Has the Housing Market Stabilized?

Day after day I read articles and blogs on the housing market and what researchers are predicting 2010 will look like. `And day after day it's something new. Today's most popular topic... has the housing market stabilized? Is danger still lurking around the corner? From my understanding, the inventory of homes for sale has fallen across the nation but we will most likely see another cycle of foreclosures coming through soon. The job market does not seem to be getting stronger and many families have fallen ever farther behind on the mortgage payments. According to James Hagerty of the Wall Street Journal, "Jobs and mortgage woes will help shape the housing market this spring, the busiest time of year for home shoppers. Without a return to job growth, it will be hard to sustain demand, and mortgage defaults will eventually lead to foreclosures, dumping more supply on the market." With this being said, we are all hopeful that Spring will bring a strong selling season and buyers will beat the April 30th First Time Home buyers tax credit deadline.

Moving Tips

Today's Helpful Topics: Storage & Delayed Shipments

Public/Self Storage Delivery

The movers can deliver the shipment to a public.self storage facility of your choosing in your destination state. Be advised that once the shipment is unloaded into public/self storage the mover is released of all liability, even if you discover damage at a later date to boxes that the professionals packed.

Therefore, once again, any damaged or missing items must be notated on the inventory as the items are being placed into the facility. The movers will not consider a claim if you move the items out of the public/self storage unit before filing. It is very important that you or someone you trust is there to oversee the delivery into the facility. CRS also recommends that you research public/self storage locations prior to choosing one to determine their access limitations. If a tractor trailer cannot easily access the unit you will incur additional charges for shuttle/auxiliary service. Many newer facilities are designed to accommodate tractor trailers.

Mover Storage

Most movers offer secure facilities in either your origin or destination vicinity and will containerize your shipment for the storage duration. Since the shipment is containerized, access to your articles is limited and would generally require a fee. Interstate movers offer what is termed Storage-in-Transit for up to either 90 or 180 days. This allows for the continuation of your valuation coverage for the duration of the 90 or 180 day (depending on mover terms) storage period. The mover also retains responsibility to deliver the shipment to your final destination.

Permanent storage would be recommended if you need to have your belongings stored beyond the 90 or 180 day storage period. In this instance, the interstate mover would release your shipment to an authorized local agent for storage. The valuation coverage you selected for the move would cease at the time and you would be required to obtain coverage from the local agent. In this instance, your shipment would also be containerized and the local agent would perform the delivery of your shipment.

Delayed Shipments

During the summer months and occasionally during non-peak moving times, moves can be delayed for weather related reasons, shortage of trucks, mechanical failure or other unforeseen circumstances. Being prepared for this outside possibility will help you in this event. Take things that you cannot afford to be without: if you are starting a new job, take business clothes with you. If you have children who will be attending school shortly after your arrival, take the things they will need to start school.

Through CRS if there is a delay and your shipment is over 3,500 lbs., the movers are required to reimburse you for a percentage of hotel and meal expenses. Be sure to save hotel and meal receipts during this time. You should receive a delay claim form from the mover upon your request. This is handled separately from a damage claim and must be handled promptly: the claim must be filed within 30 days of delivery. A delay claim does not pertain to shipments that are delivering to a public/self storage unit or into mover storage or from a mover or public storage facility.

I spend the latter part of 2009 searching for a house to purchase in Victor, Idaho. After living in Jackson Hole for 2.5 years, I decided that it was the perfect time to purchase a house! I looked in Jackson but quickly realized only the rich and famous can afford a house here! So over the pass to Victor, ID it was. During my search, there were a few things that were very important to me. One of those things was the neighborhood. It had to feel safe and comfortable so that I could walk out my front door with my dogs and go wherever I wanted! I did some research on how to tell if you live in a safe neighborhood and this article proved to be a valuable resource.

How to find a safe neighborhood

By Karen Aho of MSN Real Estate

Your new home’s inspection report won’t come with a safety rating for the neighborhood, a crucial determinant of quality of life. It’s up to you to check out the area before you move. Here’s how.

It’s one of the first things buyers ask and something real estate agents can’t answer: Is the neighborhood safe?

Agents, constrained by fair housing laws, aren’t allowed to badmouth neighborhoods or even declare them “safe.” They can only say something to the effect of, “We suggest you check out any area you’re considering.”

OK – so how, exactly, do you do that?

You can jump online and get your fill of colorful maps overlaid with crime data, thanks to a growing number of such sites. But these dense splashes of data, while useful, can also become confusing. (More on this below.)

“They give you a picture, but it’s a very fuzzy picture,” says Greg Saville, a former police officer who now teaches urban planning and leads the movement to design safe communities. “You really need to know what you’re looking at to know what it means.”

Saville says that while he appreciates the data, it’s not enough. You have to turn off the computer and go take a good, studious walk.

Trust your gut?
Issamar Ginzberg, who buys residences to lease in New York City, gauges a neighborhood using what he calls the potato chip method: “Get out of the car, buy a bag of chips at the corner bodega and calmly eat the bag of chips outside the house.

“If I can finish the bag of chips and feel safe the whole time, I'll buy real estate in that neighborhood,” he says.

It’s what police have long said, for many situations: pay attention and trust your gut. Homebuyers certainly rely on it, often by taking a drive. Even safety officials reiterate the concept.

“I always feel like if your gut says there’s something wrong, there’s something wrong,” says Robbi Woodson, manager of the National Sheriffs’ Association Neighborhood Watch program, at USAonWatch. “If things don’t look right, then most likely they’re not right.”

