The Very Best Google Plus Real Estate Articles November 2014

Best Google+ Real Estate Articles November 2014 Have you seen any of the installments of the best Google Plus real estate articles? Bill Gassett has started a monthly column featuring the best Real Estate articles shared on Google Plus. If you haven’t been following this series, you may want to bookmark or pin his blog so you can catch up on what you’ve missed. The series of articles provides useful info for anyone getting ready to buy or sell a home.

This month Bill asked me to do the round up for November. The approach of a New Year must be inspiring our favorite Google+ bloggers. We could have picked at least a dozen articles for the “Best of November”. It wasn’t easy, but we’ve narrowed it down to something more manageable.

The first article this month is 2015 Mortgage Rate Predictions from 3 Industry Experts. Written by Tim Lucas who dives in with his thoughts on the mortgage market for next year. His opinion is that rates will go up, but when and how much is hard to say. Lucas provides a table showing what the rates were each year since 2007. They started at 6.34% in 2007 before sinking to 3.66% in 2012. They’ve been in the low 4s for awhile but Lucas doesn’t think this will last forever.

Brad Yzermans notes that all interest rate predictions should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. Yzermins goes on to say he doesn’t see how rates can continue at current levels. His expectation is for moderate increases to as much as 4.75%. He doesn’t advise rushing to buy just because rates might go up. He suggests anyone with an FHA loan to re-finance now and get rid of their Mortgage Insurance Premium.

Luke Skar with the Madison Mortgage Guys adds the third voice to the article. Luke feels the improving market could signal higher rates. He backs up his assumptions with numbers from the National Association of Home Builders. He quotes their prediction that we’ll see a “26% increase in the overall number of single family homes”. He takes unemployment into consideration and predicts that rates will reach 5-5.5% by the end of 2015.

While the Mortgage Pros are optimistic about the housing market in 2015, we have seen a slight drop in sales volume. Bill Gassett explores the dip in his article titled Why Has The Real Estate Market Taken a Breather?. One key factor – the number of first time home buyers is down to 33% of all homes purchased this year. That is down from the historical average of 40%. First time home buyer purchases are at the lowest level since 1987.

In his excellent article Bill discusses the reasons why first time home buyers aren’t purchasing homes? The reasons start with high student loan debt. Add higher rents that make it hard for first time buyers to save for the down payment. Throw in a weaker job market, stricter lending standards and the destruction of family wealth. Gassett takes a close look at this trend before offering tips and making his argument that it’s better to buy now. This is a good read for anyone who is looking at long term trends in the housing market. It’s a must read for those hoping to buy their first home.

“The Non-Occupying Co-Borrower Option” by Inlanta Mortgage – Madison is our third choice. This one goes hand in hand with Gassett’s article. This mortgage product is a possible solution for first time home buyers. Inlanta Madison covers the current requirements for this type of mortgage. If the co-borrower is related to the buyer, the loan to value can be as high as 96.75%. If the non-owner is helping with the down payment, they don’t have to complete the usual paperwork for the gift. They can just use their own funds. Starting your career with a mountain of college debt? The “Non-Occupying Co-Borrower Mortgage” may be your best chance to own rather than rent.

Corrine Guest answers the question Home Value Estimator – Which One Should You Use? Recent articles have looked at how inaccurate these computer generated values can be. Guest doesn’t waste time on the Zillow Zestimate valuations that have proven to be unpredictable and sometimes grossly innacurate. She points out three alternate sites where you can get a computer generated value without registering. She received three different answers for her home’s value but they were all similar. Guest feels the tools are useful if you consult with more than one. She doesn’t recommend looking at them every month unless you’re getting ready to sell. Instead, take a look every quarter. And when you want an accurate opinion of your home’s value, ask your Realtor.

The fifth article is Lynn Pineda’s guest blog for Rismedia. Is Your Realtor Sharpening an Axe? Lynn asks if your Realtor is prepared for the job. As she says, being prepared “goes beyond getting a license.” A Realtor has to stay on top of the latest trends and the mortgage market. They need to network with other real estate professionals. They should be at the forefront of the internet and social media. Her tips are just as useful for hiring a buyer’s agent as for hiring a listing agent. For other Real Estate Professionals, they’re a guide to help you stay on top of your game.

One of the last featured articles is really well done and could certainly be called “the best Real Estate investing advice ever” which would not be too far off the mark! RETipster Seth Williams wrote 101 Things Everyone Needs to Know About Real Estate Investing. Williams interviews a host of today’s leading real estate and mortgage professionals. He didn’t follow the usual formula of publishing each pro’s three tips together.

Williams mixed the suggestions from all contributors so they flow from the first tip to the last one. Starting with “Collaboration” and ending with “Create a Written Game Plan”. Seth’s technique of weaving the different tips together pays off. This is not only one of the most thorough guides for investors, it’s a good read.

Last but not least is an article I wrote about whether or not it makes sense to buy a home in a home owners association or not.

An important decision for any home buyer is whether to buy in an area that has a Homeowner’s Association. A high percentage of our newer, upscale communities are subject to the home owners association rules and restrictions. In an HOA they have to approve your landscaping. They have a voice about the vehicles you’re allowed to park in front of your home. They’ll decide what your options are if you want to paint your home a new color.
It is possible to buy a home that isn’t governed by an HOA. And for some buyers, it’s the only way to go. Should you buy a home that isn’t in a homeowner’s association looks at the pros and cons of life without an HOA.

Narrowing down the options wasn’t easy this month. We wanted to include articles from: Andrew Fortune, Karen Highland, Kyle Hiscock, Anita Clark, Andrew Fortune, Andrew Dougill and Greg Hancock. We recommend that you include them all in your Google Plus real estate circles for useful real estate info.

Previous Google Plus Real Estate Reviews

Do you enjoy the Google+ real estate article reviews? Take a look at all of the above links where you will see additional real estate articles that have been highlighted from previous months on Google Plus!

About the author: Debbie Drummond has over ten years experience in the Las Vegas real estate market. She specializes in luxury homes and high rise properties.