http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ – East Baton Rouge Parish Quarterly Sales By Zip Code Q1 2010 versus Q1 2011 Report. Report shows an increase in number of home sales over 2010, but significant declines in Average Sales Prices overall. Report includes ALL housing types in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Accurate Valuations Group (Home Appraisals) has completed an analysis of the East Baton Rouge Parish housing market from First Quarter 2010 versus First Quarter 2011. The results are below. Click the chart to view in a larger size.

This is a lot of data to report on in one (1) article with “20″ zip codes. A short summary follows:

Number of Home Sales Increased Over 2010! For the number of home sales, only 9 zip codes reported a smaller number of sales. And, Ten (10) Zip Codes experienced more sales in Q1 2011 than in Q1 2010, which is great news for our market.

Average Sales Prices Overall Decline! This is consistent with the CoreLogic report on national home prices falling for the 7th straight month, as reported on Thursday, April 7, 2011. Thirteen (13) of the 20 Zip Codes showed declining average sales prices versus only Seven (7) showing increases. Local home prices are continuing to correct.

Average Sales Price Per Square Foot Overall Declines! This is consistent with the CoreLogic report. Fifteen (15) of the 20 Zip Codes showed declining average sales prices per sq. ft. versus only Seven (5) showing either no change or just slight increases.

Biggest Gainers. Zip Code 70807, the Scotlandville market, showed a 450% increase in number of home sales. Zip Code 70739, the Central or Greenwell Springs market, showed a +16.2% increase in Average Sales Prices AND +5.6% in Average Sales Price Per Sq. Ft.. Central is a “hot” market viewed by locals as having a favorable school district.

Largest Declines. Zip Code 70820, the market below LSU off Brightside, showed a -35.3% decrease in number of home sales. Zip Code 70802, the market in and around Central Business District, showed a -33.4% decline in Average Sales Prices AND -30.2% decline in Average Sales Price Per Sq. Ft..

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Author’s Bio:
Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ – Baton Rouge Housing Trends: Shenandoah Hills Subdivision 2010 Home Prices Increase!

Solds In Shenandoah Hills Subdivision from 1/2010 to 12/31/2010 revealed:

Average Sales Price: $146,357 ($133,260 in 2009)
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $108.12/sf ($99.34/sf in 2009)
Median Sold Price: $149,500 ($132,500 in 2009)
Number of Sales: 7 (5 in 2009)
Average Number of Days On Market: 44 (48 in 2009)
Low To High: $129,900 to $152,000
Number of Sold REO/Foreclosures Noted In MLS: 0
Current # Listings: 3, 0 Are Foreclosures
Current Listings Price: $140,900 to $150,900 or $105 to $113/sf

The Median Sales Price has increased from $132,500 in 2009 and $144,000 in 2008 to $149,500 in 2010.

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. This information was extracted on 1/1/2011. YES, this appraiser does have the permission of GBRMLS to use the chart above Subdivision Price Trends Report!

Tags: Baton Rouge Estate Appraisers, Baton Rouge FHA Appraisers, Baton Rouge Housing Market, Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Real Estate Housing, Baton Rouge Real Estate Trends,

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ – Baton Rouge Real Estate: Elevated Interior Photos Of Baton Rouge Housing

These Are Recent Interior photos Taken With Kodak Zi8 with Wide Angle Lens On 6′ Monopod held in the air. These same photos are also on Flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/billcobb/sets/72157625267645543/

Creative Baton Rouge Real Estate Investing Facts

Creative Baton Rouge Real Estate Investing is defined as the usage of non-traditional ideas and methods of selling and buying properties. It can be employed in the four local Parishes the make up the Greater Baton Rouge Housing Market: East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Northern Ascension and Western Livingston Parish. Here, the buyer will initially secure his finance taken from a lending organization and pay the full amount together with borrowed funds which will serve as his down payment.