But the gut is driven by real information, even when people aren’t aware of it. And some of that information may, in fact, be off, colored by preconceived notions of what a “safe” area is supposed to look like.

To be certain, experts say, prospective buyers need to know what to consider and apply the same methodical inventory they use to evaluate the home. Check off the boxes.

“A lot of people spend so much time looking at the physical configuration of the house, but they forget that they don’t just live in the house, they live in the neighborhood,” Saville says. “Their life is affected by the neighbors.”

Some of the tips offered below might seem obvious, but others might surprise.

A neighbor who cares
If you’ve been paying any attention to the news since the 1990s, when community policing came into vogue, then you’re familiar with the broken-windows theory.

Broken windows, nearly all criminologists agree, along with dilapidated buildings, abandoned lots, missing street lights, rampant graffiti, unkempt yards -- basically any signs of neglect -- attract crime. The reasons are both practical -- dark, lonely spots sit out of view – and psychological -- would-be vandals are, ironically, less apt to mess with nice stuff.

As a prospective resident, though, you have to consider an underlying question, too. Will people who let their lots fall into disrepair treat you badly as well? After all, it’s the neighbors, not the police, who will serve as the first and best line of defense.

“If the lawns aren’t mowed, the trash is not picked up, that shows people have no pride in the neighborhood,” says John Z. Wetmore, the producer of “Perils for Pedestrians,” a television show about neighborhoods and safety. “If you care about the neighborhood, you’re probably going to care about your neighbors too.

“You can be on a street with really modest homes, but if people take care of them, it can be a good place to live,” Wetmore says.

“Neighbors” includes the folks down at town hall. Take a walk. Do you see damaged signs? Potholes in the road? Breaks in the sidewalk? Come back at night. Are there broken street lights?

“It gives you an indication that the local council is not doing a good job,” Saville says, or that locals fail to demand that the town make repairs. “The physical condition of the roadways tells you a lot, actually.”

Areas designed with safety in mind
Now, do you see people? Are they out and about? Can you clearly see the children playing in the park and the man walking to the store?

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, a program that brings safety considerations to the drawing board, asks these questions, and the solutions usually align with the adage “There’s safety in numbers.” Safe neighborhoods are those in which people are physically able to see each other. It means they need desirable places to go, and places that are visible from sidewalks and windows.

Great list of things to think about when moving and relocating

RISMEDIA, October 24, 2009—The good news: in the middle of a really tough economy, you land a job offer. The bad news: you have to explain to your 14-year-old that it means moving out of state. Whether it’s for a new career opportunity or to move when a current employer relocates its business, people who may not otherwise have considered relocating are facing the potential of moving boxes in their future.
There are, however, steps you can take to make the transition more manageable:
Do your homework as a family: Like most homework, this research will start with the Internet. City and state official websites are a good starting point to get a sense of the school system, recreation and services. Look to local bloggers to get the “voice” of a neighborhood, including city, or even neighborhood focused real estate blogs. Divide up the research among the family so everyone gets to be an expert.
Take time to talk about the unknown: With everything that goes into relocation, it is easy to turn family life into a never-ending series of “to do” lists. Find time to let your family talk out loud about the move. Some days it will seem like a great adventure, other days it’ll be daunting. Let your kids know that’s okay.
Find where your hobbies live: If a family member has a special hobby or sport, locate the best ways to connect with that passion as soon as you get to the new location- it’ll feel more like home when everyone is doing what they love.
Start gathering medical and school records: We’d like to think we live in a paperless world- that is, until we roll into the emergency room in a new town and can’t access key information. Start gathering data from your physician, dentist and school administrators earlier rather than later.
Tap into the professionals: Finding the right real estate agent and a good mover can make the difference between a straightforward- or a nightmare-relocation experience. Whether you’re looking to purchase a new home right away or are opting to rent an apartment or home while you familiarize yourself with the area, these professionals can provide both guidance and support during your relocation. Take time to check out reviews, get references from people you trust and then narrow down options to a short list. It’s worth the work to get these relationships right.

Moving Tips

Today's Helpful Topic: Tipping and Unpacking

Tipping:
Tipping the movers is fairly customary if you are pleased with the service they are providing. A general guideline for tipping would be: $15-$20 per laborer for shipments up to 10,000lbs. and $20-$30 per laborer for shipments heavier than 10,000lbs. It is likely that your loading crew will be different than the unloading crew; be prepared to tip at each location. The driver can receive his gratuities upon completion of the move. Tipping is certainly not obligatory and many people offer the crew lunch in addition to or in lieu of gratuities. We do recommend, however, that you have plenty of water on hand for the crew during the course of the move.

Unpacking:
Unless more unpacking is requested, the movers will generally only include unpacking you mattresses at destination. Be advised that unpacking of boxes only entails removing items from the box and placing them on a flat surface. If you would like the movers to put away your packed belongings, this is an additional expense that should be requested of the mover at the time of your estimate.

If you find any damage during the unpacking, keep a notepad listing the damaged item and the inventory number for the particular carton. If it is a box you packed yourself, save the box. It may be helpful in settling your claim.

snow. snow and MORE snow!

3 inches down...... 30 more to go! If you haven't planned anything for President's Day weekend, its not too late! Come to Jackson Hole! We are expecting 30+ inches in the next 24 hours. Unlike other places getting snow, we actually NEED it!

Consumers Relocation at Jack Conway Real Estate Annual Convention

Consumers Relocation's President, Les Velte, attended the Jack Conway Real Estate Annual meeting in Norwood, MA. on February 5. Consumers Relocation manages the Conway Move Management program from Jack Conway. The program is used by agents to move their customers and clients both locally, and interstate.