Stix & Stones News

Mortgage Rates Better than the $8,000 Tax Credit!

Posted on Monday, August 9th, 2010 at 9:06 pm.

The continued decline in mortgage rates this month is creating new opportunities for purchasers to help themselves in the long term like never before. Currently, mortgage rates for FHA loans (loans commonly used by 1st time buyers or others with limited down payment funds) are hovering around 4.25% for a 30 year fixed rate loan. Just for comparison, last year that same rate was almost 6.0%. Historically, any rate under 6.0% is considered very good so 4.25% is simply amazing. So you say that you don’t plan on staying in your next home for 30 years? If you get an FHA loan it’s assumable by the next purchaser which means they will be willing to pay you more for your home for the right to steal a loan at 4.25% when current rates are more like 7%.

What does this mean to the average home buyer? The total amount of interest that you would pay on a $225,000 loan at 6.0% is $260,636 but that very same loan at 4.25% would only have total interest charged of $173,469. That’s a whopping $87,167 less in interest which is equivalent to not making over 5 years of payments on the loan at 6.0%. For those of you that didn’t take advantage of the $8,000 federal tax credit, don’t worry. The savings on your interest rate is equivalent to receiving the $8,000 tax credit more than 10 times over the next 30 years.

Finally, realize that because of the expiration of the $8,000 tax credit, buyers are in control of the market today like never before which means it’s possible to get a really good deal on a home and pay hundreds of dollars less per month for that same home than you would have a year ago.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! It is really a once in a lifetime opportunity. You can attend a free Home Buyer Workshop class in August or September to learn more but don’t delay because these super low rates could go away at any moment. If there was ever a time to get off your rear and check out the housing market, NOW IS THE TIME. For registration check out www.HBWDenver.com.

Market Holds Steady for June

Posted on Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 3:03 am.

Well, everyone is now wondering just how the summer real estate market will do in the Denver Metro Area. Why you might ask? It’s the expiration of the 1st time home buyer and repeat home buyer credits!

Just what effect those tax credit had on the market the 1st half of the year will not be known until July because most closings that were recorded in June could have been impacted by the tax credit’s stimulating effect. July should be more representative of the non-credit market as it represents a larger percentage of properties that went under contract in May, which was after the credits expired. In talking to my fellow real estate agents and looking at our business it seems like we might me in for a slow summer but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Now to the market stats themselves. Total listings of homes and condos in the metro area increased a modest 761 units to 23,450 or about 3.4%. Total listings under contract was virtually unchanged at 3,885. The total number of sold properties decreased in the month to 4,046, a decreased of 319 units from May and the total days on market for the Denver Metro Area increased from 76 days to 82 days which is representative of the increase in total inventory of listings.

If you’re thinking of selling your home this summer, you really need a knowledgeable and aggressive agent more than ever before as it’s likely that we could see a real estate slow down in the near future. If you want to keep track of what’s selling in your neighborhood, you can signup for our free Market Snapshot Report that will allow you to keep track of your local market and see the detail of all the homes currently for sale or that have sold in the last 3 months. Check it out…it’s an extremely valuable resource.

Keep those fingers crossed….it may get a little rocky this summer! Look for mortgage rates to continue to drop however so there is hope out there.

Down Payment Registry Program

Posted on Monday, May 17th, 2010 at 4:50 pm.

Stix & Stones Fine Colorado Properties is pleased to announce it’s partnership with DownPaymentRegistry.com Colorado’s new Down Payment Registry Program. This program provides a way for newly engaged or married couples to save for the down payment on their home through a structured program that provides the first time home buyer with the education and assistance they need to be successful. Free programs such as the Home Buyer Workshop give these couples the chance to save money for the purchase of a home and learn about the home buying process.

If you know of someone who might be interested in this program, they can go to www.DownPaymentRegistry.com for more information.

New Property Management Services

Posted on Monday, May 17th, 2010 at 4:42 pm.

Stix & Stones Fine Colorado Properties is pleased to announce the formation of our Denver Property Management Division headed by Lance Becker, Broker Associate with Stix & Stones. Our goal is to help you with professional property management services in Denver or the surrounding areas such as Centennial, Littleton and Aurora or help you manage your properties with advice and information.

Call Lance Becker anytime at 303-770-2409 for more info or simply to ask a question. We’ve been self managing our portfolio for over 30 years so we probably help with ideas and suggestions.

Welcome to our new website

Posted on Wednesday, May 12th, 2010 at 5:47 pm.

Welcome to the new Stix & Stones website. You can now access the most comprehensive Denver Real Estate Search Engine plus get information on a comprehensive list of mortgage and real estate topics. Make sure to use our iPhone application if you’re searching for properties to get real time information about a home while your sitting in front of it!

Welcome to Stix & Stones

Posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 8:02 pm.

Welcome to Stix & Stones.

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