M Squared Real Estate

Dec 30

Pending Home Sales Index Rises Back Above 100

December 30, 2011 By Justin Paulhamus 5 Comments

Low home prices and mortgage rates have combined to push home affordability to record levels nationwide. Home buyers are taking advantage. The Pending Home Sales Index rose 7 percent in November to rise to its highest level since April 2010, the last month of last year's home buyer tax credit program. The Pending Home Sales Index is published monthly by the National Association of REALTORS®. It measures homes under contract nationwide, but not yet "sold". In this way, the Pending Home … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: District of Columbia, Existing Home Sales, National Association of Realtors, New Home Sales, Pending Home Sales Index, real estate, Real estate economics, washington dc

Dec 29

Nationally, Home Prices Off 18.3 Percent From April 2007 Peak

December 29, 2011 By Jessica Wilkie 2 Comments

The government confirms what the private-sector Case-Shiller Index reported yesterday. Nationwide, average home values slipped in October. The Federal Home Finance Agency's Home Price Index shows home values down 0.2% on a monthly, seasonally-adjusted basis. October marks just the second time since April that home values fell month-over-month. The Case-Shiller Index 20-City Composite showed values down 0.7 percent from September to October. As a home buyer in DC , it's easy to look at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Case-Shiller Index, Fannie Mae, FHFA, Freddie Mac, Home Price Index, House price index, New Home Sales, October, Price index, Real estate broker/agent, Real estate economics

Dec 28

New Home Sales Approach Bull Market Territory

December 28, 2011 By Joshua Oliver 6 Comments

New home inventory is approaching bull market territory. According to the Census Bureau, the number of new homes sold rose 2 percent in November. On a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, home buyers bought 315,000 newly-built homes last month. November's New Home Sales data marks the 4th straight month of rising sales volume, lifting the housing-market metric to a 7-month high, and adding to the housing market's recent show of strength. Last week, we learned that Existing Home Sales … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Buyer, Census Bureau, Home Builders, National Association of Home Builders, New Home Sales, New Home Supply, November, Real estate economics, United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Commerce

Dec 23

Pay Your Mortgage Early, Boost Your 2011 Federal Income Tax Deductions

December 23, 2011 By Justin Paulhamus 2 Comments

Time is running out to boost to your 2011 federal tax refund. All you have to do is make your January 2012 mortgage payment while it's still December. It's a simple tax strategy that works because of how mortgage interest is paid, and of how the U.S. tax code is written. Different from rent which is paid for the month ahead (i.e. "you're paying January's rent"), mortgage payments are made only after mortgage interest has accrued (i.e. "you're paying for money you've already borrowed from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC, Selling Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: December, IRS, Itemized deduction, Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction, Mortgage loan, Standard deduction, Tax, Tax Code, Tax deduction, Tax return (United States), United States

Dec 23

Housing Starts Show Strength In Housing

December 23, 2011 By Joshua Oliver 3 Comments

The new construction housing market continues to show strength across the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Single-Family Housing Starts rose to 447,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis in November -- a 2 percent increase from October. A "Housing Start" is defined as breaking ground on new home construction. November's figures mark the third straight month of Single-Family Housing Starts gains. The new construction metric is now 15 percent above its … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Building Permits, Census Bureau, Construction permit, Housing Starts, Mortgage loan, New Home Construction, November, Point (mortgage), Real estate economics, Single-family detached home, Washington D.C.

Dec 22

Home Supplies Fall To 7.0 Months Nationwide; Buyer Demand Strong

December 22, 2011 By Justin Paulhamus 2 Comments

Home resales moved to a 10-month high in November, the latest in a series of strong showings from the housing sector. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, November's Existing Home Sales rose to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized 4.42 million units nationwide -- a 4 percent climb from October 2011. An "existing home" is a home that has been previously occupied and cannot be categorized as new construction. Home buyers and sellers throughout DC should take note of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Existing Home Sales, Existing Home Supply, Home inspection, Housing Starts, Mortgage loan, National Association of Realtors, November, real estate, Real estate pricing, Seasonal adjustment

Dec 20

Home Builders Experiencing Heavy Foot Traffic And Higher Sales Volume

December 20, 2011 By Jessica Wilkie Leave a Comment

Housing Market Index Washington DC November 2011

In another good sign for the housing market, today's home builders believe that the housing market has turned a corner. For the third straight month, the Housing Market Index -- a home builder confidence survey from the National Association of Homebuilders -- reported strong monthly gains. December's Housing Market Index climbed 2 points to 21 in December after a downward revision to last month's results. The index is now up seven points since September 2011, and sits at a 19-month … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Buyer, December, HMI, Home Builders, Homebuilder Confidence, Housing Market Index, NAHB, National Association of Homebuilders, November, Real estate economics, Single-family detached home

Dec 16

Mortgage Payments Fall 12% Since February 2011

December 16, 2011 By Joshua Oliver 9 Comments

As mortgage rates drop, so do housing payments. It's a good time to consider refinancing your home, or making an offer on a new one. Mortgage payment affordability has never been so high in history. According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate is now 3.94 percent -- an all-time low -- with an accompanying 0.8 discount points. This means that in order to get access to the 3.94 percent rate, District of Columbia homeowners and home buyers should expect to pay a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: 30-Year Fixed, Fixed rate mortgage, Freddie Mac, Loan, Mortgage Bankers Association, Mortgage loan, PMMS, Refinancing, Washington D.C.

Dec 15

Bank Repossessions Drop To A 44-Month Low

December 15, 2011 By Jessica Wilkie Leave a Comment

Foreclosure activity continues to concentrate over just a few states. According to foreclosure-tracker RealtyTrac, November's foreclosure filings fell 3 percent as compared to October, and 14 percent from November 2010. "Foreclosure filing" is a catch-all term for the various "action steps" throughout the foreclosure process. The grouping comprises default notices, scheduled home auctions, and bank repossessions. As in most months, though, foreclosure activity remains concentrated by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: foreclosure, Foreclosures, National Association of Realtors, RealtyTrac, REO, United States, washington dc

Dec 14

2229 CALIFORNIA ST NW, WASHINGTON, DC, 20008

December 14, 2011 By M Squared Leave a Comment

For more information on this property, please click the property photo below. Listing ID: DC7739666Price: $1,695,000Bedrooms: 3Bathrooms: 3Listing Type: ResidentialType: FederalNeighborhood: KALORAMADescriptionThis stately, Federal-style row home built in 1905 exudes character, and is a well-preserved example of Washington's finest turn of the century architecture. Perfect location on leafy California St this 3,700+ sq ft home is perfectly sited for quiet neighborhood walks in historic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New To Market - Just Listed!