Real Estate Info

Listings needed for Buyers in Canton GA

March 9, 2013 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

We need listings. Want to sale, and move up? Now is a great time!

Increasing sales combined with decreasing inventory of listings reduced the months of supply to 4.2 months in December, 2012, reflecting the change from a “Buyer’s Market” to a “Seller’s Market” condition during 2012 Call Us today at 404-788-2580! It’s a great market!

Want to just find out what it’s worth? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH TODAY

Visit my Best Atlanta Real Estate For Sale website today for local information.

Check out my Facebook page for Cherokee Real Estate Deals

Filed Under: Feature Stories, Home Sellers Information, News You Can Use, Real Estate Info Tagged With: canton homes for sale, cherokee County homes for sale, homes for sale canton GA, homes for sale cherokee county

Le Grande, A John Weiland Community – The Atlanta Home Inspector Exceeds Expectations during Home Inspection

February 6, 2013 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

Home inspections are not only important to us, but also to clients in the Atlanta subdivision of Le Grande. This prestigious John Weiland community boasts new design concepts and spacious living conveniently located for the daily commute. It is our privilege to exceed the expectations of our clients through exemplary service and attention to detail. We pride ourselves on informing clients and agents, so that the decision-making process is seamless. To see what we do visit our youtube video site at: http://http://www.youtube.com/user/ihihomeinspections?feature=guide .

To read our maintenance tips visit http://www.ahomeinspectoratlantaga.com, and

to book an inspection online visit our website http://www.ihihomeinspections.com .

We look forward to working with clients and agents during the real estate process. Experience the IHI Difference. 404-788-2581

Le Grande Subdivision, a John Weiland Community in Atlanta!

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Home Buyers Information, Real Estate Info Tagged With: atlanta home inspections, Atlanta Home Inspector, georgia homes, homes in atlanta, inspections in atlanta, john weiland communities atlanta

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections Interviewed by Local Radio Show

January 18, 2013 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections was recently interviewed by Atlanta Real Estate Forum. To hear the interview click the link http://www.atlantarealestateforum.com/atlanta-real-estate-forum-radio-ihi-home-inspections-and-2013-home-design-trends-71924/ Within this interview you will learn the importance of home inspection services – even for newly constructed homes. Listen as David describes roof issues found at new home inspections.

Call 404-788-2581 to schedule your next home inspection service. Visit our website at http://www.ihihomeinspections.com

Make sure that you get a thorough home inspection in Atlanta, GA from the home inspector Atlanta, GA, David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections, serving Atlanta and all of North Georgia. Call us today at 404-788-2581 for a thorough home inspection in Atlanta. We won’t let you buy the money pit. You can also schedule your Atlanta home inspection today online. We create Peace of Mind One Atlanta home inspection at a time. Be sure to check out all the other reasons other customers chose IHI Home Inspections at our original website.

Filed Under: Atlanta home inspection videos, Real Estate Info, This Week's Top Story Tagged With: atlanta georgia home inspection company, atlanta home inspections, Atlanta Home Inspector, home inspectors in atlanta ga, inspection services atlanta ga, inspections atlanta georgia

10 items to help you prepare to sell your home

January 8, 2013 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

Now that the new year is in full swing, you may be considering placing your home on the market. You may have already called an agent to represent you, and you may already be shopping for your new residence. It is important to assess your current home prior to any open house or client walk through, though. If you want to maximize your top dollar and perhaps sell your property quickly, you may want to check out the Atlanta Home Inspectors to do list:

1. Repair or remove screen doors with holes and tears

2. Pressure wash windows, sidewalks, and siding

3. Paint your front door and polish the doorknob

4. Pull weeds, seed bare spots, and lay down mulch

5. Touch up holes, dings and cracks in paint

6. Clean grout and re-caulk sinks, bathtubs and showers

7. Buy new cabinet hardware

8. Fix leaky faucets and toilets

9. Spray lubricant on squeaky doors

10. Get clutter into storage and out of the way

These may seem like no-brainers, but they are chores that are often overlooked. Hectic work and family schedules can keep homeowners from maintaining a residence. However, the simple little details will help sell a property. Another idea to consider is a Pre-Listing home inspection . Any surprises can be found early and fixed, so that you can come closer to receiving your requested value amount on the home. Also by unveiling them in advance, they can be used as negotiation tools.

Do us a favor if you or someone you know is about to buy that perfect home, please recommend us to them. When you find your dream home, make sure that you get a thorough home inspection in Atlanta, GA from the home inspector Atlanta, GA, David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections, they serve Atlanta and all of North Georgia. Call us today at 404-788-2581 for a thorough home inspection in Atlanta. We won’t let you buy the money pit. You can also schedule your Atlanta home inspection today online. We create Peace of Mind One Atlanta home inspection at a time. Be sure to check out all the other reasons other customers chose IHI Home Inspections at our original website.

