Tag Archives: baton rouge real estate

Foreclosures down in January. But is there a surge on the way?

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From the Business Report:

AP) — The number of U.S. households facing foreclosure in January increased 15 percent from the same month last year, and a surge in cash-strapped homeowners who’ve fallen behind on mortgages could be on the way.

More than 315,000 households received a foreclosure-related notice in January, RealtyTrac Inc. reported Thursday. That number is down nearly 10 percent from 349,000 in December, which saw the third highest total since the company began tracking foreclosure data in 2005.

In January, one in 409 homes were sent a filing, which includes default notices, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank repossessions. Banks repossessed more than 87,000 homes last month, down 5 percent from December but still up 31 percent from January 2009.

January marked the 11th straight month with more than 300,000 properties receiving a foreclosure filing. The numbers could stay above that level as unemployed homeowners who have tried to keep up with their mortgages finally start missing monthly payments.

Mortgage financier Fannie Mae reported in late January that the rate of borrowers who have a conventional loan on a house and are seriously delinquent was 5.29 percent in November, more than doubling the rate of 2.13 percent in November 2008. Borrowers are considered seriously delinquent if they are past due by three months or more, or are in foreclosure.

“There’s a lot of foreclosures in the pipeline, and the number is going to continue to get bigger,” said Patrick Newport, an economist with IHS Global Insight.

Last month’s foreclosure activity followed a pattern similar to that of a year ago, when a double-digit percentage increase in December was followed by a 10 percent drop in January.

The dip in January’s numbers may be due to processing delays by lenders during the end-of-year holidays, said Rick Sharga, senior vice president of RealtyTrac, which is based in Irvine, Calif.

“I don’t think it’s an early sign of the coming of the end of the foreclosure crisis,” Sharga said.

A record 2.8 million households were threatened with foreclosure last year, and the numbers are expected to rise to between 3 and 3.5 million homes this year, RealtyTrac said.

Slowing the foreclosure rate is a key step in the recovery of the real estate market and the overall economy. The foreclosure crisis forced the federal government and several states to come up with plans to prevent or delay the process to help delinquent borrowers.

Foreclosed homes are usually sold at steep discounts, so they often lower the value of surrounding properties. Cities lose property tax dollars from foreclosure homes that sit empty and from declining home values, straining local economies. Home prices have stabilized in some cities, but are still down 30 percent nationally from mid-2006.

Economic issues, such as unemployment or reduced income, are expected to be the main catalysts for foreclosures this year. Initially, subprime mortgages were mostly the culprit, but homeowners with good credit who took out conventional, fixed-rate loans are the fastest growing group of foreclosures.

Among states, Nevada posted the nation’s highest foreclosure rate, followed by Arizona, California, Florida and Utah. Rounding out the top 10 were Idaho, Michigan, Illinois, Oregon and Georgia.

The metro area with the highest foreclosure rate in January was Las Vegas, with one in every 82 homes receiving a foreclosure filing. It was followed by Phoenix and the California cities of Modesto, Stockton, and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario.

Read the article here http://www.businessreport.com/news/2010/feb/11/foreclosures-down-january-surge-rlet1/

9048 Foxgate Dr, Baton Rouge, La 70809

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THIS IS YOUR DREAM HOME. Builders personal home and spared no cost on details! Located near a quiet dead end street, this home boasts 12 foot ceilings in living room, 10′ in bedroom. 72″ television to remain in the living room that goes great with the 5.1 surround sound speakers and built in sub speaker. There are mounted exterior speakers as well. Kitchen has thermador cook top, icemaker in the island, granite counters throughout. Rounded sheetrock corners which give the rooms a nice transition. Interior features include top of the line bathroom fixtures, vessel bowl sinks, hingeless shower door, hydro flush toilet with automatic closing lids, cast iron tubs throughout, master has deep jacuzzi tub, and slab granite to name a few. Concrete mantle over the fireplace is one of a kind. Floors in living areas consist of handscraped mahogany wood and imported italian porcelein tiles. Refrigerator and custom blinds to remain with home.

