Tidbits on Real Estate and Stuff

Reading articles this morning, came up with these tidbits.
     32% of all sales in March were cash.
     27% of all sales in March were investors.
     33% of all sales in March were first time home buyers.

Home inventories are low,  buyers are out, interest rates are low, and it appears now is the time to buy and buyers have decided that too.  Realtors have reported more people out seriously looking.

Average price in the south of a home was $146,500.  That's about the same in Amarillo, Texas of $146,301. 

Amarillo had 510 single family homes sold in the first quarter and 19 condo/townhomes.  The average price of a condo/townhome that sold was $132,108.   Single family homes sold in March in Amarillo were on the market 102 days, and townhomes/condos 114 days. 

Wildhorse Lake area of Amarillo had the cheapest sales with an average of $23.44 per sq. ft but a low days on the market of 56 (only 1 sale; not a very telling tidbit).

  My home subdivision of Olsen had an average sale of $77.12 per sq. with and average day on the market of 113, with 7 sales, and the average home price was $200,986.  106 days on the market $585,625 average price with 4 sales.

 Colonies won as most expensive at $146.11 with 4 sales averaging $585,625, and 106 days on the market.   Christy (where is that?) had the next most expensive per sq ft average at $129.24, 115 days and one sale at $255,000.

 Here's a surprise River Road West had second highest at $129.08, 40 days on the market sale of $95,000.  Again not very telling.  Lake Tanglewod was next at $128.68, 82 days, 5 sales, averaging $309.320.  Not a surprise there, as this is a great place to buy with a great atmosphere, golf, etc.

More tidbits after lunch. 

Can you stop paying for TV service?

Just read a great article about how to have t.v. without paying for a service.  Not sure I'm quite ready to cut the cord to my service, as they are also my internet and phone provider, but if  one of these gets to the point there's really no difference, why sure, I'd change.   Boxee sounds interesting.  Here's the article I got from a GEHA email and they got it from somewhere else.  Let's share the knowledge.

Cutting the ties to pay TV

As more and more consumers rely on their computers and smartphones for videos, movies and entertainment, some are beginning to change the way they view television. This includes saving money and cutting the cord on their paid TV service.

Could you and your family live without cable TV? And, if you were to make the switch to what’s often referred to as "streaming media," where would you begin?

Today there are some TV accessories that offer access to free services. Rather than pay on a monthly basis, you purchase the box once and then dial up what you want through the Internet.

Roku is a streaming box that, depending on the model, sells from $50 to $100. It offers a variety of content including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, HBO Go, MLB.TV, NHL Game Center and Flickr, among others. According to cnet.com, a leading source for technology reviews of all types, the core streaming functionality of the ROKU LT model makes it a great value.

Apple TV is another option. CNET reports that the browsing experience on Apple TV is "best-in-class for movies and TV shows." Plus, Apple TV provides "content portability." In other words, if you purchase (not rent) movies or TV shows, they are stored in a way that you can share that content with your iPhone or iPad.

Boxee is a small computer device that allows you to watch TV shows and Internet clips on your TV. You can buy a Boxee for about $200 or you can build your own using a new or used computer and free downloadable software. Most anything that’s on the Internet is available on Boxee, along with more than 40,000 TV episodes and movies. Plus Boxee allows you to play content you’ve personally recorded on your network or hard drive.

If you’re not quite ready to make the leap and cut the cord to your current TV content provider, consider calling them to see about paying a lower rate. Given the increasing competitiveness of the telecommunications industry, by taking a hard look at your TV package and those of other providers you just might be able to negotiate a lower fee for the paid TV service you have today.

Reprinted on April 6, 2012, courtesy of Yes, You Can. For more information, please visit yesyoucanonline.info

7 Reasons You Should Own Your Home

Great article from Realtors Magazine about owning a home, and why you should - including a calculator to figure the difference in renting and owning:

7 Reasons to Own Your Own Home

1. Tax breaks. The U.S. Tax Code lets you deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage, property taxes you pay, and some of the costs involved in buying your home.

2. Gains. Between 1998 and 2002, national home prices increased at an average of 5.4 percent annually. And while there’s no guarantee of appreciation, a 2001 study by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^Ò found that a typical homeowner has approximately $50,000 of unrealized gain in a home.

3. Equity. Money paid for rent is money that you’ll never see again, but mortgage payments let you build equity ownership interest in your home.

4. Savings. Building equity in your home is a ready-made savings plan. And when you sell, you can generally take up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) as gain without owing any federal income tax.

5. Predictability. Unlike rent, your mortgage payments don’t go up over the years so your housing costs may actually decline as you own the home longer. However, keep in mind that property taxes and insurance costs will rise.

6. Freedom. The home is yours. You can decorate any way you want and be able to benefit from your investment for as long as you own the home.

7. Stability. Remaining in one neighborhood for several years gives you a chance to participate in community activities, lets you and your family establish lasting friendships, and offers your children the benefit of educational continuity.

To calculate whether renting or buying is the best financial option for you, use this calculator courtesy of Ginnie Mae:

http://www.ginniemae.gov/rent_vs_buy/rent_vs_buy_calc.asp?Section=YPTH