La Quinta, California

La Quinta, California
Desert Luxury

Desert Luxury Realty

Thank you for visiting my blog. When you choose Mary Williams, as your real estate agent, you are working with a team of seasoned professionals who cater to your every real estate need. Buying or Selling your home does not need to be full of hassels or needless pressure. Take it easy and enjoy the luxury of the desert. I look forward to assisting you with your search or sell of your home. Contact me today!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

13 for 2013 - not that unlucky!!


2012 is winding down and amongst the Fiscal Cliff talks, there are reasons to stay optimistic. I thought I would repeat a list I recently read in the Realtor(r) Magazine ...13 reasons to be optimistic in 2013 — courtesy of REALTOR® Magazine’s online news:

1. There’s greater optimism about increasing home values.
More real estate professionals are optimistic about the direction of home prices, according to a fourth-quarter survey by HomeGain of more than 200 practitioners and brokers.
Sixty-five percent of real estate professionals say they expect home values to rise in the next six months, up from 51 percent in the previous quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2011, only 15 percent of practitioners said they expected home prices to rise.
Nothaft is forecasting a net growth of 1.2 to 1.25 million new households in 2013 that will provide a big boost to housing starts next year. That expected growth also will likely drive down apartment vacancy rates to 10-year lows and outpace the boom in new apartment construction, Nothaft says.
Unemployment is expected to improve slightly in 2013 and the job and income gains will help jump-start more household formation, according to Nothaft. Also, more adult children who took up residence in their parents' homes are expected to move out next year, helping to increase household formation.
3. Home shoppers are feeling a greater sense of urgency.
Home shoppers will likely have more urgency in the new year, wanting to buy before home prices rise even more.
4. Home ownership remains a goal of members of the Millennial generation.
5. Foreclosure starts are falling to pre-housing-bust levels.
6. Interest rates should remain low through next year’s selling season.
shamrock8. More Americans say it’s a good time to sell.
More Americans are growing confident about selling, with the share of those who say now is a good time to sell rising 5 percentage points in November to 23 percent and reaching its highest level since Fannie Mae started its survey in June 2010.
9. The number of improving housing markets is going up.
10. Job creation is expected to provide a much-needed boost to the commercial sector.
12. As housing values rise and equity returns, fewer home owners are underwater.
During the second quarter, nearly one million home owners were able to emerge from being “underwater” on their mortgage due to rising prices, according to a new report by Zillow.
Home owners who owe more on their home than it is currently worth dropped to 30.9 percent in the second quarter compared to 31.4 percent three months prior.
13. Real estate is contributing to an overall economic recovery.
As in any real estate market, there will be challenges next year and the year after that ..... but it's looking better than it has for a long time. Whether you're looking to buy or sell your home in the Desert, call me.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Top Trends for Real Estate Investors

Desert Luxury Realty

The tide is certainly turning for the housing market, and real estate investors are emerging out of the woodworks to snap up good buys and turn them over for huge profits in the coming months. For savvy real estate investors looking to the future for opportunities, check out these important, emerging trends in the housing sector.

Foreclosed and Distressed Properties

Foreclosures continue to inhibit a full housing recovery. However, distressed properties entering the market in droves at less than market value are quick buys for investors. With growing demand, these properties can turn a quick profit. Real estate investors can catch these homes in short sales and foreclosure auctions. As a result, investor confidence has soared 75 percent, indicating a hot seller’s market.

Rising Demand

The fallout of the housing crisis has witnessed the lowest occupancy rates and fewest housing starts seen in many decades. Recently, however, demand for new homes and second homes have dramatically jumped over 13 percent year-over-year. With rising demand, homes are on the market for lesser time. As market inventory shrinks, demand for new homes will increase in turn. This growth in demand is particularly comforting, not only to real estate investors, but to those in the home construction industry, too.

Foreclosures to Decline

This past year the rate of foreclosures decreased 19 percent. While there are still over a million underwater homes, the rate of new foreclosures is diminishing. Eventually, the number of foreclosures, and therefore extremely inexpensive properties for investors, will decrease. Now is the time to buy up properties sold due to foreclosure.

Boomers Retiring

70 million Baby Boomers will soon be retiring. As this huge group of consumers retires, smart investors will transform real estate to suit Baby Boomers’ tastes and preferences. With extra cash in the pocket and more time to spend on home improvement tasks, Baby Boomers may become, yet again, the largest spending group in the housing market.

Low Mortgage Rates to Continue

A recent UCLA Mortgage Rate Forecast predicts mortgage rates to remain at record low levels for another two years. The forecast shows interest rates hovering around 4 percent until mid-2014, and then jumping up to 7 percent by the end of 2016.

Online Retail

Online retail outlets are expected to explode, reaching $250 billion by 2014. This will have a significant impact on the uses and needs of commercial real estate. Savvy investors will watch this market closely over the next two years to determine the role of physical space in the online market and attract online retailers to commercial spaces.

Capital Gains Tax Increases

By the end of 2012, it is very likely that capital gains taxes will increase from the current 15 percent to as much as 24 percent. For property investors, that tax increase could mean a big chunk of change.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Social Benefits of Homeownership

Who knew?? 