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Home Sellers Information, Real Estate Info Tagged With: a home inspector atlanta ga, atlanta home inspections, Atlanta Home Inspectors, Atlanta real estate information, Canton Home Inspections ga, Home Inspector Atlanta GA, Inspector Atlanta

Case-Shiller Shows Uneven Recovery For U.S. Housing

March 29, 2012 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

The Home inspector in Atlanta has seen a surge in home sales and Atlanta home inspections as well. Recent data suggests that the U.S. housing market is in recovery. However, the data also shows this to be an uneven recovery.

According to the monthly S&P/Case-Shiller Index, for example, home values rose in three of 20 tracked markets between December 2011 and January 2012. 17 tracked markets showed home prices still in decline.

It’s easy to point to the Case-Shiller Index as evidence that the housing market in Georgia has yet to bottom, but we have to consider the Case-Shiller Index’s shortcomings — specifically in a recovering economy.

For example, the Case-Shiller Index is based on changes in home prices of a single home, through successive sales. This means that to calculate its home price index, the Case-Shiller searches for sales of the same home over a period of time and calculates the difference in contract price.

This methodology can distort the home price tracker downward during times of weak economy because there is no distinction made for homes sold in foreclosure or as a short sale.

35% of all homes sold in January were “distressed”, says the National Association of REALTORS®.

Another distortion in the Case-Shiller Index is that the model neglects all home types that are not of type “single-family residence”. This means that multi-unit homes and condominiums are excluded from the Case-Shiller Index model.

In some markets, such as Chicago and New York City, condominiums account for a large percentage of overall sales.

Lastly, the Case-Shiller Index is published with a “lag”, which renders it useless to buyers and sellers of Woodstock in search of real-time, relevant data. The most recent Case-Shiller Index is published with a 60-day delay, and accounts for home purchase contracts written between October and December 2011.

Since October, the U.S. economy has added more than 1 million jobs and the economy has moved into “moderate expansion”, according to the Federal Reserve. Data that’s two seasons old does little to help us today.

Making sound real estate decisions is about having timely, relevant data at-hand when it’s needed. The Case-Shiller Index fails in that respect. It’s good for highlighting the U.S. housing market on the whole, as it existed in the past. For real-time market data, though, you’ll want to talk with an active real estate agent.

Find other Atlanta home inspection and Atlanta home sales news.

Filed Under: Home Buyers Information, Housing Analysis, Personal Finance, Real Estate Info Tagged With: atlanta home sales, Case-Shiller Index, Distressed Homes, Home Prices, homes for sale atlanta

New Home Sales Slip In February

March 27, 2012 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

Sales of “new homes” fell to the lowest levels in four months last month.

According to the Census Bureau’s monthly New Home Sales report, 313,000 new homes were sold in February 2012 on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, representing a 1.6% drop from the month prior.

A “new home” is a home for which there has been no prior owner nor tenant.

At first glance, the data looks negative for the housing market; a suggestion that the well-publicized housing market recovery may be slowed. However, within February’s New Home Sales report are three important counter-statistics worth mentioning.

First, although annualized home sales volume slipped 5,000 units in February, this occurred as the number of homes for sale nationwide remained constant at 150,000. This is the fewest number of new homes for sale since at least 1993 — the first year that the Census Bureau tracked such data.

A small home supply promotes rising home values when buyer demand is rising and, in February, buyer demand held firm.

A second reason to remain optimistic on housing is that New Home Supply was 5.8 months in February. This means that, at the current pace of sales, the entire new home inventory will be “sold out” in 5.8 months.

Housing experts say that when home supplies fall below 6.0 months, it’s bullish for housing.

And, as a third reason to look past the New Home Sales headline figure, last month’s reporting Margin of Error was huge.

According to the government, the February New Home Sales data was published with a ±23.9% margin of error. This means that the actual New Home Sales sales volume may have dropped as much as -25.5%, or may have climbed by as much as +22.3%.

Because the range of possible values includes both positive and negative numbers, the Census Bureau assigned its February data the “zero confidence” label.

It will be several months before February’s New Home Sales data is revised. Until then, buyers in Atlanta would do well to take cues from the real estate market-at-large which shows steady, gradual improvement.

If your 2012 housing plans call for buying new construction, consider using February’s results as a window to “make a deal”. As the year progresses, great values in housing may be gone for good.

