The Bureau of Labor and Statistics October report shows that 2 million people quit their jobs which is up from 1.7 million from October 2009. The last time there was a spike like this was at the end of the "jobless economic recovery" in 2003.
This report suggests that the economy is improving because people wouldn't quit their job if they didn't think they could get a new one. I agree with this report and what it suggests but I also think there's more to it than that.
This week Yahoo Finance released an article that suggested more and more out of work young professionals and new college graduates are goin' Entrepreneur! Why not?!
With little at risk financially, no family of their own, and more government money and tax breaks available to start up a business then there has been in a generation (see www.sba.gov ),now is a perfect time to own your own business. Because with ownership comes freedom.
Today's housing market mirrors the jobs market in that they are both on the upswing and all major indicators suggest that.
If you're fortunate enough to have a consistent income and your credit score is above 580 then you can take your pick in this housing market. It's like walking into a dollar store with 100 bucks in your pocket because it's a buyers market right now. You can get a 30 year mortgage at under 5% and buy a home tens of thousands of dollars less than what it would have sold for in 2003. It's a win win and with ownership comes freedom.
I think we will see a huge number of start up businesses in the next 3-5yrs and I also see the trend on home ownership continuing to grow amongst young people. People don't want to lives the same lives that there parents did and why should they? The days of working a job for 40 yrs and collecting a pension and a gold watch and riding off into the sunset are OVER. But this principle has stood the test of time; With Ownership comes Freedom
Christopher Jordan Edwards
Direct: 484-319-0223
FB: http://www.facebook.com/Keepitrealestate
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Keepitrilestate
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/KeepItRealEstate1
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
It's a New World of Real Estate
Our society is changing and so is the way that we live our lives and the way that we do business.
We're progressing through the worst economic downfall since the 30's and it's left many of us out of a job or a home. Some of us haven't experienced that level of disaster over the last fews years but ALL of us have been forced to look in the mirror in one way or another.
The fact of the matter is that we ARE revcovering and whether or not you agree with the policies is beside that point. Our society, culture and the face of America is changing as well and there's no stopping it.
The question is, are we accepting the change or are we resisting it. Some things will never be the same, but that isn't neccessarily a bad thing. The way that we've done business before in that past may not bring us the same results that we need today and in the future. This is clearly the case for the Real Estate business.
But with an open mind and proper guidance we can take advantage of this unique period of time and experience success and a quality of life that we may not have known possible.
Claim what's Yours
Chris Edwards
Realtor
484-319-0223
We're progressing through the worst economic downfall since the 30's and it's left many of us out of a job or a home. Some of us haven't experienced that level of disaster over the last fews years but ALL of us have been forced to look in the mirror in one way or another.
The fact of the matter is that we ARE revcovering and whether or not you agree with the policies is beside that point. Our society, culture and the face of America is changing as well and there's no stopping it.
The question is, are we accepting the change or are we resisting it. Some things will never be the same, but that isn't neccessarily a bad thing. The way that we've done business before in that past may not bring us the same results that we need today and in the future. This is clearly the case for the Real Estate business.
But with an open mind and proper guidance we can take advantage of this unique period of time and experience success and a quality of life that we may not have known possible.
Claim what's Yours
Chris Edwards
Realtor
484-319-0223
Friday, September 3, 2010
WELCOME!!
Thanks for following my blog!
I aim to provide valid and usable information about Real Estate and not a bunch of useless nonscence that you can find on any random webiste.
There are a TON of Real Estate info sites but many of them leave you with more questions than answers. Here I try to get right to the point and provide you with information and instruction that you can apply to your life or business TODAY!
Take a look at some of my previous posts and look out for new posts on a monthly basis.
If you ever have any questions on anything related to Real Estate please call
call me. Social Media is great but personal contact is always better!
Chris
Direct: 484-319-0223
Email: chris.edwards@century21.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Keepitrealestate
I aim to provide valid and usable information about Real Estate and not a bunch of useless nonscence that you can find on any random webiste.
There are a TON of Real Estate info sites but many of them leave you with more questions than answers. Here I try to get right to the point and provide you with information and instruction that you can apply to your life or business TODAY!
Take a look at some of my previous posts and look out for new posts on a monthly basis.
If you ever have any questions on anything related to Real Estate please call
call me. Social Media is great but personal contact is always better!
