Archives for March 2012
YouTube Facts and Figures
March 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Images From Inside Musical Instruments
March 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
This print campaign for the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra uses macro photographs taken inside the cramped spaces of instruments making the inner workings of a violin, cello, flute, and pipe organ appear vast and spacious, almost as if you could walk around inside them. So wonderfully done. Art directed by photographer Bjoern Ewers, you can see more over on Behance.
Staging Your Kitchen For Home Showings [Video]
March 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Though this isn’t splitting the atom, it is good to be reminded of best practices when selling your home.
Housing Affordability Soars to Record High
March 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Low mortgage rates and falling home values have brought housing within reach to more families than ever before, according to the latest National Association of REALTORS® housing affordability index.
Housing affordability in January reached its highest level since NAR began tracking it in 1970. The index — which tracks median home price, median family income, and the average mortgage rate — reached 206.1 in January.
"This is the first time the housing affordability index has broken the 200 mark, meaning the typical family has roughly double the income needed to purchase a median-priced home," says Moe Veissi, 2012 NAR president. "For buyers who can qualify for a mortgage, now is a very good time to become a home owner."
An index of 100 means that median-income household has exactly enough income to qualify for the purchase of a median-priced existing single-family home, also accounting for a 20 percent down payment and 25 percent of gross income devoted to the mortgage principle and interest payments.
NAR projects that affordability will remain high for the remainder of the year.
"Housing inventory levels have declined to a point where conditions are becoming much more balanced in much of the country," Veissi said. "If access to credit improves, we could see a much more meaningful increase in home sales and broader stabilization in home prices with modest gains in areas with stronger job growth."
Source: National Association of REALTORS®
The Violin Maker, a short film [video]
March 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Filmmaker Dustin Cohen debuts his Made in Brooklyn series with a profile of violin maker Sam Zygmuntowicz. Aptly titled The Violin Maker, the short film explores the detail-focused process Zygmuntowicz goes through when handcrafting an instrument and his continual care after he hands off his work to a musician.
10 Things You Need to Know About Revamped Facebook Pages
March 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Where are the sales?
March 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
At the sub-market level, Kirkland remains as the most expensive submarket in the Seattle metro area for single family new construction during the fourth quarter of 2011 with the average price of transacted units of approximately $827,000. Sammamish was second at $691,000 and Bellevue/Mercer Island ($668,000) rounds out the top three. The most affordable markets were Black Diamond/Enumclaw ($222,000), Sultan/Gold Bar/Index ($235,000) and Marysville ($254,000).
The sharpest single family home price escalation was seen in the Sultan/Gold Bar/Index sub-market where, as a function of very little development, prices rose by 366%. This was followed by Stanwood (76.6%, Carnation/Duvall (58.1% and Arlington/Granite Falls (41.2%). The most prominent declines were found in Black Diamond/Enumclaw (-36.3%) and North Seattle (-27%). When we look at the market, one thing remains clear, and that is the lack of inventory for sale. This has started to have an effect on transactional activity which is sure to continue to decline unless more houses come onto the market for sale.
In all, several sub-markets appear to be showing signs of stabilizing relative to values. When placed in concert with increasing incomes and an improving employment situation, it may be possible to
speculate that the residential market is in its trough and that further pronounced declines in price are unlikely.
That said, we will be looking for some good numbers come out for the first quarter before we are willing to suggest that the market is in any form of recovery on a regional basis.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan on Jon Stewart [Video]
March 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
| The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Shaun Donovan | ||||
|
||||
As someone who works in real estate assisting clients with their home ownership dreams, it was eye-opening to understand the plight that faces many today.