Its TIME to BUY

Buying a home has always been the best investment, and today it's even better. Reports of doom and gloom must be put into perspective, and the longer you hold out waiting for the best deal the more likely you are to miss a great opportunity. Here are some reasons why now is a good time to buy a home.

It's a Buyer's Market, Folks
Many sellers have upgraded properties to increase curb appeal. Your next home most likely has new windows, a top-notch roof, energy efficient appliances, and a much nicer bathroom and kitchen. There is no need to worry about major home improvement projects; today's homes are move-in ready.

A ton of brand new homes are on the market at great prices, too. Buy a new construction and be the first to park in the garage, paint the walls, and landscape the yard. A new home is your opportunity to put a stamp on something truly meaningful.

You Can Afford to Be Choosy
Your choices in the housing market may feel a little staggering. You have the chance to shop real estate until you find exactly what you want. Record low mortgage rates are a nice bonus that make your dream home even more affordable.

What About Expired Government Home-buying Incentives?
Think you've already missed a great deal? Actually, these incentives caused prices to rise for a short time, offsetting some advantages to buyers. It's all part of the cause and effect cycle in real estate, and what you're looking for is balance.

It's Time to Buy a Home
Remember, you're not buying a house—you're buying a home. Weigh your options carefully, but don't wait so long that you miss this good opportunity. Picture your family and friends relaxed and comfortable in every room and you'll see yourself, proud of your smart investment.

Mortgage Rate Falls Under 4.5 %
Freddie Mac reports that long-term mortgage rates moved south again this week.

Interest on 30-year fixed loans hit a new low of 4.49 percent, compared to 4.54 percent last week and 5.22 percent a year ago; and the 15-year mortgage landed at 3.95 percent, down from 4 percent last week and 4.63 percent a year ago.

Five-year adjustable-rate mortgages reached a new low of 3.63 percent, down from 3.76 percent last week and 4.73 percent a year ago; while one-year ARMs fell to 3.55 percent from 3.64 percent last week and 4.78 percent a year ago.

So with Interest rates so low WHY are homes not moving. Its basically pretty simple,
F E A R ! Buyer are very scared right now, they do not feel secure in their jobs,the economy is in the toilet and so those of us who have Jobs need to work extra hard to keep them, and those of us who have some money need to work extra hard to keep it, and not spend it. Buying a big ticket item like a home requires major commitment which todays buyers are not willing to do, not until the econom gets better.

Will it turn around, yes it will , when? I would say we will see better results in summer of 2011.

Good News for Florida

Florida's existing home sales ROSE in March, which means that sales activity has increased in the year-to-year comparison for 19 months, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®.

Existing home sales increased 24 percent last month with a total of 16,294 homes sold statewide compared to 13,090 homes sold in March 2009, according to Florida Realtors. Statewide existing home sales last month increased 37 percent over statewide sales activity in February. Also noteworthy: While March's statewide existing-home median price of $137,000 was down from the same time a year ago, it was 4.3 percent higher than February's statewide existing-home median price.

Florida Realtors also reported a 63 percent increase in statewide sales of existing condos in March compared to the previous year's sales figure; statewide existing condo sales last month rose 40.6 percent over the total units sold in February. Though March's statewide existing-condo median price of $96,900 was down compared to the year-ago figure, it was 5.1 percent higher than February's statewide existing-condo median price.

Seventeen of Florida's metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported increased existing home sales in March while all MSAs had higher condo sales. A majority of the state's MSAs have reported increased sales for 21 consecutive months.

I believe we are heading in the right direction! It also means the PRICES WILL SOON RISE!

if you are a buyer I believe the time to act is NOW, tomorrow might be to late.

FLORIDA AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL SALES PRICE

The March 2010 average residential sales price of $180,069 represents a 6.01% increase over last month, a 5.38% increase over last quarter (3 months ago), and a 2.58% decrease over March of 2009. Although we're close, we have not broken through the low hit in January 2009. After about 18 months of finding news lows every month, we have spent the last 13 months supporting the low found in January 2009.

The Average Residential Sales Price represents the average sales price of closed residential sale transactions as reported through the MLS for single family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and villas. As noted on the GTAR website, these figures do not represent private sales or new construction sales unless entered into MLS. This is only one of many available indicators, but taken consistently over time, provides a good view of residential market activity.

The reality of what we've been through - The March 2010 average residential sales price represents a 26.11% decrease from 2 years ago, a 36.26% decrease from 3 years ago, and a 42.35% decrease from the high of $312, 356 hit in July 2006. It is encouraging to see what appears to be tremendous support at this average sales price

will things get better or worse? what is your take. I believe that we are doing the right things to get the market back where it should be however because we are so deep in the hole it will take a long time for us to get back to normal, my prediction is late 2011.