Home sales plunge nationally in november

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From Fox Business:

Pending home sales unexpectedly plunged in November, according to a report issued Tuesday by the National Association of Realtors, posting their largest drop on record after several months of positive gains for a closely-watched indicator of housing market activity.

According to the industry group, November pending home sales activity dropped by 16% to a reading of 96.0, compared with the previous month’s reading of 114.3. The drop was much larger than expected by Wall Street, which was looking for a dip of 2% for the indicator for November.

It was the largest drop, point-wise, since the industry group started the index in 2001, dragging the indicator to its lowest level since June.

NAR officials said the drop was related to a decrease in sales activity as the original Dec. 1 deadline for the first-time home-buyers tax credit approached. Pending home sales are contracts signed,  meaning it could take several months for a home buyer to finance and finish the transaction. A November home buyer may have been too late to qualify for the original deadline.

The U.S. government extended in November the $8,000 tax credit to a new deadline of April 30, in response to industry and consumer pressure. Housing market sales have risen 15.5% from a year ago, which many believe is primarily related to the tax credit.

Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said activity was expected to slow in the winter but he expects it to pick up again as the new April deadline approaches.

“The fact that pending home sales are comfortably above year-ago levels shows the market has gained sufficient momentum on its own,” Yun said in a statement. “We expect another surge in the spring as more home buyers take advantage of affordable housing conditions before the tax credit expires.”

Regionally, the pending home sales plunged 25.7% in the Northeast, but remain up 14.7% from the same period a year ago. In the Midwest, sales dropped 25.7% but remain higher by 9.2% from 2009, while sales in the South dropped 15% and remain up 14.7% from a year ago. Sales in the closely watched Western region of the country declined slightly, by 2.7%, and remain higher by 21.4% from 2008.

Baton Rouge home prices drop

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Sellers pay attention!  While the market in Baton Rouge has done well compared with rest of the state…and the nation. WE are having our issues with pricing. The Business Report reports that the prices of homes fell by 1.3% in October when compared to the year before. That is better than the 7.8% drop nationally sure. We do have to look at is like this:

A home that would have been listed at 200,000 last year priced ACCURATELY would need to be in the region of 197000 to be competitive. Most likely that price would need to be around 195 depending on the neighborhood competition.

Good news for next year however. Baton Rouge real estate prices are expected to climb by 2.35% accoring to First American CoreLogics Home price index. Sellers, get your house in the BEST shape possible if you are considering selling.

10635 Black Oak Drive, Baton Rouge, La 70815

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TIMOTHY HOUK OFFICE 225.768.1800 CELL 225.301.7467 EMAIL TIM@TIMHOUK.COM

RESIDENTIAL – DSF- Click photo to enlarge or view multi-photos.
Click on Photo to Enlarge
MLS#: B0916771md H ListPrice: $135,000
Status: ACTIVE LivingSF: 1,362/X
Address: 10635 BLACK OAK DR List$/Sqft: $99.12
BATON ROUGE, LA Bedrooms: 3
Zip: 70815 BthFull/Pt: 2/
Parish: EAST BATON ROUGE Stories: 1
Area: (41) EBR MLS AREA 41 YrBlt/Age: /21-30Yrs
MapPage: 603 Key:E OccStat: VACANT
Subdiv: RED OAKS Zoning
ParcelID: Style: Cottage
ElemSch: CALLSCHLBRD Middle: CALLSCHLBRD High: CALLSCHLBRD
Dir: From Florida Blvd head North on Sharp. Take a right on Red Oak, left on Gum, then right on Black Oak. Home will be ahead on the left.
Lot: 94
Legal:
Builder: Model Name:
MUST see this completely remodeled cottage style home on a half acre lot. All new appliances, roof, A/C system, ceramic tile counters and backsplash…its practically new throughout. You won’t find a home of this quality for this price in Baton Rouge.