One of the effective ways in purchasing a house is through cash payment. Unfortunately, the typical family is not really in its proper financial situation to get into an agreement like this. Majority of the families are can modestly afford a down payment, thus, they are forced to secure what was left of the price of their purchase through mortgage from a lending institution. However, buyers should not exhaust their entire savings just to pay a huge down payment amount. This will lead to deprivation of reserves if in case any fall back happens or income will go down in the future.

What are options?

An option in real estate investment is termed as a person’s right to purchase a property for a specified amount on a certain period. The owner may choose to sell his or her option to someone. The option buyer then hopes that the value of the investment property will either down or up. The seller will receive a premium known as option consideration. The buyer also has the right to purchase the property or selling it to another person which he or she can exercise. This is usually done to gain control over the property without investing a lot of cash. Premiums in option are generally non-refundable. Options represent equitable interest and are recorded by the county recorder.

What is a lease option?

A lease option is comprised of two main parts namely an option and a lease (rental agreement). This is written in either one or two contracts. A rental agreement occurring between the potential lessee or tenant and the owner is implied as a lease. Leases hold the lessee responsible for paying the maintenance, upkeep, insurance and taxes of the property. Lease payments are typically five to fifteen percent higher than the rent of the property. For the lessee to have tax benefits, this lease type is structured as if the lessee is the owner himself.

What is sandwich lease option?

This is not, at any way, an option. This is just created by tenants who wish to exit his or her unit as the tenant not having exit options written by the landlord in their lease. In order to provide mitigation option (a way of reducing costs and risks), a person can find a tenant to replace the unit. The tenant found for replacement becomes the tenant of the existing tenant and not the tenant of the landlord. The legal tenant will now have the right to create whatever rent, policy and deposit systems that he or she wishes to imply on the new tenant.

To further understand the process in sandwich lease option, a branch of creative real estate investing, further explanations are provided. The moment the new tenant notices any need for maintenance or has encountered problems with the unit, he or she will contact the landlord who will then contact the real, legal landlord in for repairs and maintenances to happen.

The new tenant is required to achieve payments to the temporary landlord who will then make the rent payment to the original landlord, thus, making things legal and paid.

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ – Baton Rouge Real Estate Trends: Tuscany Villas Subdivision 2010 Trend 70817

Solds In Tuscany Villas 1/1/2010 to 9/13/2010 revealed:
Average Sales Price: $184,792
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $125.21/sf
Median Sold Price: $185,500
Number of Sales: 6
Low To High: $180,000 to $188,000
Current # Listings: 2
Current Listings Prices: $189,900 To $191,900

THE TREND: The trend since 2009 is a lower average and median sold price and lower price per sq. ft., but based on only 1 sold in 2009. In 2009, there was one sale (1) for $198,000 or $131/sf. In 2008, there were 3 solds averaging $126/sf, average solds of $187,333 and median solds of $190,000. So, it appears that 2010 sales have softened somewhat the average and median sold prices and average sold price per square foot.

Tags: Baton Rouge Housing Market, Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Real Estate Housing, Baton Rouge Real Estate Trends, Real Estate Baton Rouge, Tuscany Villas, Trends Baton Rouge Real Estate, 70817

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ – Listing That Greater Baton Rouge Home?  Leave The Tape Measure At Home And Pull Out Your iPhone $0.99 App!

Commentary From Rob Jansen aka “Peanut” With John C. Jones Realtor:

“You know you hate it. You’re at a listing and fighting that measuring tape to go where you want it, how you want it, and stay in place. Agents meet the Sonar Ruler. This new iPhone App can measure distances of up to 60 feet by sending a short pulse (more like a clicking noise) to the wall of what-have-you and measuring how long it takes to return to the phone…and it’s pretty darn accurate. I wouldn’t measure inches with it by any means, but for measuring smaller rooms this inexpensive app allows you to get a very close estimation, which you’re more than likely going to round anyway. I still haven’t found a cheap solution for larger rooms, so you’ll probably still need your tape measure if the home’s got good sized living space, but for your typical bedrooms the Sonar Ruler iPhone App is just the ticket.”

Sonar Ruler Demo from cc laan on Vimeo.