Contact me today!! We can start looking for you new home now!!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Home Staging through the Holidays

Ho! Ho! Ho! We are in full tilt holiday season!

With only a short time before Christmas, should you put your listed home on hold until after the first of the year?

Well, if you do, you may miss out on a great opportunity. The last two months of the year tend to be the busiest and buyers the most serious. However, there are some things you may want to keep in mind over the holidays …

Decorations


  • Outdoor decorations should be classy, classic and SIMPLE. Sprinkle white lights in some of the bushes and potted trees; add a welcoming wreath at the door. Create festive but without the Grizwald effect. You may really want to leave the inflatable Santa and snowmen for your new home.
  • Indoor decorations should be minimal and natural without being cluttered. You can have your tree with a few placed ornaments and a few wrapped gifts, one wreath, a few candles and garland – but again, minimal. Don’t display your Christmas cards – too personal for showings. Tinsel is also taboo. You may want to stay your home’s interior to invite potential buyers to envision what their Christmases would look like in your home.
  • Religious decorations are at your discretion, but remember that many people will be looking at your home and you want to make sure they see your home as theirs.
  • Decorations need to come down at least by New Years.

Music

Keep it soft and best to keep it secular.

Baked Goods

Yummy! Cookies, bread and scented candles always make a home feel warm and inviting. But keep them light and not over-powering. Oh, and leave a plate out of your just baked cookies ….

Showing Appointments

It is the Holidays and many understand if you can’t have a showing because of family gatherings; however, if you will be entertaining a lot and postpone many showings, that may be one good reason to put your listed home on hold until after the first of the year.
I'm sure you have more questions, but that is what I'm here for! Contact me today and let me show you how I can transform and your home!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Affordable Homes in California



According to the California Association of Realtors(r), "Home buyers needed to earn a minimum annual income of $65,810 to qualify for the purchase of a $339,860 statewide median-priced, existing single-family home in the third quarter of 2012. The monthly payment, including taxes and insurance on a 30-year fixed-rate loan, would be $1,650, assuming a 20 percent down payment and an effective composite interest rate of 3.72 percent. The effective composite interest rate in second-quarter 2012 was 3.92 percent and 4.63 percent in the third quarter of 2011."

To see the how more affordable a home is now in California, below is a chart detailing home prices since 2006.

Year Quarter
Housing Affordability Index CA SFH
Median Home Price
Monthly Payment Including Taxes & Insurance
Minimum Qualifying Income
Interest Rate
2006 Q1
13
$ 548,810 $ 3,375 $ 135,019
6.39%
2006 Q2
12
$ 566,800 $ 3,557 $ 142,270
6.63%
2006 Q3
12
$ 561,560 $ 3,563 $ 142,504
6.76%
2006 Q4
12
$ 561,430 $ 3,490 $ 139,618
6.52%
2007 Q1
13
$ 562,970 $ 3,470 $ 138,818
6.42%
2007 Q2
11
$ 592,420 $ 3,668 $ 146,701
6.47%
2007 Q3
11
$ 574,080 $ 3,639 $ 145,559
6.75%
2007 Q4
18
$ 492,490 $ 3,039 $ 121,542
6.43%
2008 Q1
26
$ 418,230 $ 2,493 $ 99,737
6.03%
2008 Q2
29
$ 386,370 $ 2,325 $ 93,017
6.14%
2008 Q3
34
$ 341,750 $ 2,107 $ 84,269
6.42%
2008 Q4
43
$ 293,960 $ 1,753 $ 70,102
6.03%
2009 Q1
55
$ 247,630 $ 1,368 $ 54,708
5.16%
2009 Q2
53
$ 263,580 $ 1,438 $ 57,506
5.02%
2009 Q3
48
$ 291,000 $ 1,627 $ 65,096
5.30%
2009 Q4
47
$ 303,490 $ 1,661 $ 66,452
5.06%
2010 Q1
50
$ 288,020 $ 1,580 $ 63,230
5.09%
2010 Q2
46
$ 316,090 $ 1,732 $ 69,273
5.07%
2010 Q3
46
$ 316,900 $ 1,692 $ 67,660
4.78%
2010 Q4
50
$ 302,820 $ 1,593 $ 63,722
4.62%
2011 Q1
53
$ 278,520 $ 1,500 $ 60,110
4.90%
2011 Q2
51
$ 294,850 $ 1,584 $ 63,352
4.85%
2011 Q3
51
$ 293,380 $ 1,545 $ 61,792
4.63%
2011 Q4
55
$ 282,560 $ 1,440 $ 57,740
4.30%
2012 Q1
56
$ 279,160 $ 1,410 $ 56,320
4.16%
2012 Q2
51
$ 316,260 $ 1,560 $ 62,400
3.92%
2012 Q3
49
$ 339,860 $ 1,650 $ 65,810
3.72%
Whether you're purchasing a second home to enjoy over the winter or your year 'round home in the desert! Contact me today - there are some great homes in the Desert!