Chris
Direct: 484-319-0223
Email: chris.edwards@century21.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Keepitrealestate
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
"What's the Market Doing?"
I hear this question on a daily basis and the most honest answer is.. it depends on whether your buying, selling, investing or renting. It also depends on WHERE you're doing any of these things.
To those of you on my mailing list I'm going to send out quarterly market reports on your area. In the meantime, I thought I'd give a statistical answer to the question. These figures are coming from TREND MLS and compare specific counties ( Berks, Bucks, Burlington, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Gloucester, Kent, Mercer, Montgomery, New Castle, Phila, Salem )
Despite the increased sales, average prices remained the same when comparing numbers from May 2010 to May 2009. Overall, prices increased in only four counties. Bucks County, PA had the highest increase at 5.6 percent, while Salem County had the largest decrease at 13.9 percent.
Six counties saw higher median prices. Bucks County led the way at 5.2 percent, while Delaware County, PA had the largest decrease at 10.2 percent.
Email me if you would like regular updates on your area!
Chris Edwards
Realtor
Cell: 484-319-0223
Email: chris.edwards@century21.com
To those of you on my mailing list I'm going to send out quarterly market reports on your area. In the meantime, I thought I'd give a statistical answer to the question. These figures are coming from TREND MLS and compare specific counties ( Berks, Bucks, Burlington, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Gloucester, Kent, Mercer, Montgomery, New Castle, Phila, Salem )
Despite the increased sales, average prices remained the same when comparing numbers from May 2010 to May 2009. Overall, prices increased in only four counties. Bucks County, PA had the highest increase at 5.6 percent, while Salem County had the largest decrease at 13.9 percent.
Six counties saw higher median prices. Bucks County led the way at 5.2 percent, while Delaware County, PA had the largest decrease at 10.2 percent.
Email me if you would like regular updates on your area!
Chris Edwards
Realtor
Cell: 484-319-0223
Email: chris.edwards@century21.com
Monday, May 3, 2010
Facing Foreclosure
When people go to the settlement table, they don't ever think that they're going to lose the home that they just purchased. It takes most people years to put themselves in a position to buy a home and the road is an emotional one.
In the beginning, many start by setting a budget; Cutting back on nights out, shutting off the cable, shopping at discount stores, picking up a second job, getting help from relatives and the list goes on and on. Adjusting to that lifestyle can be a struggle initially, but if the desire to reach the goal is strong enough than to many, it's worth the sacrifice. In the end what keeps many people going? Hope.
So the years of saving go by and they're finally ready. They find a lender and get a pre-approval and they start looking at houses. All the while telling they're friends and family about it, they're excited and they can really see themselves in a house! Maybe even with a family, or maybe with a solid investment for their financial future. The hopes and possibilities are limitless.
Settlement day comes and goes and they're handed the keys. A surreal experience. Looking back it may have been a long road with some struggle, but they did it and the satisfaction they feel in unparalleled to anything they've ever experienced. A dream come true, a mere hope turned into a reality.
Life throws everyone curve balls and many of those curve balls we're simply not ready for. Some of the top reasons that people go begin to miss mortgage payments are, death of a primary owner, loss of job, bankruptcy, and long term illness causing high medical costs. When people are hit with a death in the family, or they lose a job or someone gets sick he shock wave of that incident alone can cause chaos in a home. But when the late notices start coming from the mortgage company, many people push them to the side hoping that things will turn around and they'll be able to get caught up. Time goes by and the notice increase and chances of recovery get smaller.
Turn back the clock to the time when they were pinching pennies
and spending Friday nights at home. Working 12 hour days with 2
jobs and begging family members for some additional down money.
On top of that, maybe they've started that family they dreamed of
and there are children involved. Or maybe they've built a business
around the cash flow that this property brings. It a VERY emotional
situation. .
People work so hard for so long to buy and maintain a home that they can be completely unwilling to accept the facts of the matter. It's completely understandable and a natural thought process to fight for and preserve their home. But the foreclosure process is a beast and is completely unemotional. The only thing the bank wants is it's money and your unwilling or unable to pay then the house WILL be sold at a Sheriff's Sale. That's the reality.
When I sit down with a family that's facing a foreclosure the first question I ask them is " what is your plan A and what is your plan B? " Most people that I have dealt with don't have either so I explain to them exactly what all of their options are given their specific situation. It is absolutely crucial that a family facing foreclosure be willing to accept the situation that they're in, no matter how difficult it is. Once they're accepted the problem then they can start taking action toward the solution.
