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Real Estate 411

Wednesday, October 30, 2013
by The Mike Parker Team

When you’re buying or selling, the obvious source to get your real estate question answered is your agent but where do you go the rest of the time?  As a homeowner for many years to come, you’ll need reliable help and solid suggestions.

Our business goal is to have a select group of our friends and past customers who consider us their lifelong real estate professional. We want to earn that trusted position so they’ll enthusiastically refer their friends to us.  Our plan to achieve this is simply to help these people with all of their real estate needs not just when they buy or sell but for all the years in between.

Throughout the year, we offer reminders and suggestions by email and social media that benefit your homeowner experience.  When we find good articles to help you be a better homeowner, we’ll pass them along.  You’ll discover new ways to maintain your property, minimize expenses and manage debt and risk.

We want to be your “Go-To” person for everything to do with real estate.  If we don’t have the answer you need, we’ll point you in the right direction to find it.

We’re here for you and your friends…now and in the future.  Please let us know how we can help you.

Northern Kentucky Residential Real Estate Market Report

Monday, October 28, 2013
by The Mike Parker Team

10-28-13

I wanted to share some interesting numbers on the Northern Kentucky Residential Real Estate market.

When comparing where Northern Kentucky real estate market is today vs. where we were a year ago:

2012

4117 single family, condos, farms closed from the following dates 1/1/12 to 10/28/12.

Average sold price was $145,690 with 95 days on the market being the average.

2013

There are 2988 single family, condos and farms currently for sale.

  • 765 homes under contract (Pending)
  • 4803 sold from 1/1/13 to 10/28/13
  • Average sold price $155,051
  • Average days on the market -111

Within the same time frame, there were 686 MORE sales in 2013 than in 2012.

The average sales price in 2013 is $9,361 more than 2012, that is 6.1% increase.

In 2013, the average days on the market are up by 16 days over the 2012 market.

In the last 30 days there have been 372 homes (single family, condo, farm) that have gone under contract.

The Northern Kentucky market is moving.

If you have any real estate questions, feel free to contact Mike Parker – Northern Kentucky Real Estate Expert at 859-647-0700.  Feel free to email me at Mike@MikeParker.com.

*all information taken from the Northern Kentucky Multiple Lisitng Service.

Why Borrowers Pay Different Rates

Monday, October 21, 2013
by The Mike Parker Team

Lenders, like any business, have to make a profit.  The cost of acquiring the funds, the operating costs to service and the expected profit margin are easily identified.  The variable in pricing is the type of mortgage and the credit worthiness of the borrower. 

A loan with a 3.5% down payment is riskier than a loan with 20% down payment.  If the lender has to take the property back to recover their expense, the margin is greater between what is owed and what the property is worth on an 80% mortgage. 

Credit scoring is a risk-based pricing method that allows a lender to be competitive in the market for the best loans from different borrower groups.  Individual lenders set their own levels for what they consider “A” credit which is reserved for the best rates.  If good credit is approximately 710 to 740, scores below that are considered higher risk and will have higher rates.

Risk must be assessed for both the borrower and the property that collateralizes the loan.  The borrower’s credit history and income stability are strongly evaluated by the lender but if a default should occur, the property must secure the loan to avoid a loss to the lender. 

Mortgage pricing.png

The challenge for some buyers is they are unaware of what their credit score is and how it will affect the interest rate offered by the lender.  It is to the buyer’s advantage to be pre-approved by a reputable lender prior to starting the process of looking for a home.  In some cases, the lender can actually improve the borrower’s credit score to help them qualify for a lower interest rate.

Contact me for a recommendation of a trusted mortgage professional - Mike@MikeParker.com

Lower Anxieties/Improve Marketability

Monday, October 14, 2013
by The Mike Parker Team

One of the anxiety highpoints during the sale of a home is waiting for the buyer’s home inspection report.  Most sellers willingly disclose what they know about their home to any potential buyers.  The concern stems from the inspector finding something that they’re totally unaware of and that it will either cost them a lot of money to correct or the buyer will simply use it to void the contract.

If the inspection does reveal some unknown problem with the home, it’s probably as big a surprise to the buyer who is not as emotionally or financially invested as the seller.  It is human nature to fear what you don’t understand and when a report identifies defects, they may simply opt-out of the home.

The solution to the situation may be for the seller to have the home inspected prior to putting it on the market.  There is still a risk of becoming surprised by an unknown defect which at that point, would have to be disclosed to potential buyers or repaired by the seller.  The advantage is that it creates a baseline to compare discrepancies that may arise when a future buyer has the home inspected.

If the seller’s inspection report is made available during the marketing process, it could give buyers a sense of confidence about the home even though they may still choose to have the home checked by their own inspector.

The cost of the inspection, possibly $500, keeps some sellers from taking this initiative when selling their home.  In an effort to minimize their expenses, they forego getting valuable, disinterested 3rd party advice that could help sell their home.  On a $175,000 home, the fee for the inspection will probably be less than 3/10 of one percent of the sales price.

Another option to the seller to increase marketability of the property and bolster buyer confidence in the home would be to offer a home protection plan.  Generally, the seller doesn’t incur cost for this coverage until the home is sold and there may even be some coverage for the seller during the listing period.  The benefit to the buyer is avoiding unanticipated expenses for specific items that are covered during their first year of ownership.

Contact me for recommendations of home inspectors or home protection plans.

How Will the Government Shutdown Effect Mortgages?

Wednesday, October 9, 2013
by The Mike Parker Team

How will the government shutdown effect mortgages?  Watch this brief video for an explanation:

Displaying blog entries 1-5 of 5

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Photo of Mike Parker - CRS Real Estate
Mike Parker - CRS
HUFF Realty
60 Cavalier Blvd.
Florence KY 41042
859-647-0700
859-486-3300
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