Realtor Remarks: Measurements not warranted by Realtor. Call Centralized showing for lockbox code. (Report an error on this listing)

LowerSqFt: UpperSqFt: PorchSqFt: CarportSqFt: 357
GarageSqFt: StorageSqFt: 132 TotalSqFt: 1,852 SourceSqFt: APPROX
AssnFee: N/ AssnFeeAmt: AssnFeeIncl: MinrlRghts: CONVEYED
Warranty: LotDim: 100.1X250.1 StFront(Ft): Acres:
Room Type Lvl Dimnsns
LIVINGROOM 1 19×11.3 Constrc: Siding: Other Parking: 2Cars, Carport
KITCHEN 1 15.4×9.6 Fndatn: Piers Roof: CompShingle Heating: CentralHeat
DEN 1 15.3×11.5 Cooling: CntralAir Fireplc: WdBurn Floors: VinylTile, Wood
BATH: MASTER 1 12×12 Fence: ChainLink Patio: WatrFrnt:
BEDRM:ADDITNL 1 11.9×11.3 Wat/Sew: PubSew, PubWat Finance: Cash, Conv, FHA Reserved:
BEDRM:ADDITNL 1 11.2×11.4 Lot: Pool: Utilities: E:Entergy
UTILITYROOM 1 6.1×5.1 IntFeatrs: AllWndwTrtmt.
Applncs: Dishwsh, Rnge/Ovn
Equip: CableReady, CeilingFans
Exterior: Lndscpd, Workshop
Amenities: Misc:

Baton Rouge home sales up on October

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From the Baton Rouge Business Report:
Second-consecutive month sales topped 2008: Home sales in metro Baton Rouge were up 4.3% in October compared with the year before. There were 555 houses sold in the area, according to figures obtained today from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. That compares with 532 sales in October 2008. The average sale price was down slightly, from $196,542 in October 2008 to $187,185 last month, showing the continued popularity of the starter-home market. Livingston Parish saw the biggest jump, with the number of houses sold going up 21%, from 85 in October 2008 to 103 last month.

Frequently asked questions about the NEW tax credit through april 2010

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Question: Existing homeowner credit: Must the new house cost more than the old house?
Answer: No. Thus, for example, individuals who move from a high cost area to a lower cost area who
meet all eligibility requirements will qualify for the $6500 credit.
Question: I am an existing homeowner. On October 25, 2009, I signed a contract to purchase a
new home. I have lived in my current home for more than 5 consecutive years and
am within the new income limits. I will go to settlement on November 20. If
President Obama has signed the bill by the time I go to settlement, will I qualify for
the new $6500 tax credit?
Answer: Yes. The existing homeowner credit goes into effect for purchases after the date of enactment
(when the bill is signed). There is no reference to the date of contract for the new credit. The
provision looks solely to the date of purchase, which is generally the date of settlement.
Question: I am a firsttime
homebuyer but was not within the prior income limits at the time I
entered into my contract to purchase on October 30, 2009. I will be covered,
however, by the new income limits. If the new rules have been signed into law by the
time I go to settlement, will I be eligible for a credit?
Answer: Yes. The new income limitations go into effect as soon as the President has signed the bill.
The income limit and other eligibility rules will look to your status as of the date of purchase,
which is the settlement date. So if the new rules have been signed when you go to settlement,
you should be eligible for the credit (or a portion of the credit if you’re within the phaseout
range).
Question: I am an eligible existing homeowner. I have a fair amount of equity in my home. I
have found a home with a nonnegotiable
price of $825,000. Will I be able to use any
of the $6500 tax credit?
Answer: No. The $800,000 cap on the cost of the purchased home is firm at $800,000. Any amount
above $800,000 makes the home ineligible for any portion of the credit. The $800,000 is an
absolute ceiling.
Question: I owned my home for 10 years, but sold it two years ago year and have been renting
since. If I purchase a home, will I be eligible for the $6500 tax credit if I meet all the
other eligibility tests?
Answer: Yes. Because you lived in the home for more than 5 consecutive years of the previous 8, you
will qualify for the $6500 credit. For example, Say John and his wife bought a home in 2000
and lived there until 2008 when he got a divorce. Whether John has been renting or bought in
the interim, he WOULD INDEED be eligible for the credit because he owned a home and
occupied it as his principal residence for 5 consecutive years out of the last 8 years. The
keyword here is “consecutive.” As long as he lived in that house for 5 years straight what he
did since 3 years doesn’t impact eligibility.
Question: I am an eligible firsttime
homebuyer. I entered into a contract to purchase on
November 1, 2009. Do I have to go to closing before December 1? How does the
extension date affect me?
Answer: You do not have to close before December 1. Once the legislation has been signed, it will be as
if the Nov 30 date had never existed. Therefore, so long as the contract settles before April 30
(or July 1, worst case), the purchaser will be eligible for the credit

