and www.wsj.com. 

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Breaking News: Senate Plans to Extend and Expand Tax Credit

In a recent interview, Fox-Pitt Kelton analyst Robert Stevenson said the Senate’s proposal for extending the $8,000 tax credit for new homebuyers will have a “limited impact” on home sales.

A Senate committee reached a deal last week to extend the $8,000 tax credit and offer a smaller $6,500 credit for some existing homeowners. The main pitfall of the proposal is that it only pushes back the expiration of the tax credit to the end of April, Stevenson said. It is currently set to go away on Dec. 1. Stevenson said he’s skeptical the tax credit will drive activity during the slower winter months. The prime selling season for the housing market kicks off in the spring and tends to run through the warmer months. “Of course, Congress could come back and extend it again,” the analyst said. “When the next selling season starts, the housing market will depend on the state of the economy and mortgage rates, rather than tax credits.” 

The $6,500 credit for some repeat homebuyers would let more buyers participate albeit at a lower level, “but a lot of those people are effectively trapped in their current homes,” Stevenson said. 

From their peak in 2006, U.S. home prices have fallen about 30% through the end of August 2009 during the housing downturn, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index. More Americans are falling behind on their mortgage payments or losing their homes in the recession as job losses pile up. Rising foreclosures are another key worry. Yet hopes that a recovery is in place were fueled by a report showing the fourth straight month of rising home prices. Some attributed the tentative rebound to buyers rushing to cash in on the expiring $8,000 tax credit. The push to extend and expand the credit has been led by home builders, Realtors and other groups connected to the housing market. 

“Failure to act now could derail the fragile housing recovery even before it has time to take root,” said Jerry Howard, president of the National Association of Home Builders, in a statement urging Congress to stretch the tax credit. “The consequences would be devastating for both housing and the economy.” Howard said the tax credit has already helped create nearly 200,000 jobs, drive home sales, stem foreclosures and stabilize prices. Homebuilder stocks were up sharply in the wake of the news on the Senate compromise. Still, some economists say the incentive’s impact is overblown. 

“I am not applying the recent home-price rebound to the tax credit,” said Cameron Findlay, chief economist at LendingTree, in a recent interview. “I don’t think the tax credit makes as big an impact as people make it out to be, although it certainly motivates first-time buyers,” he said. “If it expires, I don’t think it would shake the housing market as much as some have predicted.” 

The compromise on extending the tax credit doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing, and the proposal still face votes in Congress. One potential snag is a recent government report that uncovered fraud and abuse associated with the tax credit. Thousands of ineligible taxpayers have received millions of dollars under the program, according to the report. 

Stephen East, an analyst at Pali Research, said the proposed new $6,500 credit would likely have some impact on the lower-end of the move-up market. “In essence, this could slowly start to prime the pump,” East forecast. “That said, we remain wary that any measurable impact will be seen until after the holidays and investors need to reconcile their expectations to that.” 

(c) 2009, MarketWatch.com Inc.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

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The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in September 2009, rose 6.1% to 110.1 from a reading of 103.8 in August, and is 21.2% higher than September 2008 when it stood at 90.9. The gain from a year ago is the largest annual increase on record, and the index is at the highest level since December 2006 when it was 112.8. 

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the momentum is understandable. “What we’re witnessing is a rush of first-time buyers trying to beat the expiration of the tax credit at the end of this month,” he said. “Home values will stabilize sooner rather than over-correcting. That, in turn, will mean wealth stabilization for the vast number of middle-class families and lay the foundation for a durable economic recovery.” 

NAR estimates approximately 3 million renters are now financially well-qualified to buy a median-priced home. “As long as buyers do not overstretch and stay well within their budget, a sizable pent-up demand can be tapped among financially qualified potential buyers,” Yun said. “Although the tax credit is greatly reviving the existing home market, new-home sales may continue to struggle as home builders hold back production to drive down inventory. In addition, there remains an ongoing credit crunch for construction loans.” 

The Pending Home Sales Index in the Northeast slipped 2.0% to 83.6 in September but remains 16.9% above September 2008. In the Midwest the index rose 8.1% to 98.2 in September and is 17.8% higher than a year ago. In the South, pending home sales increased 4.9% to an index of 109.7 and is 22.8% above September 2008. In the West the index jumped 10.2% to 143.8 and is 23.7% above a year ago. 

Yun added that strong near-term reports should not be overstated. “We’re clearly not out of the woods because an excess of homes remains on the market despite recent improvements,” he said. “Although current inventory is getting closer to price equilibrium, foreclosures will continue to enter the pipeline. An extended and expanded tax credit would help absorb this incoming inventory.” 

For more information, visit www.realtor.org. 

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For finding out how much your mortgage is going to cost you, a loan mortgage calculator often works as a user-friendly tool. Nevertheless, this tool can’t save you all the time. Similar to other forms of investment, real estate mortgage loans are also subject to scams. Mortgage frauds and scams can make you lose thousands of dollars on interest as a minimum because of excessive fees and other hidden costs. The worst that can happen is that you can lose your home to foreclosure. 

According to industry professionals, there are three principal or familiar types of real estate fraud: 

1. Identity theft via mortgage request
2. Bait and switch
3. Loan flipping 

For preventing scams, it has been witnessed that offense is the best defense. Understand the truth and don’t hesitate to make queries. 