After all of the options have been laid out and a family has made a decision on what's best for them, they must take rigorousaction to avoid foreclosure.
Selling a house that's facing foreclosure is a very specific matter. The house will not be marketed like a "normal" listing primarily because there are time constraints and the house may even be worth less than what is owed.
When a family has opted to sell the house, it's crucial that they be willing to do whatever it takes within their ability to get the home sold. The task at hand is to utilize every recourse available to market and promote the home and get a written offer to purchase prior to the sheriff sale date.
This may seem like the best case in a worst case scenario and in many ways it is. The alternative for many families that don't take action is to literally get thrown out by the local sheriff. It happens everyday. However, it doesn't have to end up like that if a family is accepting of their situation and informed of their options and take immediate action as soon as the first notice comes in the mail.
Chris Edwards
Realtor
610-692-6600 x 319
chris.edwards@century21.com
http://www.facebook.com/Keepitrealestate
In the beginning, many start by setting a budget; Cutting back on nights out, shutting off the cable, shopping at discount stores, picking up a second job, getting help from relatives and the list goes on and on. Adjusting to that lifestyle can be a struggle initially, but if the desire to reach the goal is strong enough than to many, it's worth the sacrifice. In the end what keeps many people going? Hope.
So the years of saving go by and they're finally ready. They find a lender and get a pre-approval and they start looking at houses. All the while telling they're friends and family about it, they're excited and they can really see themselves in a house! Maybe even with a family, or maybe with a solid investment for their financial future. The hopes and possibilities are limitless.
Settlement day comes and goes and they're handed the keys. A surreal experience. Looking back it may have been a long road with some struggle, but they did it and the satisfaction they feel in unparalleled to anything they've ever experienced. A dream come true, a mere hope turned into a reality.
Life throws everyone curve balls and many of those curve balls we're simply not ready for. Some of the top reasons that people go begin to miss mortgage payments are, death of a primary owner, loss of job, bankruptcy, and long term illness causing high medical costs. When people are hit with a death in the family, or they lose a job or someone gets sick he shock wave of that incident alone can cause chaos in a home. But when the late notices start coming from the mortgage company, many people push them to the side hoping that things will turn around and they'll be able to get caught up. Time goes by and the notice increase and chances of recovery get smaller.
Turn back the clock to the time when they were pinching pennies
and spending Friday nights at home. Working 12 hour days with 2
jobs and begging family members for some additional down money.
On top of that, maybe they've started that family they dreamed of
and there are children involved. Or maybe they've built a business
around the cash flow that this property brings. It a VERY emotional
situation. .
People work so hard for so long to buy and maintain a home that they can be completely unwilling to accept the facts of the matter. It's completely understandable and a natural thought process to fight for and preserve their home. But the foreclosure process is a beast and is completely unemotional. The only thing the bank wants is it's money and your unwilling or unable to pay then the house WILL be sold at a Sheriff's Sale. That's the reality.
When I sit down with a family that's facing a foreclosure the first question I ask them is " what is your plan A and what is your plan B? " Most people that I have dealt with don't have either so I explain to them exactly what all of their options are given their specific situation. It is absolutely crucial that a family facing foreclosure be willing to accept the situation that they're in, no matter how difficult it is. Once they're accepted the problem then they can start taking action toward the solution.
After all of the options have been laid out and a family has made a decision on what's best for them, they must take rigorousaction to avoid foreclosure.
Selling a house that's facing foreclosure is a very specific matter. The house will not be marketed like a "normal" listing primarily because there are time constraints and the house may even be worth less than what is owed.
When a family has opted to sell the house, it's crucial that they be willing to do whatever it takes within their ability to get the home sold. The task at hand is to utilize every recourse available to market and promote the home and get a written offer to purchase prior to the sheriff sale date.
This may seem like the best case in a worst case scenario and in many ways it is. The alternative for many families that don't take action is to literally get thrown out by the local sheriff. It happens everyday. However, it doesn't have to end up like that if a family is accepting of their situation and informed of their options and take immediate action as soon as the first notice comes in the mail.
Chris Edwards
Realtor
610-692-6600 x 319
chris.edwards@century21.com
http://www.facebook.com/Keepitrealestate
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