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ - Understanding and Using All Of Your Greater Baton Rouge First Time Home Buyer Options

While searching through my RSS this evening, I found this helpful outline to help get through the maze of Using All Of The First Time Home Buyer Options.  The article was written by Steve Kappre, Loan Officer and is directly quoted:

“As a first time buyer, don’t let the excitement of the $8,000 tax credit cause you to miss out on many other home buying options. It isn’t uncommon for a buyer to confuse the federal tax credit with seller credits, down payment assistance, or first time home buyer grants.

First time home buyers have many options.  Utilizing one option does not hold a buyer back from utilizing one or more other options allowed to them as a first time home buyer. This article is written not to go into great depth on each option, but to help you realize the different options available as a first time home buyer and how to utilize each/all of these options.

Read on to understand some common terms and how to take advantage of each option.

Tax Credit

The federal tax credit is the $8,000 incentive that everyone is talking about. Most home buyers that haven’t owned a home in the last 3 years will qualify for this. In general, this credit is realized as a credit for you when you complete your taxes in the spring of 2009 (for 2008′s income).

For example, if you would have normally received $2,000 back after completing your 2009 tax returns, the tax credit would add an additional $8,000, to make your total amount received $10,000. For additional information and guidelines, go directly to First-Time Home Buyer Credit: Answers.

Seller Credit (Seller Concessions)

A seller credit, better known as seller concessions, is a scenario when the seller agrees to pay a certain amount of your settlement costs. The seller may pay a percentage, such as 2, 3, or 6% of the purchase price, or they may pay a dollar amount, such as $2,500 or $5,000.

For more information on understanding seller concessions visit Understanding Seller Concessions | Seller Paid Closing Costs | Seller Contributions | Seller Assist.

Grants for First Time Home Buyers

Many people miss out on first time home buyer grant options. Once a buyer hears about the $8,000 tax credit, they sometimes go deaf to other options, either out of excitement or because they don’t realize they can utilize more than one option.

A grant is a program often issued by a county or state that offers funds to the home buyer for the purchase of a home. Either a flat dollar amount or a percentage of the loan amount is used to calculate the funds offered. A typical grant percentage would be 2, 3, or 4% of the loan amount. For instance, 4% of a loan amount of $100,000 would give you a $4,000 grant.

Grants can be utilized for down payment requirements and/or to pay for closing costs. Depending on the purchase price and the grant selected, a grant can sometimes even cover all requirements the buyer has concerning both the down payment requirement and closing costs.

Down Payment Assistance

As of the date of this article, down payment assistance in the traditional sense is not available.Down payment assistance programs (DAPs) were an option where the seller would indirectly give a buyer the money needed for down payment requirements. These transactions in general had a higher default rate then most, therefore this option is no longer available. Examples were the Nehemiah program or the Genesis program. There is a movement to reinstate these programs. The mentioning of DAPs here is simply to help you differentiate and not confuse them with other options.

How to Utilize More Than One First-Time Home Buyer Option

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. A common example of utilizing all of the above options is as follows:

1. Buyer meets with grant official or loan officer for qualification requirements pertaining to a specific grant option. In our example the buyer will use an FHA mortgage, which requires a 3.5% (of the purchase price) down payment. The purchase price is $100,000, therefore the down payment requirement for this would be $3,500.
2. Loan officer and buyer determine that the use of a 4% grant would be the wisest choice. Since the down payment requirement is $3,500, the financed amount will be $96,500 ($100,000 – $3,500). Based off of $96,500, a 4% grant would be $3,860 (loan amount x 4%, or $96,500 x .04)). Compare the grant amount with the buyer’s down payment requirement of $3,500, and the grant amount is $360 more than the required down payment amount. This type of grant covers the down payment requirements and some additional funds to be applied towards the closing costs.
3. Assuming closing costs are $5,000, here is how you can determine what to request from the seller to get the closing costs paid as well. We can subtract the extra money left over from the grant, in this case $360, from $5,000. Our sum is $4,640. FHA requirements allow the seller to pay up to 6% of the buyer’s closing costs. We don’t need all 6% (or $6,000), we only need $4,640 from the seller. So when the purchase of the home is negotiated, the buyer’s agent negotiates with the seller’s agent that the seller will agree to pay $4,640 towards the buyers settlement fees/closing costs. 
4. Buyer goes to settlement needing $0 to close, and in fact they will get back the money already deposited with the real estate agent and lender.
5. Lastly, the buyer can still maximize the use of the federal tax credit and receive their $8,000 after filing their 2009 tax returns.

