We are all painfully aware of the many homes which have gone into foreclosure or are bank owned; it is very upsetting for residents of any neighborhood to see abandoned homes on their street. There are several steps homeowners can take to prevent a vacant home from becoming a blight in their neighborhood which might bring down property values.
A good place to start is to be specific about what kind of unsightliness or damage is evident, such as trash lying all over the place, broken windows, etc. Some of the issues might involve public safety, such as tree limbs on power lines, deserted and untended backyard pools, or abandoned animals. Enforcement of any type of ordinance or rule regarding abandoned properties is usually easier if the home is in a homeowners’ association, since property owners give the association a number of rights.
If the county or city you reside in does not have any ordinance that deals specifically with abandoned homes, the best way to get some action is to contact Code Enforcement who will then contact different city or county offices who deal with specific problems. These departments can include the Planning Department, Environmental Health or the Building Department.
January 2010
REAL ESTATE OUTLOOK FOR 2010
Although many of us have become somewhat disillusioned with the housing picture in general, we have to admit that the outlook for 2010 is a great deal more positive for real estate than it was for the same time period last year.
There seems to be a fairly bright outlook for the months ahead: thanks in part to the federal tax credit programs home sales have been steadily rising for several months and in many parts of the country prices are trending up in most of the major markets and sales figures for these areas are encouraging.
One of the most important trends affecting the housing market and consumer buying decisions nationwide is that vital ingredient: consumer confidence which has gone up nationwide by roughly 7.5 percent during the month of December.
There is however one sobering subject looming on the horizon: mortgage money is getting more expensive and Freddie Mac is projecting that rates might move from just over five percent today for a 30-year loan to 6 percent or higher later in the year.
So, one thing is quite clear: Anyone who is considering buying should carefully review prevailing rates and nail down financing as soon as feasible.
