In a recent article by Inman News it is reported that due to the treasury's failure to take action and re-allocate the HAMP program less than 1/5th of the number of borrowers were assisted and funds originally allocated were used. The program was set up to give the lenders the money to modify troubled homeowners mortgages.  They anticipated by the $30 billion dollars that was allocated 3 to 4 million homeowners could have had their mortgage re-written to make them affordable.  Well, the numbers came in at 700,000 homeowners assisted and only $4 billion used. The standards to qualify for HAMP precluded a lot of homeowners and then the lender's not being required to participate further reduced the number of assisted families. Please read the full story here. 12/15/2010

Keller Williams- Taunton Massachusetts Area Home Market Trends and Real Estate For Sale Welcome to the most current Housing Trends eNewsletter. This eNewsletter is specially designed for you, with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you're in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general. Please click on this link to view the NOVEMBER - 2010 Newsletter Housing Trends eNewsletter:http://TauntonArea.housingtrendsenewsletter.com?Newsletter_ID=255&Period_ID=191 The Housing Trends eNewsletter contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau, Realtor.org reports and other sources. It also includes press releases with charts and videos, key market i... 11/28/2010

Taunton Massachusetts Homes-Real Estate for sale- House for Sale Fall in Love with this pretty home for sale in Taunton.well maintained spacious tri-level with extraordinary curb appeal. This is exactly what you want! updated kitchen- open with dining area, leading to large deck and large backyard swimming pool- offering privacy for you and your family and guests, just bring the hot dogs and hamburgers. The lower level- nice place to retreat after Sunday dinner- finished family room with full bath, a great place to gather for the football season. Central Air, New Roof, and more. The house is located close to the  Taunton-Dighton line.       10/23/2010

Open House Taunton Ma Home for sale -  We invite everyone to visit our open house in Taunton MA at 2 Fisher st on October 24 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. 3-4 bedrooms 2 full baths close to Golf course  Offered at $249,900 Make this Taunton ma house your Home ! Property information - with Virtual Tour & more photos 10/19/2010

 For Home Sellers in Greater Taunton-Rehoboth MA Home Sellers are still, yes still, conditioned to think that their house is really worth the high price, then wonder why the house didn't sell. Home Buyers shop up and they shop down... and they shop by monthly payment. In this real estate world, buyers are looking at properties by the highest price they can pay..i.e. 200-250k. They also have buyers agents who advise them on whether or not a property in the area is over prices, just right, or a hot buy. When a seller overprices their home, they will lose all the way around. The other challenge and very real, appraisals are coming in below selling price. So in the very unlikely chance a buyer has to have your house. You get your price, and you've done the victory dance.. then in a few week... 09/24/2010

Foreclosures, Bargain Homes, REO's in Taunton and Rehoboth MA As a home buyer, this statement that "Now it the time to buy" rings louder  in the coming months than I've seen since last August. Interest Rates are in the 4's. The opportunity for you to buy a house from me, in today's real estate market is showing up in new ways, namely, short sales, foreclosures and bank-owned properties - collectively known as "distressed properties." The key points to know about distressed properties: the term refers to the mortgage financing on the home, not necessarily  the home itself.  Some distressed properties are in good shape, most need some work. Price is the biggest motivating factor. Short sales and bank-owned properties sell for well below  market value.A recent KW survey revealed that 45 pe... 09/23/2010

Mortgage Rate Forecast for September 3, 2010 - Improving, or...? Here are some of the events affecting mortgage rates today: What Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) Are Doing Today: The price of the FNMA 30-Year 4.0% MBS coupon opened at 103.25 this morning - the same as yesterday's close. At 9:30 AM, the 4.0% MBS coupon was trading at 102.69 - down 13/32 from its opening. Remember, on mortgage backed securities (MBSs), as the price goes down, the yield goes up - and so do mortgage rates. I expect that mortgage rates will be up to 0.375 points worse in price this morning as compared to yesterday afternoon. Price Trend in Mortgage Backed Securities: The chart below shows the price trend of the FNMA 30-Year 4.0% coupon over the past 30 days from 8-4-2010 to 9-3-2010: Economic Reports, News,... 09/03/2010