Bait and switch is a fraudulent sales technique where a loan product is publicized at a lucrative rate (bait). However, the product or rate is subsequently changed for the gain of the lender (switch). This is an utterly illegitimate and deceitful practice. For instance, one interest rate is assured at the time of selling a loan, but a bigger rate is provided at the time of closing. 

When you’re obtaining a pre-approval or mortgage quote, you believe that your question with the lender is secret, right? You’re wrong. On many occasions, important financial details about you and your mortgage requirements are hacked by vying lenders. This can happen within 24 hours of your credit bureau inquiry. Your loan officer is even unaware of this. Many firms provide countrywide accessibility to your financial details to the lenders and everybody in your city who requested for a mortgage within the last 24 hours. Any other lender can talk to these individuals the following day and give them a pre-approval for an improved mortgage loan. 

One more dilemma is mortgage solicitation through telephone, the Internet or door to door. These scams involve filling in an application through fax, the Internet or over the telephone and often the rates are phony. However, it is not the largest issue to be bothered about–it is nothing but identity theft. Even though the rates are legitimate, the company would get all your important details such as your social security number that can result in mortgage scam or identity theft. 

Another type of mortgage scam that is prevalent in the real estate industry is loan flipping. Loan flipping denotes frequent refinancing of a mortgage within a small time frame with very small gains to the borrower. It takes place when a borrower can’t keep up with the planned payments or constantly combines other unsecured loans into a new secured loan at the request of a lender. Lenders flipping loans ask for too much origination fee with every consecutive refinancing. They might ask for these fees on the basis of the whole loan amount, not only on the increased amount summed up with the loan principal through refinancing. In addition, every refinancing might attract prepayment penalties that can be funded as a portion of the overall loan amount, accumulating the debt of the borrower. 

If you’re buying a home, looking for a home equity loan or considering a mortgage refinance, it is better to work with a trustworthy lender. You must shop around and do some homework to get the best offers. Try to stay away from furnishing any details until you’re confident that the company or individual you’re talking to is right for you. 

For more information, visit www.mortgagefit.com. 

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While its passage remains uncertain, the agreement would extend the existing credit for first-time homebuyers, worth up to $8,000, while offering a new credit of up to $6,500 for some existing homeowners, Senate aides said. The reduced credit would be available to all homebuyers who have been in their current residence for a consecutive five-year period in the past eight years. Lawmakers in Washington also raised the qualifying income limits to $125,000 for single taxpayers and $250,000 for joint taxpayers, from the current $75,000 and $150,000, housing-industry sources said. Under the Senate compromise, buyers must have sales agreements in hand by April 30, but they will have until June 30 to go to settlement, said the sources. The measure still faces votes in the full Senate and the House. 

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan are in full support of the Senate’s proposal to both extend and expand the first-time homebuyer tax credit and called on Congress to approve key housing measures that include the tax credit. “We welcome efforts taken by Congress to extend the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit for a limited period. This credit has brought new families into the housing market and contributed to three consecutive months of rising home prices nationwide,” said Secretaries Geithner and Donovan. “In extending the credit, we urge Congress to include strict measures to combat tax fraud and protect responsible homeowners.” 

The current tax credit did little for the new-home market in September, the Commerce Department recently reported—news that took many industry analysts by surprise. Sales fell 3.6% from August and 7.8% from September 2008. Industry observers had expected a fifth consecutive monthly increase in new-home sales, believing that the tax incentive for qualified first-time buyers—credited with 357,000 sales of previously owned homes so far this year—would do the trick. Instead, sales of typically more expensive newly built houses slipped. “The decline in new-home sales seems to us to be more a function of the attractive pricing available on resales in the current environment than a reflection of weakening demand,” said Michael Feder, president of Radar Logic in New York, which tracks the market. 

“Since hitting rock bottom in March, demand is up 20 percent,” said Joel L. Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisers in Holland, Pa. For Naroff, the robust rise in existing-home purchases—9.2% year over year in September—indicated that the housing market was not faltering. “Maybe the issue is supply, which fell to its lowest level in 27 years,” he said. “Builders, at least those left standing, have been making sure they don’t have any houses sitting around, and they have been very successful in controlling inventories.” 

IHS Global Insight economist Patrick Newport echoed that, noting new-home inventories “sank for the 29th straight month to their lowest level since November 1982.” Naroff maintained housing has recovered enough to stand without the tax credit, but Newport said that if the credit were not extended and expanded, housing demand would take a hit, and home sales would drop. 

The new provisions are aimed at broadening availability of the credit beyond first-time buyers and giving the weakened real estate market a bigger boost while preventing real estate investors from benefitting. While Senate lawmakers appear to have reached a deal on the substance of the tax credit, they are still at odds over how it would be brought to the Senate floor. 

(c) 2009, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

For more information, visit www.wsj.com. 

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In the course of my adult life, I’ve lived in 14 different residences, six of which have been single-family homes that I bought. Like most people, each time I had my list of must-haves in terms of living space, floor plan flow, structure, amenities, etc. But as I was also new to the area for half of those decisions, I was also interested in knowing more about the neighborhood and surrounding environment and would always envision myself coming home after dark. Even the most charming tree-lined street takes on a different character when the sun goes down. 

