http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/ – Baton Rouge Certified Home Appraisers: Area Home Sales See Gains In March

The Advocate Newspaper and Chad Calder are reporting “BR-area home sales see gain in March“, click on the link to read the entire article. Below is a snippet:

“The number of homes sold in the Baton Rouge metro area rose slightly in March, though the first quarter was down 2 percent.

The March bright spot is largely due to an increase in Ascension Parish.

The figures, compiled by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, account for about 85 percent of the market in the eight-parish area.

Realtors sold 600 homes in the metro area in March, 1 percent more than the 594 sold in the same month last year. Dollar volume in March was up 2 percent to $118.0 million.

The quarter, however, still reflects the downward trend that has characterized recent years. There were 1,406 homes sold during the first three months of the year, compared to 1,431 the year before.

Dollar volume was also down 2 percent to $270.3 million for the quarter.“

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ - Baton Rouge Real Estate News: Shenandoah Estates 2009 Housing Market Update

Housing Market Direction: Up or Down?

Solds In Shenandoah Estates from 1/2007 to 12/2007 revealed:
Average Sales Price: $193,628
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $93.62/sf
Median Sold Price: $190,000
Average Days On Market: 81
Number Of Sales: 91

Solds In Shenandoah Estates from 1/2008 to 12/2008 revealed:
Average Sales Price: $200,524
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $89.68/sf
Median Sold Price: $205,000
Average Days On Market: 89
Number Of Sales: 68

Solds In Shenandoah Estates from 1/2009 to 12/2009 revealed:
Average Sales Price: $196,030
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $89.48/sf
Median Sold Price: $196,500
Average Days On Market: 106
Number Of Sales: 62

Therefore, based on the “median sale price barometer” within Shenandoah Estates, the barometer used by the National Association of Realtors, the market direction increased from 2007 to 2008 but declined from 2008 into 2009. However, the 2009 median sales price at $196,500 is still higher than the 2007 $190,000. The gap between the high and low median sales prices was $15,000. The Aveage Sold Price Per Sq. Ft. only varied $4.14/sf within this 3 year period, which shows a fairly tight, supportive market.

For Your Home Appraisal Needs In Greater Baton Rouge, Give Bill Cobb A Call At 225-293-1500 or www.accuratevg.com.

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/ - Greater Baton Rouge Home Sales Up 38% In November 2009

The Baton Rouge Business Report is reporting on November home sales numbers here! According to the article, November sales were up 38% locally. Here’s a snippet from their report:

“There was a 38% increase in the number of homes sold in the Capital Region during November, compared with the year before. There were 576 houses sold in November, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, compared with 417 in November 2008. Average sale prices were down 3.4%, from $185,622 in November 2008, to $179,272. Livingston Parish saw the biggest improvement in sales, with 145 homes sold in November at an average price of $157,954. That’s nearly double the 76 sales that happened last year, at an average price of $144,558. East Baton Rouge also saw a jump in home sales, from 232 in November 2008, to 307.”

Tags: baton rouge real estate, baton rouge real estate agents, baton rouge real estate appraisers, Estate Appraisers Baton Rouge, Probate Appraisers Baton Rouge, Probate Appraisers In Greater Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Estate Appraisers, FHA Appraisers Baton Rouge

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/

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ -  Woodridge Subdivision 70809 May 2009 Update: Baton Rouge Subdivision Videos

Solds In Woodridge Subdivision from 01/01/2007 to 12/31/2007 revealed:
Average Sales Price: $346,578
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $138.84
Median Sold Price: $349,000
Low Sales Price: $271,000
High Sales Price: $409,000
Average # of Days On Market: 112
# of Sales: 36

Solds In Woodridge Subdivision from 01/01/2008 to 01/12/2009 reveals:
Average Sales Price: $336,160
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $137.03
Median Sold Price: $349,500
Low Sales Price: $263,000
High Sales Price: $407,299
Average # of Days On Market: 96
# of Sales: 25

Solds In Woodridge Subdivision from 01/01/2009 to 05/15/2009 reveals:
Average Sales Price: $330,093
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $138.96
Median Sold Price: $315,840
Low Sales Price: $260,000
High Sales Price: $439,000
Average # of Days On Market: 80
# of Sales: 9

Therefore, based on the median sale price barometer (the barometer used by the NAR National Association of Realtors) within Woodridge Subdivision, the market direction appears to be declining from a high in 2007 of $349,000 down to $315,840 currently. The Average Sales Price has decreased by -$16,485 or -4.76%. Median Sales Price has declined by -$33,160 or -9.5%. However, the Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft. has remained stable from $138.84/sf to $138.96/sf – a strange phenomenon where the median sales price declines -9.5% but the average sold price per sq. ft. remains stable.