New changes

Dear Clients:

I hope this email finds you well, as always I am constantly looking for ways in which to improve my business so that I may
Better serve you my clients.

This past year has been a trying one for the real estate industry as you have probably heard, many businesses have gone
Under and an estimated 67% of agents have either quit the business or gone part-time. The industry has been hit with a
Big right hook however many of us are still standing while others have folded. This is why I have aligned myself with one
Of the most successful teams in Florida to be able to better serve you.

Team Brumbach Realty Group has been in the real estate industry for over 10 years, together we have over 30 years of real estate experience
To better serve you “our clients”. Team Brumbach is also a “one stop real estate solution” where we offer you, residential sales, commercial real estate,
Property management, short sales expert, distressed property certified, REO’s, Mortgage Lending, and Loan Modifications. Team Brumbach Realty Group
Does it all and we are here to serve you.

This was not an easy decision to make however it was the right decision to make. While looking for the right team to merge with, I needed someone that
Shared the same value’s as I did as well as shared the same goals and ambitions while at the same time keeping our focus on customer service, the team
That always came out on top was Team Brumbach Realty group.

Please consider Team Brumbach Realty Group for your next listing or purchase and or any of your real estate needs.

We are now stronger than we ever have been, while others are leaving the business we are growing our business.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

RISING PRICES NOT JUST AT THE GAS PUMP...
If you've noticed your grocery bill getting bigger lately, you're not alone - and it's likely not because you're eating more. According to Rising Food Prices: Policy Options and World Bank Response, global wheat prices have increased a whopping 181% over the past three years - and overall, food prices have increased by 83%!
Concerned? You're not alone. A recent poll showed that 73% of consumers cite higher grocery bills as a concern; with nearly half saying food inflation has caused a hardship for their households. In fact, food prices ranked just below record-high gasoline prices on the list of things people are worried about.
According to Gregory Karp, author of Living Rich by Spending Smart, here are three simple ways you can save when it comes to food and drink prices:
Time your grocery shopping. With the exception of milk, eggs, and bread, most grocery store products are put on sale at least once every 12 weeks, as Karp notes, often for "20%-30% their usual price." So instead of buying what you need every week or two, stock up on non-perishables when they go on sale. It may take a little planning ahead on your part, but the annual savings is substantial. As Karp writes, "The average American family of four spends about $8,500 on groceries each year. Trimming that bill by 20% saves $1,700."
Make eating out a special treat. Enjoying a nice meal out is always a fun thing to do, so let it be just that, a fun thing to do rather than a solution for being too tired or too rushed to cook. When you do have the time and energy to cook, make two or three times the amount and freeze the extras. Then, when you're rushed, a home-cooked (and probably healthier) meal will be waiting in your freezer, and will likely take less time to reheat than a night out or take-out delivery. And you will save more than time: According to Karp, "A restaurant meal for two costs $30 even at inexpensive chain restaurants. Home-cooked meals typically cost half as much, if not less. Convert two restaurant trips into two frozen homemade dinners each month, and you will save $360 per year."
Don't buy bottled water. Believe it or not, recent tests have shown that bottled water and tap water are pretty equal when it comes to safety and taste. For example, ABC News tested New York City tap water and bottled water for bacteria and found no difference in purity. Plus, there are environmental benefits of using less plastic. Karp estimates that people who drink one $6 case of bottled water each week can save $311 per year if they stop buying bottled water. He notes that "tap water costs five cents per gallon, or less than two cents per equivalent case - about $1 for the year."
Hey, if you eat...rising food prices impact you. Use the above tips and suggestions to help minimize your concerns about rising food prices, and stay healthy and smart.

Credit scores can drop after getting loan help (edit/delete)
Florida Realtors® News

Daily Briefing: Monday, March 22, 2010
A service for members of Florida Realtors

Some homeowners who sign up for the government's mortgage assistance program are getting a nasty surprise: Lower credit scores.

For borrowers who are making their payments on time but are on the verge of default, the Obama administration's loan modification program can reduce their credit score as much as 100 points. That makes it harder to get a loan and can present a problem when applying for a new job.

Housing counselors say it's unfair, especially because the news often comes as a surprise to homeowners.

"Why should people's credit be hurt even worse when they're trying to do the right thing?" said Eileen Anderson, senior vice president at Community Development Corp. of Long Island, a housing counseling group in New York.