Filed Under: Home Buyers Information, Housing Analysis, Real Estate Info Tagged With: atlanta home sales, atlanta homes for sale, Census Bureau, Home Inspection Atlanta GA, Home Inspector Atlanta GA, New Home Sales, New Home Supply

Building Permits On The Rise

March 23, 2012 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

The new construction housing market appears primed for growth this season.

According to the Census Bureau, the number of single-family building permits issued in February rose to 472,000 on a seasonally-adjusted, annual basis, marking the highest building permit tally since April 2010 — the last month of that year’s federal home buyer tax credit program.

Building permits are a pre-cursor to new home construction.

In 2011, from the date of permit-issuance to the date of “ground-breaking”, an average of 27 calendar days passed. February’s data, therefore, is a signal that the market for newly-built homes should be strong this year, an idea supported by the most recent homebuilder confidence survey.

As buyer foot traffic soars, homebuilders expect to make more sales in the next 6 months than at any time since the housing market’s collapse. Builder confidence is at a 5-year high.

Last month, however, single-family housing starts slipped.

As compared to January, February’s single-family housing starts fell by 50,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. The 10% drop represents the largest one-month drop since February 2011. It’s a statistic that may suggest that this year’s results are simply seasonal.

For buyers of new construction, the news is mixed.

Rising permits and builder confidence may mean that Canton homebuilders will be less willing to negotiate with today’s buyer on upgrades and/or home prices. However, as more new home supply is set to come online, excess housing stock could help keep home prices low.

If you’re planning to buy new construction in GA this year, be sure to ask your real estate agent about the local home supply, and how the market is currently trending. With mortgage rates low and the summer buying season approaching, you may find some of your best deals of the year available in just the next few weeks.

Filed Under: Home Buyers Information, Housing Analysis, News You Can Use, Real Estate Info Tagged With: atlanta home sales, atlanta homes for sale, Building Permits, Census Bureau, home inspections atlanta ga, Home Inspector Atlanta GA, Housing Starts

Buyer Foot Traffic Through New Construction Up Nearly Threefold Since 2009

March 21, 2012 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

Home builder confidence in the newly-built, single-family housing market remains high.

In March, for the second consecutive month, the National Association of Homebuilders reports the Housing Market Index at 28 — a doubling of the reading from just 6 months ago and, along with last month, the highest HMI value since June 2007.

When home builder confidence reads 50 or better, it reflects favorable builder conditions in the single-family, new home market. Readings below 50 suggest unfavorable builder conditions.

The HMI itself is a composite reading. It’s the result of three separate surveys sent to home builders by the trade association. The NAHB asks builders to report on their current single-family home sales volume; their projected single-family home sales volume for the next 6 months; and, their current buyer “foot traffic”.

Approximately 400 surveys are returned each month. The results are compiled into the NAHB Housing Market Index.

In March, home builders provided mixed replies to the survey questions :

Current Single-Family Sales : 29 (-1 from February)
Projected Single-Family Sales : 36 (+2 from February)
Buyer Foot Traffic : 22 (Unchanged from February)

It’s noteworthy, despite slowing sales in March, that home builders expect a surge in new home sales over the next 6 months. The reasons for this are several and should be of interest to today’s home buyers.

First, the jobs market is heating up. The U.S. economy has added more than 1 net new million jobs over the last 6 months and that is increasing the pool of potential home buyers in GA and nationwide.

Second, the housing market, in general, is improving. Home sales are brisk in many U.S. markets and home supplies are dropping. This creates pressure on home prices to rise.

And, third, low mortgage rates have helped pushed home affordability to all-time highs. More home buyers earning the national median income can afford a median-priced home than at any time in history.

It’s all culminated in a monthly Buyer Foot Traffic reading which, at 22, is nearly triple the foot traffic reading from just three years ago. Home buyers — in Canton and everywhere else — are out in full-force, capitalizing on today’s buyer-friendly market.

If you’re looking to buy new construction in the second half of 2012, consider moving up your time frame. Market conditions are constantly changing, and may move out of your favor. As builder optimism increases, the price you pay for your new home may increase, too.

Filed Under: Home Buyers Information, Housing Analysis, Real Estate Info, This Week's Top Story Tagged With: atlanta home sales, HMI, home inspection atlata ga, Home Inspector Atlanta GA, Homebuilder Confidence, NAHB

Atlanta Home Inspectors Stay Busy Due to Affordable Housing Market

March 6, 2012 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

Home Opportunity Index (2005-2012)

Even though Atlanta didn’t make the top of the most affordable homes list, the Atlanta Home Inspector has been busy. The overall affordability of homes nationwide was higher last quarter. The lowest mortgage rates in history, a sustained median income, and slow-to-recover home prices throughout GA and the country, means that the request for Atlanta Home Inspections has increased, due to the abundance of real estate activity in our area!