Home as a sanctuary has moved from cultural trend to the essence of what makes a house a home. The term “sanctuary” covers everything from the basic need of shelter, a place of refuge, security, as well as a home that fits the lifestyle of the family living there. Gone are the days when showing a house with a home security system or solid deadbolts might signal the buyer to think the neighborhood was unsafe. Today, a home properly equipped to address general security issues is expected and has become the norm. Making a home more secure doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. 

Here are some options for sellers to consider: 

1. Hedging your bet-Trimming the bushes at the front entry and near the windows of the home adds curb appeal and opens sight lines around entrances.
2. Security with style- Choose attractive storm doors and entry doors with more secure locking options.
3. Light it up- Motion-activated lighting, timer controls and dusk-to-dawn options paired with path lighting and landscape lighting means the curb appeal of the home doesn’t go down with the sun.
4. High-tech peace of mind-Easy-to-install, whole-home wireless security systems and monitoring means you can control locks, lights and cameras from a computer or cell phone. 

A buyer in the market for a new home today has more options than ever, and each has his or her own list of must-haves. Leverage the opportunity to show a home’s strength by marrying curb appeal and charm with a few upgrades that deliver on peace of mind.

Melissa Birdsong is vice president for Trend, Design & Brand, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. 

For more information, please visit www.lowes.com. 

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com. 

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“Broadly speaking, the rate of annual decline in home price values continues to improve,” says David M. Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s. “The two Composites and 19 of the 20 metro areas showed an improvement in the annual rates of return, as seen through a moderation in their annual declines. Looking at the monthly data, 17 of the MSAs and both Composites saw price increases in August over July. While many of the markets remain down versus this time last year, the relative rate of decline has shown some real improvement. California, in particular, has seen some real positive prints in recent months. We see this general trend whether you look at the as-reported data or the seasonally adjusted figures. Once again, however, we do want to remind people of the upcoming expiration of the Federal First-Time Buyer’s Tax Credit in November and anticipated higher unemployment rates through year-end. Both may have a dampening effect on home prices.”

The index levels for the 10-City and 20-City Composite Indices show that as of August 2009, average home prices across the United States are at similar levels to where they were in the autumn of 2003. From the peak in the second quarter of 2006 through the trough in April 2009, the 10-City Composite is down 33.5% and the 20-City Composite is down 32.6%. With the relative improvement of the past few months, the peak-to-date figures through August 2009 are -30.2% and -29.3%, respectively.

In terms of annual declines, all metro areas and the two composites remain in negative territory, albeit most showing an improvement over the previous month’s figures. Dallas and Denver are continuing their trend from the past month, edging closer into positive territory with August figures of -1.2% and -1.9%, respectively. In addition, both New York and San Diego have emerged out of double-digit declines. New York was down 9.6% in August and San Diego was down 8.9%.

In the monthly data, only Charlotte, Cleveland and Las Vegas reported monthly declines in August over July. Minneapolis and San Francisco reported positive returns greater than +2.0%, and nine of the MSAs plus the two Composites reported monthly returns greater than +1.0%.

For more information, visit www.standardandpoors.com.

For more top stories on RISMedia.com, be sure to check out:

• Taking Advantage of Negotiation – U.S. Homebuyers Paid $7,039 Less Than Listing Price in July
• First-Time Buyers Race to Beat the Clock, Qualify for $8,000 Federal Tax Credit

“Despite the losses that many families suffered in the mortgage crisis, there remains high interest in homeownership among those families that stayed on the sidelines and didn’t buy during the boom,” says Tino Diaz, chairman of NAHREP. “Our members report that the appeal of stability and personal freedoms that come with homeownership are top motivators.”

A survey of 500 NAHREP members including opinions from real estate agents and mortgage professionals revealed the following:

-Seventy-six percent of respondents said that stability of family ranked first or second as the primary reason why clients want to buy a home. Thirty percent said utility and the freedom to create a home that suited their personal or cultural style was the top one and two reasons why their clients want to purchase a home;

-Only 18% of practitioners polled viewed financial investment as the primary reason for buying a home;

-Fifty percent of members that answered the poll said that wasting money on rent ranked first or second as the primary motivation for their clients to become homeowners;

-Forty-nine percent of members said that tighter lending standards remain the biggest barrier to homeownership for their clients; while 44% ranked first or second the competition from cash investors as the main obstacle to homeownership of their buyers. Thirty percent of respondents ranked lack of down payment as one of the top two challenges for their buyers.

-Sixty-three percent of members polled say they have six or more mortgage-ready clients that are ready to buy a home;

-Fifty-one percent of those surveyed said that today’s buyers are more sensitive to purchase price and mortgage payment, more apt to want house payments that include taxes and insurance and prefer a 30-year fixed-rate loan;

-Sixty-five percent of Hispanic real estate professionals that participated in the poll said that some form of consumer education would be most useful to enabling Latinos to achieve homeownership

Nearly half of the nation’s 14 million Hispanic households currently rent. If half of the renter pool follows through and is able to achieve homeownership during the next five years as they plan, the nation’s fastest growing minority group could be the next big wave of first-time buyers. Based on the median home price of $174,900, this could create more than $600 billion in home sales over the next five years, the Hispanic trade association estimates.

“An infusion of new homeowners that want to stay put and build nests for their families is exactly what the housing market needs,” said Craig Nickerson, project director for the National Community Stabilization Trust, an organization that assists local communities to acquire, rehab and sell foreclosures back to homeowners. “Once the pendulum swings back to the middle, a whole new group of buyers will be ready to buy homes. This is promising news especially for foreclosure-ravaged communities.”