And many homeowners are angry that a program designed to help carries such a penalty, said Kathy Conley, a housing counselor with GreenPath Inc., a nonprofit group in Farmington Hills, Mich.

"It's a feeling of being duped," she said.

Still, the impact is far less severe than a foreclosure, where borrowers typically find their credit is in tatters for years. That's due to the cumulative impact of many months of missed payments and the foreclosure itself, which drags down a homeowner's' credit by 150 points or more on a scale of 300 to 850.

To enroll in the Obama administration's $75 billion "Making Home Affordable" program, borrowers enter a trial period in which they make at least three payments. But some are finding out that their credit score takes a dive during this trial phase. It happens once their mortgage company notifies the three big credit bureaus - Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

However once you get modified or helped you will loose 100 Points on your FICO even if you are not late on your payment

A plan to channel $1.5 billion to housing agencies in five states hit hardest by the real estate crash has Florida officials hopeful they can keep more people in their homes and out of foreclosure.

President Obama announced the program Friday while in Nevada for a town hall meeting and campaign push for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The states included in the new program are Nevada, California, Arizona, Florida and Michigan, all of which consistently rank high on any measure of mortgage woe.

But with more than 20 percent of its home loans seriously delinquent or in foreclosure, Florida tops the nation for defaults, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association report also released Friday.

Obama administration officials called the $1.5 billion “modest” considering the depth of the nation’s housing crisis but said they hope it will lead states to come up with innovative solutions tailored to their own needs.

Those solutions are expected to plug holes in the administration’s earlier Making Home Affordable Program, which has struggled to help unemployed homeowners who don’t have the income to qualify for a loan modification.

It also attempts to tackle one of the thorniest issues to come out of the market meltdown – how to cope with upside-down loans where the homeowner owes more than what the property is worth.

About 41 percent of South Florida borrowers, and 55 percent of Treasure Coast borrowers were underwater in December, according to analysts at Zillow.com.

The $1.5 billion in taxpayer money, which is coming from the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program, can be used to help negotiate with lenders to write down mortgages on underwater loans.

“This really could be extraordinary relief that will be very welcome in Florida,” said Jaimie Ross, president of the Florida Housing Coalition. “It’s pretty clear this is a program designed to keep homeowners from losing their homes.”

Stock and Money

Congratulations to the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints, the City and its fans. It was a terrific game and it's nice to see the city of New Orleans celebrate, after going through a period of hard times. And the Halftime Show put on by The Who, reminded us that father time is relentless and takes it toll.

Stocks have fallen sharply the past three weeks with the Dow losing 700 points along the way, which has helped to keep the interest rates steady. But if Stocks are are showing some positive technical signs of a turnaround and potential rebound higher. This would be a negative for Mortgage rate. This would be what everyone would be fearing the rise of rates!

On Wednesday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to testify before the House Financial Services Committee to discuss the Fed's plan to withdraw emergency stimulus from the economy - including the $1.25T Mortgage backed Security purchase program. do you think releasing this extra money is a good idea for the country or should we leave thing alone to see if the country can make it on its own with out any more pumping of cash.

Positive Not Negative

I dont know about you, but for me this has been a very long week, by Tuesday I was hoping it was Friday.

My office has been busy and so its been a bit crazy. What I have noticed this week here In Tampa is that things are going to get better. As you all know we have been hit pretty hard, our prices here have dropped over 25%, my home has lost 50% of its Value in just 18 months! and so yes its been bad.

But my fellow Americans I do see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I know we all watch the news, "new homes fell by 10%" "existing homes sales fell by 10%" "this is the worst its been in the last 25 years", well you know what, I AGREE, but enough with the bad news.

how about some good news! how about the fact that now our median price here in Tampa is $140,000 from the $245,000 two years ago, and now first time buyers and people with lower income can BUY HOMES, how about the fact that homes are starting to move and we are having some closings, how about the fact that my subdvision sold 3 homes in just this past week. I know its bad out there, and I know that people are going through very hard times, I get it! but I think that we should also share some good news with people so that they can start to feel confident again and start buying homes. I might be off base on this one, but I think its time to search for some good news in all this negative press, or we will never get buyers out to buy homes.

I am sure we will hear about the Market tanking today by over 200 points, how about the fact that it was at 8000 points a few months ago, I think we need to start seeing the positive in the negative.

My daughters 2nd grade report card had 5 A's and one C should I look at the negative or should I praise her for all her "A"s

Enough with negative press :

How about the fact that interest rates are the lowest they have been in years!!!! thats positive news.

How about the fact that our country DID NOT just go through a devasting earthquake like Hati just did.

We can look for the positive always!