The Trend in Home Sales in Taunton MA - Improving, or...? Home prices in Taunton on average are rising! Home prices have risen 4.7% since July of 2009. The current average listing price of homes for sale in Taunton MA is $236,911, up 4.9% from a month ago. Compare this to the current median sales price of $189,000 - where half of sales are above this amount and half below it. 2 and 3 bedroom homes are selling for less than they were while 4 bedroom homes are selling for more. Prices of 2 bedroom homes are down 9.4% while prices of 3 bedroom homes are down 4.3%. Prices of 4 bedroom homes are up 4.8% from year ago levels. Below is a chart of the trend of median prices of homes for sale in Taunton MA over the past 5 years through July 2010: Taunton Recently Sold Homes The number of sales f... 09/03/2010

Taunton Ma Condo Staged to Sell Come see this waterfont condo with 3 floors of living space. The Sellers of this condo wanted to have it staged before going on the market . Their Real Estate agent , Gil Campos, www.camposhomes.com offered to have Interiors by Marianne Cherico do a report and consultation to get it in tip top shape.                                 Marianne asked the sellers to paint the master bedroom so that it reflected the soothing colors of the lake. She used the bedspread that the owners already had on the bed and picked Arctic Gray by Benjamin Moore to bring the feeling of the lake into the master bedroom.   The views from the master bedroom in this Taunton Ma Condo Staged to Sell are so important to potential Buyers. When staging a waterfront property it is import... 08/16/2010

05/27/2010

Mortgage Rate Forecast for May 10, 2010 Here are some of the events affecting mortgage rates today: What Mortgage Backed Securities Are Doing Today: The price of the FNMA 30-Year 4.5% MBS coupon opened at 101.47 this morning - the same as Friday's close. At 9:30 AM, the 4.5% MBS coupon was trading at 101.19 - down 9/32 from its opening. Remember, on mortgage backed securities (MBSs), as the price goes down, the yield goes up - and so do mortgage rates. I expect that mortgage rates will be up to 0.250 points or more worse in price this morning as compared to Friday. Price Trend in Mortgage Backed Securities: The chart below shows the price trend of the FNMA 30-Year 4.5% coupon over the past 30 days from 4-10-2010 to 5-10-2010: Economic Reports, News, and Events Affecting Mortgage Interes... 05/10/2010

Trend in Home Sales in Taunton MA Through April 2010 According to Trulia.com, sales prices of homes in Taunton have increased 15.4% over the past year through April 2010. The current average listing price of homes for sale in Taunton MA is $283,260, while the current median sales price is $186,950. The median sales price is the price at which one half of the homes sold above that amount, and one half of the homes sold below that amount. Below is a chart of the trend of median prices of homes for sale in Taunton MA over the past 4 years through April 2010: Taunton Recently Sold Homes Below is a chart of the trend in home sales in Taunton MA over the past 4 years through April 2010: Taunton Recently Sold Homes If you're looking to buy a home or condo in Taunton MA or in the surrounding ar... 05/10/2010

Here are the  Real Estate Market Trends for Single Family Homes inTaunton MA   for the past month) There are currently 161 Single family  Homes for Sale on the Market in Taunton, Massachusetts 33 Single Family Homes are Under Contract in Taunton 34 Single Family Homes were sold Average Sales Price for Single family homes in Taunton MA is $243,694 Average List Price for Single Family Homes in Taunton is $235,896 For More Informationon the Taunton MA market trends go to: http://www.tauntonhomelistings.com.     03/23/2010

Homes for sale in Taunton MA- Taunton Dighton Raynham Berkley Massachusetts  The local Real Estate Market in Greater Taunton MA is an opportunity market for sure! Here are some hot properties for sale:  25 Orchard St, Taunton- only $145,000 ( 2 bed cottage) not a short sale or a foreclosure  34 Parson's Walk- Nice Colonial home in a nice subdivision.. Berkley Ma- 3 Bedrooms 2.5 baths built in 2002  Dighton, MA- if you like your privacy.. you'll love it- 3 Acres/4 Bedrooms 2.5 baths.. asking $399k.. 4 outbuldings too! HOT HOT HOT Properties for Sale! COMING Soon.. not published on MLS.. 4 bedroom in sought after area of North Taunton, Ma.. CALL ME! Low to mid 200's Coming Soon- not published on MLS- 4 Bedroom home in Raynham, MA.. CALL ME! Mid $200's Other Opportunities here.. search the... 03/03/2010