For more information, visit www.nahrep.org.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

For more real estate related headlines on RISMedia.com, be sure to see:

• Taking Advantage of Negotiation – U.S. Homebuyers Paid $7,039 Less Than Listing Price in July
• First-Time Buyers Race to Beat the Clock, Qualify for $8,000 Federal Tax Credit

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said favorable conditions matched with a tax credit are boosting home sales. “Much of the momentum is from people responding to the first-time buyer tax credit, which is freeing many sellers to make a trade and buy another home,” he said. “We are hopeful the tax credit will be extended and possibly expanded to more buyers, at least through the middle of next year, because the rising sales momentum needs to continue for a few additional quarters until we reach a point of a self-sustaining recovery.” 

Even with the improvement, Yun said the market is underperforming. “Despite spectacular gains in the stock market, principally from the financial sector recovery, most of the 75 million home owning families have more wealth tied to their homes. Home values could soon turn consistently positive and help the broad base of middle-class families, but we are not there yet,” he said. “We’re getting early indications of price stabilization, but we need a steady supply of qualified buyers to meaningfully bring inventories down and return us to a period of normal, steady price growth and to fully remove consumer fears, which would then revive the broader economy. Without a firm foundation for middle-class wealth recovery, the post-recession economic growth likely will be one of the weakest in U.S. history.” 

Early information from a large annual consumer study to be released November 13, the 2009 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, shows that first-time home buyers accounted for more than 45% of home sales during the past year. A separate practitioner survey shows that distressed homes accounted for 29% of transactions in September. 

NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth, said affordability conditions remain historically high. “Potential first-time buyers can take heart in that affordability conditions this year are the highest on record dating back to 1970, but with the first-time buyer tax credit scheduled to expire at the end of next month, people could hold back from entering the market,” he said. “Our read is that housing overshot on the downside because homes are selling for less than replacement construction costs in much of the country, and the home price-to-income ratio has fallen below the historical average,” McMillan said. 

Total housing inventory at the end of September fell 7.5% to 3.63 million existing homes available for sale, which represents an 7.8-month supply at the current sales pace, down from an 9.3-month supply in August. Unsold inventory totals are 15.0% below a year ago. 

“The current housing supply is the lowest we’ve seen in two and a half years,” Yun said. “If we could continue to absorb inventory at this pace, home prices would return to normal, modest appreciation patterns next year. 

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 5.06% in September from 5.19% in August; the rate was 6.04% in September 2008. The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $174,900 in September, which is 8.5% lower than September 2008. Distressed properties continue to downwardly distort the median price because they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes in the same area. 

Single-family home sales rose 9.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million in September from a pace of 4.47 million in August, and are 7.7% above the 4.54 million-unit level in September 2008. The median existing single-family home price was $174,900 in September, which is 8.1% below a year ago. Existing condominium and co-op sales jumped 9.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 680,000 units in September from 620,000 in August, and are 9.7% above the 561,000-unit pace a year ago. The median existing condo price was $175,100 in September, down 11.7% from September 2008. 

Northeast
Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast increased 4.4% to an annual level of 950,000 in September, and are 11.8% higher than September 2008. The median price in the Northeast was $234,700, down 7.0% from a year ago. 

Midwest
Existing-home sales in the Midwest jumped 9.6% in September to a pace of 1.25 million and are 7.8% above a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $147,600, which is 1.0% below September 2008. 

South
In the South, existing-home sales rose 9.0% to an annual level of 2.06 million in September and are 10.8% higher than September 2008. The median price in the South was $153,500, down 7.6% from a year ago. 

West
Existing-home sales in the West surged 13.0% to an annual rate of 1.30 million in September and are 5.7% above a year ago. The median price in the West was $219,000, which is 15.0% below September 2008. 

For more information, visit www.realtor.org. 

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com. 

For more top headlines on RISMedia.com, be sure to see:
Taking Advantage of Negotiation – U.S. Homebuyers Paid $7,039 Less Than Listing Price in July
Taking Responsibility for Communication

There are, however, steps you can take to make the transition more manageable: 

Do your homework as a family: Like most homework, this research will start with the Internet. City and state official websites are a good starting point to get a sense of the school system, recreation and services. Look to local bloggers to get the “voice” of a neighborhood, including city, or even neighborhood focused real estate blogs. Divide up the research among the family so everyone gets to be an expert.

Take time to talk about the unknown: With everything that goes into relocation, it is easy to turn family life into a never-ending series of “to do” lists. Find time to let your family talk out loud about the move. Some days it will seem like a great adventure, other days it’ll be daunting. Let your kids know that’s okay.

Find where your hobbies live: If a family member has a special hobby or sport, locate the best ways to connect with that passion as soon as you get to the new location- it’ll feel more like home when everyone is doing what they love.

Start gathering medical and school records: We’d like to think we live in a paperless world- that is, until we roll into the emergency room in a new town and can’t access key information. Start gathering data from your physician, dentist and school administrators earlier rather than later.

Tap into the professionals: Finding the right real estate agent and a good mover can make the difference between a straightforward- or a nightmare-relocation experience. Whether you’re looking to purchase a new home right away or are opting to rent an apartment or home while you familiarize yourself with the area, these professionals can provide both guidance and support during your relocation. Take time to check out reviews, get references from people you trust and then narrow down options to a short list. It’s worth the work to get these relationships right. 