According to the National Association of Home Builders, the quarterly Home Opportunity Index read 75.9 in 2011′s fourth quarter. More than 3 in 4 homes sold between October-December 2011, in other words, were affordable to households earning the national median income of $64,200.

Never in recorded history have U.S. homes been as affordable on a national level. Even on a regional and local level, affordability soared.

Affordability was highest in the Midwest; 7 of the 10 most affordable markets nationwide were in the nation’s heartland.

The Top 5 most affordable U.S. cities in Q4 2011 were:

Kokomo, IN (99.2% home affordability)
Fairbanks, AK (97.5% home affordability)
Cumberland, WV (96.9% home affordability)
Lima, OH (96.0% home affordability)
Rockford, IL (95.5% home affordability)

These are each considered “small markets”. The most affordable “major market” was the Youngstown, Ohio area, where 95.1% of homes sold were affordable to households earning the area’s local median income.

Not surprisingly, America’s “least affordable cities” were regionally-concentrated, too, with 7 of the 10 least affordable markets located in either California or Texas.

San Francisco (#3), Santa Ana (#4), and Los Angeles (#5) led for the Golden State but, for the 15th consecutive quarter, the New York metropolitan area took “Least Affordable Market” honors.

Just 29 percent of homes in and around New York City were affordable to households earning the area’s median income last quarter. It’s a large jump from the quarter prior during which 23 percent of homes were affordable.

The rankings for all 225 metro areas are available for download on the NAHB website.

If you plan to buy an Atlanta foreclosed home, have a real estate professional on your side. The internet can teach you much about how the GA housing market works, but when it comes to writing contracts, you’ll want an experienced agent on your side.

Do us a favor if you or someone you know is about to buy that foreclosure home, please recommend us to them, so that they know what “As-Is” really means. When you find your foreclosure home, make sure that you get a thorough home inspection in Atlanta, GA from the home inspector Atlanta, GA, David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections, serving Atlanta and all of North Georgia. Call us today at 404-788-2581 for a thorough home inspection in Atlanta. We won’t let you buy the money pit. You can also schedule your Atlanta home inspection today online. We create Peace of Mind One Atlanta home inspection at a time. Be sure to check out all the other reasons other customers chose IHI Home Inspections at our original website.

Filed Under: Home Buyers Information, Real Estate Info, Statistics Tagged With: a home inspector in atlanta ga, Atlanta Home Inspector, canton home inspection services, Home Affordability, home inspection company woodstock ga, home inspections atlanta ga, Home Opportunity Index, NAHB

High Demand on Existing Homes Provides Positive Outlook

February 23, 2012 By atlantahomeinspector Leave a Comment

Existing home supply

An “existing home” is one that’s been previously occupied and cannot be categorized as new construction. As Atlanta home inspection providers we see several of both types of homes. Due to the populated areas where we provide home inspections in Atlanta, Ga there is a continuous flow of buyers in “existing home” transactions. Could this be an indicator that a housing recovery is beginning nationwide?

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the January 2012 Existing Home Sales showed a 4 percent increase as compared to December’s revised figures. There was also a 20-month high in home resales during this January’s reports.

The good news is that demand is high in Canton, Woodstock, Roswell, Kennesaw and other surrounding cities not only for home sales, but for the services needed to complete real estate transactions. This would indicate that Marietta home inspections are on the rise, as well. There is still a positive outlook for those who wish to sell their homes. Since housing stock is at a 5 year low, the demand is higher than the supply, which makes for a higher price on the homes. Higher price on the homes, means more money in the seller’s pockets.

Interestingly enough, at the current pace of sales, today’s complete home inventory would “sell out” in 6.1 months.

Analysts say that a 6-month supply is a market in balance. Anything less is Bull Market territory.

As contract failures subside, Existing Home Sales are expected to rise even faster. Many buyers have tried to buy but could not for reasons such as: appraisals coming in lower than contract pricing, home inspection issues that could not be negotiated, and mortgage denials.

First-time buyers continue to power the home resale market. In January, 33% of all sales were made to first-time buyers, up four points from last year. This statistic suggests that renters are moving into homeownership, an important component in a sustained housing market recovery.

Given high demand and shrinking supply, we should expect for Bradshaw Farms, Bridgemill, and Harmony on the Lakes home prices to rise in the coming months, if they haven’t already. Thankfully, mortgage rates remain near all-time lows.

Filed Under: Feature Stories, Home Sellers Information, Housing Analysis, Real Estate Info Tagged With: a home inspector in atlanta ga, canton ga inspection services, Existing Home Sales, Existing Home Supply, home inspection reports atlanta, home selling information, marietta home inspector, NAR