Daily Archives: April 23, 2015

Westchester Property Taxes win Title for Highest | Katonah Real Estate

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Barring floods and asbestos, property taxes are the highest cost of homeownership after a mortgage — and taxes never end.

In 2013, the median U.S. property tax bill was $2,132, according to a Zillow analysis that used the most recent data available.

That’s a whole lot less than residents paid in Westchester County, NY, where the median tax bill was $13,842. In Tunica County, MS, the median tax bill was $216.

All 10 of the most expensive counties for property taxes, based on the median paid for single-family homes, are in the same vicinity:

CountyMedian taxes
Westchester, NY$13,842
Rockland, NY$10,550
Bergen, NJ$9,546
Essex, NJ$9,288
Nassau, NY$9,091
Passaic, NJ$8,978
Union, NJ$8,926
Morris, NJ$8,549
Hudson, NJ$8,407
Hunterdon, NJ$8,392

Four of the 10 least expensive counties are in Alabama, with the other six scattered among several states..

 

 

http://www.zillow.com/blog/property-taxes-2015-173854/

 

Mortgage Rates Down | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Freddie today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates moving down slightly this week and remaining near their 2015 lows as the spring homebuying season continues.

News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.65 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending April 23, 2015, down from last week when it averaged 3.67 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.33 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 2.92 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.94 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.39 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.84 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.88 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.03 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.44 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.46 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.44 percent.

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following links for theRegional and National Mortgage Rate Details and Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.

Quotes
Attributed to Len Kiefer, deputy chief economist, Freddie Mac.

“Mortgage rates fell slightly to 3.65 percent this week, positive news for potential homebuyers in the market this spring. Purchase applications in 60 of the 100 markets that MiMitracks are up from the same time last year, including 20 markets that are showing double-digit increases. Reinforcing this positive momentum, existing home sales surged 6.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.19 million units in March, the highest annual rate since September 2013. Housing inventory rose 5.3 percent to 2 million homes for sale, but unsold inventory was little changed at a 4.6 month supply.”

Remodelers Remain Confident About Improving Market | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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NAHB’s Remodeling Market Index (RMI) was 57 in the first quarter of 2015, off the historic high point of 60 at the end of 2014, but still above the key break-even point of 50. The RMI and each of its components lies on a scale of 0 to 100, where a number above 50 indicates that more remodelers report the market has improved than report it has gotten worse.

RMI 15Q1 chart

The overall RMI averages ratings of current remodeling conditions with indicators of future activity.  Overall, current market conditions declined two points to 58, although smaller jobs continued to show strength: the maintenance and repair component of the RMI increased four points to 64—an all time high since the inception of the survey in 2001.

The index of future market indicators also declined, from 60 to 55, in the first quarter.  All four of its subcomponents—calls for bids, amount of work committed for the next three months, backlog of jobs and appointments for proposals—declined but remained significantly above 50.

RMI 15Q1 table

The indices above 50 mean that remodelers on balance remain positive about the improving market.  The declines off fourth quarter peaks mean the positive outlook is not quite as widespread as it was at the end of last year.  A shortage of labor in key trades is one factor restraining remodelers’ optimism.  Another may be the harsh weather that struck many parts of the country during the first quarter of 2015, although this would have necessitated repairs and tended to have a positive effect on the RMI’s maintenance and repair component.

 

read more…

 

http://eyeonhousing.org/2015/04/rmi-edges-down-but-remodelers-remain-confident-about-improving-market/