“Having professionals on your side makes every difference during a move,” says Sharon Asher, chairman and founder, Relocation.com. “It’s understandable to want to do it all yourself, but people who are able to rely on strong professional services throughout the process come out of the experience saying the move was much more straightforward than if they had tried to handle it all on their own.” 

For more information, visit www.relocation.com. 

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

But short sales can be anything but short. Unless they work with highly skilled agents, buyers and sellers can get frustrated if the process is protracted, which may lead to the deals simply getting abandoned. 

Short sales—when houses sell for less than the mortgages owed on them—and foreclosures rise during tough housing markets. For example, they now account for more than half of the home sales in the Orlando area, according to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. In the spectrum of home sales, the deals fall somewhere between a regular transaction and a foreclosure. Sellers faced with foreclosure may opt for a short sale because it does not mar their credit as much as if the bank took over the house. They typically contact a real estate agent and set a sales price, based on an appraisal. Once the property sells, the bank must approve the sales price. Getting banks to approve a sale for less than the mortgage amount is what takes time. The process can become so complicated, with different lenders setting different rules, that short sales take about a month longer than other home sales to complete, according to the association. 

Once a buyer signs a contract, foreclosure sales take five weeks to complete, traditional home sales take seven weeks and short sales take more than 10 weeks. And the time it takes to complete a short sale has only grown longer as the year has progressed, with the bank-approved transactions taking up to seven weeks at the moment. 

For sellers, the process can be a tortured farewell to a home that has lost its value. Wanda Gibbons’ 4,000-square-foot Florida home that she purchased at the peak of the market in July 2007 for more than $510,000 was just days from “going to the courthouse steps” to be sold at an auction when she contacted attorney Justin Clark to explore a short-sale option. 

She hired a real estate agent and got an appraisal that showed her five-bedroom pool home with the brick pavers was worth about half what she paid two years earlier. Once Gibbons had a contract on her house, Clark submitted to her lender a package that included everything from the appraisal and a hardship letter to a sales contract. And then the waiting began.

“The problem is, it depends on the bank, the people the bank has and how many mortgages they have,” the attorney said. “These banks, they’re so inundated.” 

Banks typically take 45 to 60 days to even acknowledge they got the paperwork and to assign a negotiator to work on the sale, Clark said. At that point, they get a broker’s price opinion on the value of the home and whether the sales price makes sense. If the sales price doesn’t measure up to the broker’s opinion, the lender may tell the seller the price should be higher. In some cases, Clark said, the buyer will agree to pay more, the seller may have to throw in a few thousand dollars or the real estate agent may agree to cut his commission. 

In Gibbons’ case, the process was somewhat easier because unlike many sellers going through the process of a short sale, she had no second mortgage. Some lenders refuse to share any of the sales proceeds with the bank that holds the second mortgage. In some cases, homeowners face getting their credit rating dinged for not paying the second mortgage. That becomes part of the negotiation, Clark added. At that point, the deals can fall apart. 

(c) 2009, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

Get the advantage on distressed properties direct from the experts in the industry at this year’s RISMedia Power Broker Forum during NAR in San Diego, Nov. 13. For all the details on this year’s session, “Maximizing Distressed Property Business,” click here. 

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com. 

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One of the key ways to do that is for Congress to extend the home buyer tax credit, said National Association of Realtors® First Vice President Ron Phipps to the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee during a hearing on “The State of the Nation’s Housing Market.” 

“The data on the present home buyer tax credit show that the credit has had its intended impact—sales have jumped in recent months to a projected 5.1 million for the year and housing inventory has been trimmed, thus stabilizing home prices noticeably,” Phipps said. He also pointed out that each home sale generates approximately $63,000 in additional economic activity, providing a tremendous economic boost to the national economy. 

“But it is a fragile recovery, and now is the time to build on home sales momentum by extending the tax credit throughout 2010 and expanding it to all home buyers,” he said. The present credit, due to expire on November 30, cannot help new purchasers now who write a contract today—they won’t be able to close before the deadline, and will lose out on the credit, said Phipps. “Without congressional action now, the market and our national economy may freeze again—possibly as soon as this month.” 

Phipps called upon Congress to take action on a number of additional fronts to strengthen the recovery. First, make the FHA and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac loan limits permanent; these are set to expire on December 31. “Maintaining current loan limits would ensure that families have access to low-cost financing to purchase homes and can refinance problematic loans into safer, more affordable mortgages,” Phipps said. 

In addition, Congress should continue federal government involvement in the secondary mortgage market. “Without the government’s involvement in the secondary mortgage market, market participants will have no incentive to reach out to lower income, creditworthy consumers. We must ensure that the housing market works in all markets and at all times and that mortgage capital is provided to all potential and qualified purchasers in a way that promotes sustainable homeownership,” said Phipps. 

Congress must also adequately address: 

-The lack of liquidity in the jumbo mortgage market;
-Tight credit in the commercial real estate market;
-The Home Valuation Code of Conduct’s unintended side effects that are hindering sales;
-Increased funding to help FHA upgrade their technology and for Congress to ensure that funding be included in the final version of the FY2010 appropriation for HUD;
-Administration incentives and uniform procedures for speeding short sales under a new Foreclosure Alternative Program; and
-The potential for significant spikes in interest rates or disruptions to the flow of mortgage capital as the Federal Reserve unwinds the mortgage-backed securities purchase program to ensure that this does not happen. 

