Videos of Homes for Sale Walking Tours Westchester Putnam Dutchess NY

The Question of "When is a good time to buy real estate?"  Uncle Sam lowered rates = (residential home loan interest rate will remain low through 2012 and 2013). 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are less than 5 percent, yes less than five percent. During November, 2011, 30 year home loan interest rates dipped below four percent, these are unheard of rates. It's almost like free money, not to mention if you equate current low home prices or short sale opportunities.

The upsides of selling online - It can happen fast: Properties are often auctioned off quickly, usually within two weeks.In an online auction, the homes which sell the quickest are those which offer buyers the most details. Bid4Assets advises sellers to disclose as much information as possible such as nearby attractions and a lot of high-quality photos. Read more...

August Existing-Home Sales Leap Despite Headwinds - Existing-home sales increased in August, even with ongoing tight credit and appraisal problems, along with regional disruptions created by Hurricane Irene, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Monthly gains were seen in all regions.

Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 7.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.03 million in August from an upwardly revised 4.67 million in July, and are 18.6 percent higher than the 4.24 million unit level in August 2010. Read more...

Smaller Homes to Grow in Demand, Surveys Suggest - The square feet of new homes is expected to continue its decline in future years. The National Association of Home Builders predicts that U.S. houses will average 2,152 square feet in 2015, which will be down 10 percent compared to last year. Read more...

In another sign foreclosure activity is ramping up, foreclosure filings rose nationwide in October compared to the month before, according to the latest report from foreclosure data site RealtyTrac. One in every 563 housing units, or 230,678 properties, received a filing  a default notice, scheduled auction, or bank repossession -- in October. While that's a 7 percent jump from September, filings were still down nearly 31 percent from October 2010.

3Q 2011 Westchester Putnam Home Real Estate Sales

The Westchester Putnam Association of Realtors, Inc. reports that the Westchester-Putnam real estate market enjoyed a welcome uptick in sales volume in the third quarter of 2011.

Real estate firms participating in the Empire Access Multiple Listing Service reported a total of 1,944 closed transactions in Westchester in July through September, an increase of 148 transactions or 8% from the same period last year.  Among the various property types in Westchester County, co-op sales posted the largest percentage increase, 18%.  The 160 Putnam County transactions constituted a 13% increase. These Westchester and Putnam County closings largely resulted from market activity during the late spring and early summer months. Read more...

Investors Raising Cash to Buy Government Foreclosures By Diana Olick- If only all the confidence swirling around the stock market today could find its way to potential home buyers across the nation; unfortunately it will take more than a little Greek bounce to right what's wrong in housing.

Distressed Homeowners Help Plans - The Obama administration and the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are expected to unveil new steps to help distressed homeowners in the next week or two, a senior congressional aide said on Thursday. Read more...

By NICK TIMIRAOS - "Buy a Home and Get a Visa"  The reeling housing market has come to this: To shore it up, two Senators are preparing to introduce a bipartisan bill Thursday that would give residence visas to foreigners who spend at least $500,000 to buy houses in the U.S. The provision is part of a larger package of immigration measures, co-authored by Sens. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Mike Lee (R., Utah), designed to spur more foreign investment in the U.S.

Foreigners have accounted for a growing share of home purchases in South Florida, Southern California, Arizona and other hard-hit markets. Chinese and Canadian buyers, among others, are taking advantage not only of big declines in U.S. home prices and reduced competition from Americans but also of favorable foreign exchange rates.