Home buyers tax credit – Extened and expanded

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From yahoo

“WASHINGTON – Buying a home is about to get cheaper for a whole new crop of homebuyers – $6,500 cheaper.

First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package enacted earlier this year. But with the program scheduled to expire at the end of November, the Senate voted Wednesday to extend and expand the tax credit to include many buyers who already own homes. The House is scheduled to vote on the bill Thursday.

Buyers who have owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers – or anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years – would still get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers in both groups have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and close by June 30.

“This is probably the last extension,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a former real estate executive who championed the credits.

The homebuyers tax credit is one of two tax breaks totaling more than $21 billion that the Senate included in a bill extending unemployment benefits for those without a job for more than a year. The other would let companies now losing money recoup taxes they paid on profits earned in the previous five years.

“We are still in a world of economic hurt, and Congress must continue to act boldly and creatively,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. “With the right mix of tax breaks and investments we will get through this recession and get folks working again.”

The real estate industry has been pushing to extend and expand the housing tax credit. About 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have qualified for the credit through August. The National Association of Realtors estimates that 350,000 of them would not have purchased their homes without the credit.

Extending and expanding the tax credit for homebuyers is projected to cost the government about $10.8 billion in lost taxes. While the measure passed the Senate by a 98-0 vote, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., questioned its efficiency in stimulating home sales.

“For the vast majority of cases, the homebuyer tax credit amounted to a free gift since it did not affect their decision to purchase a home,” Bond said. “And for the small minority of buyers whose decision was directly caused by the credit, this raises the question of whether we are subsidizing buyers who may not have been able to afford buying a home in the first place.”

The credit is available for the purchase of principal homes costing $800,000 or less, meaning vacation homes are ineligible. The credit would be phased out for individuals with annual incomes above $125,000 and for joint filers with incomes above $225,000.

The credit would be extended an additional year, until June 30, 2011, for members of the military serving outside the United States for at least 90 days.

Expanding the tax credit for money-losing companies is projected to cost $10.4 billion.

The business tax break would allow money-losing companies to use current losses to offset taxable profits earned in the previous five years, giving them refunds of taxes paid in those years. Under current law, businesses with annual gross receipts of more than $15 million can claim losses back only two years.

The tax break would help industries suffering losses in 2008 or 2009, including retailers, homebuilders and newspapers. Congress included a scaled-back version of the tax break – for companies with revenues of $15 million or less – in the economic recovery package enacted in February. The new tax break would be available to companies of any size, providing a quick source of cash.

The U.S Chamber of Commerce has been a big backer of the tax break for money-losing companies.

“It frees up capital that they can use to maintain jobs and potentially even hire new people as the economy returns,” said Caroline Harris, senior tax counsel for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The tax breaks would be paid for largely by delaying a tax break for multinational companies that pay foreign taxes. It was passed in 2004 and originally was to have taken effect this year, but would now be delayed until 2018.”