For more information, visit www.realtor.org. 

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com. 

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In addition to the tax credit that expires Nov. 30, government mortgage programs have been critical in 2009. The survey reveals that 59% of this year’s sales have been dependent on FHA, VA or USDA financing programs with 96.5% to 100% LTV. 

What percentage of your home buyers this year used this type of financing?

Region           Cash    FHA         Jumbo    Other Conforming    USDA    VA         Don’t 
                                    Insured    Loans      Loans                                       Loans   Know
 Midwest         3%         59%        1%              18%                    3%         3%           13%
Northeast        7%        41%          8%            28%                    2%         6%           8%
Northwest        5%       34%         13%           31%                    6%         11%          1%
Northern CA
Region              4%        68%         0%            16%                      0%         8%           3%
Northern
Florida              6%         47%        2%              15%                    16%        9%          5%
Southeast          7%         48%       6%             18%                     3%          11%          7%
Southern
California        6%          48%        15%            19%                     0%          8%           3%
Southern
Florida              22%         59%       4%              13%                      0%          3%           0% 

The highest use of FHA financing was reported by Northern California builders, while Southern Florida builders reported the highest percentage of cash purchases. “The cash sales are most likely due to investor purchases of attached homes,” said Jody Kahn, a vice president with the firm. 

Not surprisingly, Southern California reported the largest use of jumbo mortgages. “The tough underwriting and higher pricing of jumbos has constrained sales of move-up homes,” said Kahn. 

This month’s survey consists of 262 home building industry executives from public and private companies. In total, their insight is reflective of on-the-ground conditions in 86 MSAs and 1,741 communities. 

“The good news for builders is that there seems to be momentum behind the effort to extend the federal tax credit and that the FHA is going to become more conservative, but not significantly curtail operations,” said CEO John Burns. “Political winds can change quickly though, so stay tuned.” 

Survey Highlights:

-The average unsold, finished inventory per community decreased nationally to 2.7 from 3.7 last month. This significant decline in inventory indicates the speculative starts from the summer are being converted to closings. Regions reporting significant declines in inventory per community since last month include Southern California, the Northwest and Southern Florida.

-Average net sales per community dropped from 2.0 to 1.6 nationally, returning to levels last seen in June and July. The net sales rate declined in seven regions compared to only one during the prior month. While significantly better affordability, low conventional mortgage rates, and the federal tax credit continue to support new home sales, builders across the country are reporting declines in traffic and sales rates in September and into October. Some builders lacking entry level inventory to close by November 30th are losing sales to competitors. Seasonality is also contributing to declining sales. 

-Last month’s reports of price increases in California softened this month. Pricing in Southern California is now rated flat, while Northern California pricing is decreasing. This month, Southern Florida builders rated pricing as increasing. The direction of new home prices was unchanged nationally this month, and remains hovering near flat, as builders reporting further decreases in prices offset those builders seeing flat or increasing prices. 

-Builders started more homes in 4 of 10 regions, and trimmed starts in 3 regions. The Northeast, Southeast and Northwest regions are all reporting increased starts in the 8% to 9% range. The Southern Florida region reported the largest increase in starts this month. Notable declines in start rates were reported in the Midwest, Southern California and Northern Florida. 

For more information, visit www.realestateconsulting.com. 

For more top stories on RISMedia.com, don’t miss:
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The letter, addressed to Treasury Secretary Geithner, HUD Secretary Donovan and National Economic Council Chair Summers, outlines why the three organizations believe that the tax credit has had a stimulative effect on not only the housing market, but on the U.S. economy as a whole. 

A copy of the letter is below: 

Dear Secretaries Geithner and Donovan and Dr. Summers: 

The undersigned trade associations have supported the first-time homebuyer tax credit as an effective housing stimulus during the current economic crisis. Congress established the homebuyer credit as part of the Housing and Economy Recovery Act of 2008 and it was subsequently expanded in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently reported that over 1.4 million taxpayers have benefited from the tax credit as of August 2009. 

The current global credit crunch and economic recession began in the U.S. housing market and recovery will not be complete until the housing market returns to economic health. In normal times, housing represents approximately 15% of U.S. gross domestic product, with numerous spillover benefits into other parts of the economy. Although we are seeing some improvement in the housing market, it is essential that the favorable impact of the first-time homebuyer credit be sustained beyond the upcoming expiration date of November 30, 2009. 

The undersigned trade associations request your support for the extension of the first-time homebuyer tax credit for twelve more months. 

Economic Impacts of Housing
As the housing markets began to falter, the economic ripples were felt across a number of industries. This highlights that housing is a pillar of our economy, and emphasizes the need to ensure we do not jolt today’s very fragile housing market just as we are starting to see signs of stabilization. As the housing market recovers, so do a number of other businesses, including small businesses that rely on family expenditures that accompany home purchases. 

NAR has estimated that the first-time homebuyer tax credit program has generated approximately 355,000 home sales above what would have occurred in the absence of a credit. The credit has also allowed greater mobility among sellers. Existing homeowners are able to relocate (or simply move to a different home) because their current home has been sold to an eligible tax credit buyer. These entry-level, credit-eligible purchases have helped to reduce the glut of homes presently for sale on the market. 

