Information about and for Sun Lakes residents
Today’s market can be a difficult one for many sellers to navigate. And while your real estate agent can advise you, the ultimate decision of what offer to accept is entirely up to you.
This decision can come with quite a bit of pressure. Even in the most favorable of markets this can be a difficult time. How do you know when to accept an offer?
Here are some questions to consider. Read more
Volatility is back it seems. Four of the five days last week saw prices of the Dow Jones Industrials gain or lose 100 points at some time during the day. Why? Some would argue that it is due to the news from Libya and the oil markets. As we have mentioned a few times already, oil really shouldn’t be an issue because there is plenty of oil. Libya is a lot bloodier affair than either Tunisia or Egypt, but Libya is hardly a big element in the global scheme of things. We think much of the volatility comes from a couple of more mundane sources, greed and fear. Read more
So, what does all this latest wave of unrest mean for the markets? That depends on a lot of things. If your time horizon is a few days to a couple of weeks, it might mean something. If you’re willing to jump out of tech stocks and into oil stocks on the assumption that oil prices will pop and you’re willing to take the chance that oil prices won’t pop, then maybe it matters to you. But, if you have a reasonable time horizon that runs out over years rather than days all this probably doesn’t matter all that much. Read more
Joan’s Real Estate Corner…
Whether you are moving into a new home, getting ready to sell yours or a vacant home, keeping energy costs down is desirable to both buyers and sellers. Even though there are many energy-efficient options these days, there are a growing number of energy-suckers.
You might be surprised to learn just how much that beautiful water feature costs to keep it running 24/7 year-round. Depending on where you live and the wattage needed, that fountain could cost an extra $30 per month. Read more
Odds and Ends
How about a series of rants on small topics this week, since we have had trouble putting together a really good topic for the week?
Inflation – inflation is coming back, someday, maybe not for a few months, maybe not for a couple of years. But, it will be coming back. This is an old debate that is pertinent again.
If you believe that Milton Friedman had his head screwed on straight, “inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon” works for you. Read more
Joan’s Real Estate Corner… Value in Homeownership
Is there value in owning a home? The recently released 2010 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers bring us some promising results. Today homeowners are living in their homes longer, and after several years of price declines, are seeing rises in home equity gains.
It was only earlier this decade that so many buyers jumped on the investment bandwagon. They bought and sold within incredibly short time frames, and walked away with profits. But as the booms busted, many sellers found they had bought at the top of the market and as prices corrected, they lost more than just dollars. Foreclosure rates skyrocketed. Historically, however, homeownership is a long term investment, and one that brings many rewards. Read more