Green Real Estate Appraiser

Is your Home the Right Size for You?

Posted on March 22, 2014 | Leave a comment

Can you picture living in a home with just one bath, and at 1,000 square feet, less than half the size of the one you’re probably in now? It wouldn’t be a big deal if you were home shopping in the 1950s, or, if you’re now in your 50s looking to downsize.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 1973, average new single-family home sizes in the U.S. had grown to 1,660 square feet, but 40 percent still had only 1.5 baths or fewer. In 2011, average home sizes had ballooned to 2,480 square feet, and 20 percent now have three or more bathrooms.

Are you feeling outnumbered by toilets in your home? The average number of people living in each home is 2.5 today, while in the 1950s it was 3.5. And that’s not including pets.

Average home sizes aside, there is more to choosing a house than the pure square footage and number of bedrooms or baths. For many people, a small home suits them perfectly. Others need a larger home. Still others have a home that is the right size, more or less, but the configuration simply doesn’t suit their needs.

What’s missing in your home?

If money was no object, what would you do to change your home to make it work better for you? If money is an issue, can you be creative about how you use the space you have?

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Home Equity Rebound

Posted on March 20, 2014 | Leave a comment

Two statistical studies released last week offered a glimpse of where the country is in terms of homeowner equity, seven years after real estate began to tumble and crash. The first was the Federal Reserve’s quarterly “flow of funds” report. Among many other segments of the economy it toted up, the Fed found that homeowner equity has rebounded to its highest level in eight years — though it’s still not quite back to the $12 trillion it was during the hyperinflationary high point of the housing boom in 2005.

Has the value of your home increased or need a real estate appraisal? Thinking of a home equity loan to purchase a new car, pay for college, or pay off credit cards; contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your home value questions.

The second study, from real estate analytics firm CoreLogic, focused on the flip side — the impressive shrinkage of negative equity. According to researchers, nearly 43 million owners with mortgage debt have positive equity. Roughly 6.5 million owners are still in negative equity positions, however, down from more than 10 million a year ago and 12 million in 2009.

Who are they and where are they? Not surprisingly, they are heavily concentrated in areas that saw the wildest price run-ups, the heaviest use of toxic loan products and the steepest plunges during the crash. In Nevada, 30.4 percent of all owners with mortgages are underwater. In Florida, it’s 28.1 percent. Arizona, 21.5 percent. Still, all three areas have improved sharply over the past two years.

Read entire article: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/03/15/3995012/big-rebound-in-home-equity.html#storylink=cpy

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

CA Solar Jobs Forecast

Posted on March 14, 2014 | Leave a comment

Employment in California’s solar-energy sector grew by 8 percent in 2013 under robust regulatory and tax incentives, with even more aggressive hiring forecast this year, according to survey results published Tuesday by The Solar Foundation.

The nonprofit research and education group identified roughly 3,500 additional solar positions in the state during the 12 months ending in November 2013.

Relative to its population of 38 million, California’s solar employment grew more slowly than the U.S. as a whole, which was up by 20 percent to nearly 143,000 jobs.

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Is your Home the Right Size for You?

What’s missing in your home?

Home Equity Rebound

CA Solar Jobs Forecast

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