This increased housing activity leads to other benefits as well. A December 2008 report by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) examined the spending behaviors of those who recently purchased a home. The study showed that buyers of newly-constructed homes spent an average of $12,332 on additional goods and services. Those who purchased an existing home spent an average of $8,927. The report indicated that this money is spent in three main areas: property repairs and alterations, appliances, and furnishings. NAHB has estimated that this spending, in addition to other economic benefits connected to housing activity stimulated by the tax credit program, has produced 187,000 jobs.

Importantly, the tax credit has produced tangible effects with respect to the imbalance between supply and demand in the housing market. New home inventory has continued to fall due to dramatic declines in construction. In addition, a welcome pickup in sales has also reduced inventory. Consequently, months-supply currently stands at 7 months, down from 12.4 months in January 2009. A healthy housing market ideally has 5 to 6 months-supply. Likewise, months-supply of existing homes on the market has fallen to 8.5 months, down from its high of 10.6 in November 2008. 

Achieving equilibrium between supply and demand for housing is critical to stabilizing housing prices, and therefore household wealth. An extended homebuyer tax credit is a critical policy for achieving this goal. 

Conclusion
The undersigned trade associations believe that the first-time homebuyer tax credit has had a stimulative impact on our economy. We support extending and even expanding it so the credit can help more buyers and sellers. As we approach the sunset date of the current $8,000 tax credit, we urge Congress to expand the program to include all purchasers of principal residences, increase the credit, make the funds available for closing, and extend the overall program by at least 12 months. 

Our fragile economy is just beginning to show signs of recovery. We should not jeopardize that recovery by letting this tax credit expire. The homebuyer tax credit is helping hundreds of thousands of Americans realize the American dream, and it is creating thousands of jobs that rely on housing. Problems in the housing industry led us into a global recession and housing incentives can help lead us out of the recession. 

Our members greatly appreciate the efforts that the current administration has made by helping troubled homeowners to stay in their homes, providing Treasury support to the secondary market for mortgages, and shoring up the housing industry through the first-time homebuyer tax credit. We encourage you to finish the job already started by extending and expanding the current first-time homebuyer tax credit. 

Most sincerely,
Mortgage Bankers Association
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Realtors 

For more information, visit www.mbaa.org, www.nahb.org or www.realtor.org. 

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com. 

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If you get the answers to those questions right, you’ve pretty much got retirement right, according to Rappaport, a former president of the Society of Actuaries as well a president of a Chicago consulting firm bearing her name. 

Now, there’s plenty of information about the first two questions but not so much about the third. And that’s the one that people really need to get right now, especially given the findings of the SOA’s recent work on the subject. Here’s a snapshot of what Rappaport and her colleagues found: 

What should you do with the equity in your home?
The equity in your home represents a big part of your wealth. If you’re married, your non-financial assets—mostly the equity in your house—represent about 70% of your total assets, according to a 2009 Society of Actuaries report titled “Segmenting the Middle Market: Retirement Risks and Solutions.” What’s more, the report noted the median value of financial assets is less than 1.5 times median income—$75,000—for the majority of middle-class households and that the median value of financial assets is just three times the median income—$132,000—for the vast majority of affluent households. 

There are caveats in the 70% figure, though. The SOA report excluded the value of Social Security and traditional pension plan benefits, which if included would reduce the percent home equity represents to total assets. And the percent is based on analysis of the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances. Things have certainly changed since then. 

Still, the number is relevant because the equity in your home—downturn or not—is still “a very significant retirement asset and options related to choice and financing of housing are important considerations for retirement planning,” according to “Overview of Housing Wealth, Options, and Spending Issues in Retirement,” a just-released SOA paper co-authored by Rappaport. Rappaport said that housing costs currently represent about 35% of a pre-retiree’s budget. And that means housing equity, as a percent of total assets, is perhaps more than twice what it should be.

Software fails to consider housing wealth
But even though the equity in your home is a big deal, the SOA’s study finds that much is lacking when it comes to helping average Americans figure out what role housing wealth should play in financing retirement. “Although housing wealth was extremely important to middle class Americans, it did not seem to represent a primary consideration as they engaged in retirement planning,” Rappaport wrote. “In fact, many planning tools do not consider it explicitly, leaving a hole in advice that could be provided to middle income Americans.” 

Indeed, most retirement planning software programs don’t consider housing wealth, and of the few that do, it’s apparent that there’s no agreed-upon standard for doing so. Rappaport wrote. “The software tools that did consider housing wealth approached it from a wide range of methodology,” she wrote. 

And users of these sorts of tools, especially those who have much of their wealth in housing, should see all sorts of red flags and disclaimers when the software doesn’t address housing wealth. (By the way, most calculators of this sort don’t include the new present value of your Social Security benefits either and that’s something that should be noted as well). 

How to use housing wealth to finance retirement
So what are people who have 70% of their wealth tied up in their home to do? There are a number of options for using housing value to provide for retirement needs, according to Rappaport. But it should be noted that there is not a consensus on the best course of action. 

“Further research needs to be done to define the options, identify the trade-offs, provide a framework for analysis and help individuals make decisions,” Rappaport wrote. And, as with most things financial, she said the ultimate best course of action will also depend on “individual preferences and circumstances.” 

