And our Flat Fee Lsiting package includes a lot of benefits that most other services either don’t have or charge extra. Consider the lockbox, yard signs, virtual tour and mobility sign, unlimited duration and unlimited price changes. These are just a few. Give us a call and we’ll give you the best deal available.

Recorded among the obstacles for survey participants to purchasing a home are the economic outlook, concerns about affordability, and worries about future unemployment. Still, these economic concerns have not translated into inordinate mortgage stress among American home buyers.

According to the survey, 87% of Americans who were first home buyers in the past year expected to easily meet their mortgage repayment obligations, which is a slight improvement over the 85% who comfortably met their mortgage payments in the 12 months prior to the survey period.

Due to issues with affordability (i.e. high home prices, higher costs of living, or concern of rising interest rates) the average age of first-time home buyers has gone up in all countries except India over the past forty years. The average age at which an individual in the U.S. was able to purchase a first home rose from 27.3 in the 1970s to 31.6 in the 2000s.

“The U.S. is the most optimistic among all the markets surveyed about buying a home,” said Kevin Schneider, Genworth U.S. Mortgage Insurance president. “Nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed believe now is a good time to buy a home … We hope that federal and state lawmakers recognize this pent-up demand and enact policies that foster prudent home ownership.”

Take a look at our Hot Buys page for home pictures and details. Virtual Tour coming soon.

Total state existing-home sales, including single-family and condo, rose 8.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of 5.14 million in the first quarter from 4.75 million in the fourth quarter, and are only 0.8 percent below a 5.18 million pace during the same period in 2010.

Also in the first quarter, the median existing single-family home price rose in 34 out of 153 metropolitan statistical areas2 (MSAs) from the first quarter of 2010, including four with double-digit increases; one was unchanged and 118 areas showed price declines.

This move, announced in February in HUD’s Mortgage Letter 11-10, stated that the move will “ensure that FHA will continue its historic role of providing a home financing vehicle during during periods of economic volatility and its mission of helping under-served borrowers.”

New research from Corelogic (via WAVY10), a California-based research company, shows that 24 percent of borrowers in Hampton Roads owe more money on their homes than they’re currently worth.

Another 6.8 percent are on the edge of being underwater.

It may sound bad, but some places are doing worse.

In Nevada, 65 percent of people owe more than their homes are worth, followed by Arizona, Florida, Michigan, and California.

Nationally, 23.1 percent of all homes with a mortgage were underwater at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010. This was up from 10.8 million or 22.5 percent in the third quarter.

According to CoreLogic, the small increase reflects the price declines that occurred during the fourth quarter and led to lower values.

Negative equity can occur because of a decline in value, an increase in mortgage debt, or a combination of both.

• 36% of all home buyers found the home they purchased through their real estate agent
• 36% of all home buyers found the home they purchased on the internet

Just with the two items above, a whopping 72% of all recent home buyers found their new home through their agent or through their online searches. Ninety percent of all recent buyers did utilize the internet to look at available homes and assist themselves in their home search process.

Agents often ask why I market so extensively online. I do so because I want my clients’ homes to sell. I want those 90% of internet searches to see MY clients’ homes. Some agents ask why I also market to my colleagues. Again, I do so because I want my clients’ homes to sell.

The report continues:

• 12% of all home buyers found the home they purchased from a yard sign.
• 6% of all home buyers found the home they purchased through a friend, neighbor or relative

Don’t want a For Sale Sign in your front yard? You may have potentially lost out on 12% of the potential buyers. The postcard mailing I send to your neighbors helps us capture an additional 6% of potential buyers for your home.

We’ve now tackled 90% of the market of potential buyers for your home. Most buyers are now aware of your home.

Where do print ads come in to play? Only 2% of buyers located their new home through a print ad.
How about open houses? Not even listed on the report, as while many buyers do visit open houses, they do not typically locate their home via these open houses.