All-in-all, in our scenario the home buyer will receive $16,500 for purchasing a home ($3,860 grant + $4,640 seller’s concessions + $8,000 tax credit).  The buyer is able to utilize three separate home buying options and in the end, still have their own money in the bank, which will then get boosted in several months by the $8,000 tax credit. Now THAT is the kind of lending and buyer representation that creates solid, well founded home owners, which is exactly what we all desire.

By working with knowledgeable professionals, you can utilize multiple buyer options to make your home buying experience an amazing event!

If you would like more information, as a buyer, seller, real estate agent, real estate office, financial planner, college or other party, feel free to contact Steve Kappre directly on his cell at 856-419-3561 or via e-mail at steve@stevekappre.com.”

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ – Baton Rouge Business Report Poll Says Strongest Area Housing Market Is Under $250,000

The Baton Rouge Business Report’s Real Estate Weekly just announced the results from their Poll.   Here are the details are directly quoted,

“Fifty-one percent of people who participated to a Real Estate Weekly poll say the strongest housing market is in the $175,001 to $250,000 range. Thirty-five percent of respondents to the online survey say the $175,000 and under range is doing the best, while 10% selected the $250,001 to $350,000 range. More than 125 people participated in the survey.”

The link to the R.E. Weekly is at: http://www.businessreport.com/archives/real-estate-weekly/2009/jul/07/1067/

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ – NAR June 2009 Pending Numbers Could Be Excellent News For Baton Rouge Real Estate

The Louisiana Realtor E-News Digest is reporting some fantastic news about Pending Home Sales Rising Again.   The source of the news was the NAR (National Association of Realtors) and here’s a snippet of the news:

“Pending home sales show a sustained uptrend, rising for four consecutive months with very favorable housing affordability and a first-time buyer tax credit boosting activity, according to the National Association of REALTORS.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in May, increased 0.1 percent to 90.7 from an upwardly revised reading of 90.6 in April, and is 6.7 percent higher than May 2008 when it was 85.0. The last time there were four consecutive monthly gains was in October 2004.”

The link to the La Realtor E-News Digest is at http://www.larealtors.org/news/default.asp

This continues the trend toward positive news for the Greater Baton Rouge Housing Homes Market.

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ – Are Low Appraisals Occurring In The Greater Baton Rouge Market?

There have been a flurry of recent articles regarding the “issue” of “LOW APPRAISALS”, so much so that we now have The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News and possibly the NAR (National Association Of Realtors) reporting on this issue.  

What is a “Low Appraisal”?   Are these really actually low appraisals or were the expectations by the homeowner AND LENDER for a refinance or by the Realtor AND LENDER for a purchase or sale just too unrealistic? 

Have there really been “declining markets” within the local market that would warrant a “declining markets” adjustment to the solds used?   What is a declining markets adjustment?  

What market factors assist the appraiser in determining if an appraisal should be “low” or not.  

Did you know that appraisers are now required to use 3 current comparable listings within their reports, adjusted to the current listing-to-sales price ratio of say, 95%?   What is a “listing-to-sales price ratio” and why are they now required in 2008 & 2009? 

What is the Fannie Mae 1004 MC Addendum and why is that form alone assisting to determine a “low appraisal”? 

What “Tools” are appraisers using today to determine market trends and market direction?  

Stay Tuned As Bill Cobb, Appraiser answers the many questions related to this issue. 

Bill Cobb is a Louisiana State Certified Residential Appraiser operating as Accurate Valuations Group in the Greater Baton Rouge Market. Bill has 17 years experience as a residential appraiser and carries on the family appraisal career tradition as a third generation appraiser. To learn more about AVG, visit: http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/