That said, here are the options you have to unlock the equity in your home: 
-Pay off the mortgage, if possible, to reduce overall expenses
-Sell and downsize to a smaller home, freeing up funds for investment or annuity purchase
-Sell your home, invest the proceeds and then rent
-Secure a home equity loan or secondary mortgage on the house
-Get a reverse mortgage
-Rent out extra rooms
-Rent out your primary residence and live elsewhere at a lower cost
-Keep the house mortgage-free, and let its value serve as an emergency fund if needed 

Not all these options might be viable for your retirement plan and some of the options aren’t quite ready for prime time just yet. For instance, “reverse mortgages may offer significant income potential to some households, but at relatively high cost and risk,” Rappaport wrote. “Furthermore, they may help older home owners remain in their homes, but they limit future housing choices and are presented as a last resort option by some financial planners.” 

The Bottom Line
All this means that there’s much more work to be done, said the SOA report. Researchers and advisers need to put finger to calculator and keyboard to try to figure out what portion of their clients’ personal wealth should be spent on housing and whether it should be scaled back. 

What’s more, researchers need to work on models that show the trade-offs between lower spending on housing and more savings put into financial investments vs. what we have now, higher spending on housing and less savings in financial assets. And think-tank types need to “work towards a consensus around accepted methods” to help Americans better understand how to incorporate housing wealth in their retirement plan. 

(c) 2009, MarketWatch.com Inc.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

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“Honestly, my heart was so broken,” said Smith, an associate at a financial-investment company. “I hate that I am going to miss out on the tax credit. But it’s better to wait and get the place you need and want than to get a place and not be happy with it.” 

As the Nov. 30 deadline nears for the first-time home buyer tax credit, no hard numbers suggest how many buyers are in Smith’s position. But interviews with real estate agents, lenders and buyers suggest that the number of first-time buyers who are encountering challenges is rising. 

At least some are learning they must play by a whole new set of rules from just a few years ago. Stung by a real estate meltdown fueled with free-flowing mortgages and runaway prices, regulators have reacted to the downturn by forcing lenders to be stingier with loans. 

Buyers in Orlando, one of the hardest-hit markets in the country, must compete with multiple offers on bargain properties. Short sales can take months to finalize. Foreclosed houses often need repairs that disqualify them from federally backed mortgages. And, amid the free-falling prices, deal-killing appraisals often fall short of sales prices. 

Smith found monthly fees on the condos he was interested in would have cost more than mortgage payments. He endured a trail of “junk” houses that needed new roofs and other repairs. Some of the foreclosed properties had no power, and he had to view them by flashlight or cell phone light. And finally, the four-bedroom pool home he wanted the most failed to meet federal lending rules.

“In a nutshell, it’s a whole different world out there,” said Judi Northrop, the Equilliance LLC loan officer who worked with Smith. She said he was a great candidate for a mortgage, but the days of someone with a pretty credit score skating through the process are over. Now lenders want documents to address every note in a mortgage application. 

The real estate industry continues to hope that the tax incentive will revive the sagging market. A study released earlier this month by the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the University of California showed the credit has spurred sales. The supply of homes priced at less than $300,000 decreased by 26% compared with a year ago; and the amount of homes priced within the $300,000 to $500,000 range dropped by only 18%. Study author Kenneth T. Rosen, lead researcher on the study and Chairman of Rosen Consulting Group, credited the federal tax break. 

In the Orlando area, it’s not clear how many first-time buyers are hitting snags while investors and others scoop up bargains. Though sales overall for the year are up 45% from last year, the percentage of home sales with prices from $300,000 to $500,000 grew more during the last year than home sales under $300,000, according to a review of data from the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. Investors are definitely making their mark, said Les Simmonds, president of the association. “Multiple offers are there because investors are getting back in the market,” Simmonds said. “Traditional buyers coming in are going to find they’re in that mix with those bids. The frustration is understandable.” 

Until the tax credit emerged, buying a home had not been on Smith’s to-do list for a long time. In 2002, he considered purchasing a house but “chickened out” after declines in the stock market. For years, he rented from a roommate. Smith, who was earning $39,000 at his job in Maitland when he started his search, targeted homes priced at $100,000—about $28,000 less than the area’s median price. His loan officer said he could have afforded more, but he wanted to play it safe. Early in his hunt, he found a real estate landscape defined by foreclosures and distressed properties, which constitute about half of the sales in the Orlando market. Of the 20 houses or condos he had seen by June, only two had people still living in them. 

Northrop recalled that one of the houses Smith zeroed in on was in such rough shape that the drywall was missing in some places and only the studs showed after owners did not complete a renovation. Smith was getting a Federal Housing Administration-backed loan because those mortgages require down payments of only about 3%, compared with 10% or 20% for conventional loans. Those loans also require solid houses instead of makeover candidates. 

Troubled house hunts aren’t unique to Smith. Orlando resident Darby Miller said he has found the market so competitive that one house had 12 offers by the time he looked at it. The biggest problem, he said, was that he did not qualify for a state program that would have given him the $8,000 tax credit money upfront to use as a down payment. “At this point, it’s very inconvenient,” Miller said. “I’m going to have to draw from funds I didn’t really want to use.” For Smith, any condos and houses that were in his price range and in good condition quickly disappeared from the bargaining table. Two months into his search, Smith had made no offers. “By the time I’ve said I’m interested, they’re gone,” he said. “Someone got to them before me.” 

(c) 2009, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com. 

For more top headlines on RISMedia.com, be sure to see:
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