Taunton MA Real Estate Market Report - Year to Date (11/30/2009) There were 296 Taunton MA real estate homes sold in 2009 with an average sales price of $232,507 and an average days on market (DOM) of 136. The selling range was a low of $49,000 and a high of $566,775. As of November 30, there were 108 homes on the market with an average list price of $292,144, and an average DOM of 134. There were 29 homes under contract with an average price of $225,256 and an average DOM of 72. Additional resources: Taunton MA Real Estate - Community, relocation and school information with town demographics. Taunton MA Foreclosures - Obtain a list of foreclosed and bank owned real estate and short sales Taunton MA MLS Search - View all listings in the statewide MLS.  For a condo search, visit Taunton ... 12/28/2009

Another Reason Why A Buyers Agent is Not A Luxury in Today's Market.. It's a Necessity more so  for Foreclosures, Short Sales, and for the first time buyer. I was at an open house today.  A buyer walked in. He said he just "lost" a house that he was suppose to buy and close on this week.  Naturally I was curious and asked questions .  He indicated that he knew it was a foreclosure and wanted a "deal". He also said he didn't have a buyers agent or an attorney.  He agreed to buy the house "as is".  One of my questions to this buyer was  "Exactly who do you suppose the listing agent represents?"  ... you know the answer. He said he was saving money and time by not having a buyers agent... . In reality this poor guy wasted money and time on home inspection, appraisal and   time that he just... 11/15/2009

Everywhere you turn today, the talk is about a next wave of foreclosures. I wonder whether this is accurate information. When I logically assess these statements and claims in my mind, I cannot understand. While  many Option Arm and adjustable rate mortgages are about to reset, I wonder whether the next wave of foreclosures will be a tsunami or just a few ripples. How I see it: Major lenders like JP Morgan Chase, Bank America, Wells Fargo and many more  are offering loan modification programs to homeowners who would otherwise lose their homes. Today vs last year: Home Owners who are behind on their payments are better educated on their options. I believe that short sales will be the dominant force in real estate in 2010. and  foreclosures, not nearly as many..here's why: 1.  A Judge ear... 10/16/2009

So are you tired of hearing about whether the tax credit will be extended?  It is always a great time to buy good real estate. Now is just a bit different. I have never seen home prices and interest rates in line with one another. .and the government giving away so much money. Usually it's one or the other, home prices higher, interest rates lower and vice versa. My first question is who is going to pay for this. Don't get me wrong, the first time home buyer tax credit has helped many buyers and sellers get real estate up an running again..question is.. can we sustain the market without the credit? Should the credit be extended and even include others? Frankly, I have mixed emotions. On one hand, it scares me.. bet you never thought I would say this.. "Lori the optimist". One cannot hel... 09/24/2009

Okay the title got you to look at the blog.. my mother used to say this to me, when I was "in trouble"( lol) I hope everyone gets to visit an apple orchard this fall. Apple picking is so much fun, relaxing morning or afternoon. Take time to ponder the beautiful autumn colors and breathe the fresh air of the country.. Nothing like Autumn in New England. I digress.. I am amazed at the apple varieties, from sweet to tart, to everything in between. There's an apple for everyone. There are also so many recipes available. You can get them online. Just go to the Food network website and type in Apple recipes in the search feature My personal favorite is the Macoun. Other Varieties are: Ginger Gold,  Zestar,  Sansa,  Akane, Paula red, Gravenstein,Honeycrisp, Golden SupremeEarly Fuji, CrimsonCri... 09/16/2009

Does this ever happen to you?  You've gone through your day  feeling  pretty darn good about life and then you turn on the 6:00 news and suddenly, your whole demeanor and attitude change? You are not alone. The media's job is to produce ratings and drive up revenues in air time. I know this first hand. I used to be in the advertising business and believe me ratings rule. Lately we are hearing negative news reports on the economy and the state of the real estate market in general, but I believe they aren't reporting accurately on the big picture. As someone who is actively working in this business. The day to day mindset of most buyers are " I need to buy a house now while I can afford it and while interest rates are low.". This is a far cry from the attitude among buyers last year.  Hom... 07/08/2009