Baton Rouge home prices down slightly

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From the Baton Rouge Business Report:

”

B.R. home prices down slightly

A new report says Baton Rouge home prices dropped 0.41% in August from the year before. First American Core Logic says the local Home Price Index was down from August 2008, after a 0.8% increase in July. That local decrease is much better than the 10.1% drop reported in First American’s national index in August. Louisiana’s index was down 3.9% during the month. First American predicts U.S. home prices will hit bottom in March, because of the increasing number of homes entering the foreclosure process and the expiration of a tax credit for first time homebuyers — although members of Congress are working to extend the credit into next year. By August 2010, First American projects the home price index will be up 4.6% nationally and 0.51% in Baton Rouge.”

Baton Rouge home markets seen as one of the strongest

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From Yahoo:

”

By Prashant Gopal Prashant Gopal – Fri Oct 23, 8:08 am ET

America’s strongest economies have one thing in common — home prices that never got too hot or too cold.

Home prices in metros such as San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Little Rock, Ark., and Baton Rouge, La., remained steady through boom and bust. Although no metropolitan area entirely avoided the economic downturn, the most resilient metros were protected by a potent mix of recession-resistant jobs.

The upstate New York areas of Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, and Buffalo suffered from declining jobs in manufacturing, but got significant boosts from sizable health-care, education, and government sectors. Construction is booming in Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capital, as firms take advantage of financing for post-Katrina hurricane recovery work and service-related companies expand to meet the needs of a growing population. Omaha and the state of Iowa have relatively strong insurance sectors.

Texas, the last state to enter recession, has been bolstered by its oil and gas industries — which have also helped Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Louisiana. Texas also has many other things going for it, including affordable home prices and relatively low wages, which attract corporations.

BusinessWeek.com used data and analysis from the Brookings Institution’s new MetroMonitor to come up with the nation’s 40 strongest economies. The MetroMonitor, which measures the nation’s health on a quarterly basis, ranks the top 100 metros based on job growth, unemployment, gross metropolitan product, and home prices.

A relative boom in Baton Rouge

“No place has been untouched by this recession. This is a change from previous recessions,” said Alan Berube, a senior fellow and research director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. “But there’s a big difference in losing one-tenth of a percentage and losing 15% of jobs.”

Baton Rouge, which was ranked No. 6, “grew jobs every month until August 2009 and in August it only lost nine-tenths of a percent, compared to 5.1% nationally,” said Lauren C. Scott, professor emeritus of economics at Louisiana State University.

Scott said $5.1 billion of construction projects have been announced or are under construction in the Baton Rouge metro, including a new plant for French chemical company SNF and the expansion of an ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM – News) chemical plant.

“One nice thing after another thing happened that has countered what’s happening in the rest of the country,” Scott said.

Ernie Goss, an economist at Creighton University in Omaha, who studies much of the nation’s energy and farm belts, said the strong dollar early this year hurt farm exports. “But the dollar has now weakened significantly and that will be good for the farm sector and energy commodities,” Goss said. “I think 2010 is going to be much better than 2009. But we are still not going to have a lot of job gains.

A 22-year unemployment high in Texas

Although the metros in the ranking are strong by relative standards, their unemployment rates in many cases are now peaking because they entered the recession late. Texas, which had 5 metros in our top 10, including No. 1 San Antonio, is a good example.

The unemployment rate in Texas hit 8.2% in September, rising above 8% for the first time in 22 years. But that’s a very low unemployment rate, compared to the national rate of 9.8% or to Nevada’s 13.3% rate.

Texas is unlikely to face a prolonged downturn, said Terry Clower, an economist at the University of North Texas. The state’s affordable cost of living make it attractive to new residents and corporations, the largest of which tend to be based near Houston and Dallas.

“It’s perceived as a low-cost place to do business,” Clower said. “Because housing is affordable, the wage rates reflect that.”

Marisa Di Natale, a director at Moody’s Economy.com, said late arrivals to the recession will generally face mild downturns.

These metros “haven’t had a big erosion in housing wealth, which has kept consumer spending stronger than it would otherwise be,” Di Natale said.”