Archive for tag Real estate trends
January 20, 2012 at 05:53 PM · Posted under Nancy Neylon
There was a recent artile in the BizTimes which makes us individuals in real estate feel good about how the market faired in 2011. According to the article and the GMAR, home sales were up 21.6% in December in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee County, 4.2% overall home sale increase in 2011 vs. 2010. I also noticed a noticeable increase in interest over our holiday season this year vs. past years. Obviously, there are deals to be found in our current real estate market and first time homebuyers and investors are taking advantage of those opportunities. Interest rates remain low and hopefully the trend will continue into 2012!
Also noted in the article is average sale prices continue to decrease. Foreclosed properties continue to come on the market and provide buyers the chance to purchase a property at a lower listed price.
Click here to read the complete article and search "Home sales rise in the Milwaukee region" January 11, 2012.
Posted by: 
Nancy Neylon
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November 08, 2011 at 11:49 AM · Posted under Nancy Neylon
So, have you been one of the patient individuals who has endured the road construction in Elm Grove all summer and fall? Well, now is your opportunity to kick up your heels and say "Hallelujah," as this coming Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11-12th is the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completed construction and downtown district reopening.
In the November, 2011 "M" magazine, it notes there will be fun for all including food and music, horse drawn wagon and Christmas craft and a bake sale at the Notre Dame Convent. Local merchants will also be having a holiday sidewalk sale. What a great way to spend your Friday while the kids are in school or your Saturday morning/afternoon with family!
Posted by: Nancy Neylon
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September 12, 2011 at 04:26 PM · Posted under Nancy Neylon
Just read a short but encouraging article in the Biztimes today.
It states Metro. Milwaukee sales for August were up 41.4 % from sales last year at this time. This article mentions Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington County.
That is great, positive news!
Posted by: Nancy Neylon
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July 20, 2011 at 05:32 PM · Posted under Nancy Neylon
I am a member of the Kohler Credit Union, and they send out a newletter with my statement. In their July-September 2011 issue, there is a great article about how one can prevent a low score:
- Limit the percentage of available credit which one uses (no more than 50%-this pertains to those who pay off their balance every month as well!)
- Do not cancel too many credit cards at the same time-this may possibly hurt your credit score due to lowering the amount of credit one has available.
- Pay ALL your bills on time. It is stated that one's payment history constitutes 35% of your credit score. An individual does not want a late payment to be noted on a credit bureau report, as this damages your credit even more for a long period of time.
- Do not apply for too many credit cards in a short period of time or from different sources. The average they suggest to have is two to three credit cards. (It was suggested to me a long time ago not to open more than one every 6 months and no more than 2 or 3 new accounts in a 24month period).
- If you decide to claim bankruptcy, this article states it could be on your credit for up to 10 years!
Other things to keep in mind as well:
- Your credit history-the longer you've had time to build up your credit history, the better your score may be. Consider the length of time it has been since you have used some of your accounts and the age of those existing accounts.
- When I spoke to a loan officer with Wisconsin Mortgage some time ago, she stated it is really important to make sure you keep up with your utilities/gas/water payments, as this can hurt your score.
Also to keep in mind: the better your credit score, the better the opportunities to get good rates on insurance, credit cards and multiple types of loans.
Posted by: Nancy Neylon
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June 20, 2011 at 08:50 PM · Posted under Deborah Benavides
First impression.....quick......don't have one?You are not alone. Unless you are from the Midwest, you probably don't know much about our (great) city. Listen to what these Medical College of Wisconsin graduate students discovered...
Posted by: 
Deborah Benavides
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June 06, 2011 at 08:57 AM · Posted under Deborah Benavides
In the April/May Issue of Realtor magazine, there was an excerpt from HomeGain’s 2011 Home Sale Maximizer survey on what is worth fixing up when selling your home. Looking for low cost values, home sellers might be interested in these low cost return on investments.
We all know that a good cleaning (you know the kind where you get out the toothbrush for those hard to reach corners) is a must, but did you know it could net you an additional $2,000 in income?
What about those that “don’t do windows?” Well, you might be missing out on an additional $1,550 to brighten up the place!
We all have heard about “staging” for the past few years. But sellers can spend approximately $550 on a few enhancers and expect to get back over $2,000. Happy shopping (is what I say).
Let’s go outside for a minute. Do you need a few bags of mulch this season to patch up a bed or hire a professional to trim back bushes and trees? You could see another $2,000 in your pocket.
So spruce up your landscaping, clean your carpets, and fix that leaky faucet. Sometimes it’s the little things that get noticed and can yield you a big payoff for your efforts.
Posted by: Deborah Benavides
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May 19, 2011 at 08:44 AM · Posted under Deborah Benavides
Buying a house across town versus across country may present a different set of criteria when choosing a home. For instance, you will already be familiar with roads and highways when moving across town, but not in a relocation situation. However, you will still want to know your commute time in either case.
After working with transferees for many years, there are a few items transferees always considered to be critical when choosing a new home:
- Schools– even if the transferee does not have children, school districts are considered for the resale of the home down the line. (For southeastern Wisconsin’s most recent school report, click here.)
- Commute Times– and I don’t mean miles to work. I’m talking about how much time it will it take to get to work. People living in Los Angeles “speak this language” when asked how far something is. They don’t say... "Five miles...” they say “20 minutes.” We need to be careful about quoting commutes in miles as it means something different in every city.
- Community/Lifestyle– what kind of community feel is important? A neighborhood with sidewalks? One with parks and grocery stores nearby? Or one in the country with horses you pass on the way home and deer tracks in your new flower bed?
- House– Okay – so did you notice we haven’t even talked about the house until now? Realtors are good at finding the perfect house for you…..that’s easy. But first, we need to know “where” you want to live. So, numbers 4-10 are about your dream house. You can fill in the blanks here…..# of Bedrooms, # of Baths, a swimming pool, a heated garage, price range. You name it.
And yes, you are allowed to change any of the above criteria and number them in the order of most importance to you. Once you get a “feel” of the communities, have done your "school" homework, know the path to your new job, the perfect house becomes yours. Enjoy!
Posted by: Deborah Benavides
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April 12, 2011 at 04:03 PM · Posted under Deborah Benavides
I receive many calls from newcomers who want to find out more about a particular community in the Metro Milwaukee area - and don't know where to find it. So, let me share a great resource with you. Click here and click on the "Relo Home Search" button - it has a tiny globe next to it.
Type in the neighborhood you are interested in researching (by the way...you can do for any city across the country). From here, you can get a narrated "Area Guide," demographic stats, a list of schools and their links, home prices, and (my favorite), a cost of living comparison for the city you are moving from.
So many have found this tool helpful - and I hope you do too. Just need to know where to look!
Posted by: Deborah Benavides
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