Information to consider if your almost ready to buy a home

For those of you thinking of buying a home but unsure of whether or not this is the time to do it the following information from the Florida Association of Realtors may offer some help.





Nobody is buying homes anymore.





”Nationally, 2007 was the fifth-best year of sales in U.S. history, according to Lawrence Yun, senior economist, National Association of Realtors® (NAR). “Now that mortgage conditions have improved, some postponed activity should turn up in existing-home sales over the next couple of months, and I expect sales at fairly stable to slightly higher levels,” he says. NAR statistics indicate existing-home sales for 2007 will probably total 5.66 million, rising to 5.70 million this year and 5.91 million in 2009. In Florida, approximately 160,000 existing homes and condominiums were purchased during the first 11 months of 2007, according to FAR statistics. That’s a decrease from the market’s peak in 2004-05, but still a healthy level of activity








“Home prices will only go lower.





”The housing market is not having a “going out of business” sale. While some sellers are cutting their prices, others are not. In fact, FAR statistics show just a 5 percent statewide decline in home prices and a 3 percent decrease in condo prices over the past year. Historically, a rapid jump in home prices has been followed by a period of stability, not decline. “In Florida, residential prices shoot up quickly and then stabilize,” says economist Hank Fishkind, Ph.D. of Fishkind & Associates, Inc., Orlando. “Even when there is excess supply, prices don’t tend to come down.” (http://media.floridarealtors.org/statistics/statisticsfull.htm)








“Historically, home values don’t rise.





”Think back to what your parents paid for their homes, and it’s clear that residential values have increased substantially over the years. Nationally, home prices rose 88 percent from 1995 to 2005. “Historically, home prices rise 1.5 to 2 percentage points faster than the rate of inflation, says David Lereah, NAR’s former chief economist. In Florida, the median sales price for existing single-family homes in November 2007 was $215,800 – a 52.5 percent increase over the five-year-period since November 2002, according to FAR records. (http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/buy_now_talking_points.html)





I hope these articles assist you in your decision making process. As always, when you need assistance in finding the home of your dreams, please let me know and I'll do the searching for you and will work to find the home your seeking.








Rob Skeel Realtor


Century 21 Prestige Realty Group


305-393-6300


http://www.robskeel.com/http://robskeel.com/homes_for_sale.shtml