The Markets have been CRAZY the last few days...
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
It's HOT!!
Summertime is here and it's HOT!!
People are out in full force looking to buy their next home. Do you have someone that needs to get pre-approved for a home loan? Need it NOW?
Call Jim Barber 502-939-4742 anytime. Pre-approvals in MINUTES!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Mortgage and Real Estate Video News
Fed Hints at Further Stimulus
Weighing in on what the Fed plans to do to boost the economy and fiscal stability, with Jon Hilsenrath, The Wall Street Journal chief economics correspondent.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Fathers Day Idea
via jim-barber.net
Looking for something different to do for your father? Check out this manly treat!!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
FLAG DAY 2011 – Jim Barber
via jim-barber.net
FLAG DAY 2011
The Origin of the Flag
Today, scholars still debate who sewed the first American flag. Many legends surround its first creation or birth. One legend that comes down from 1776 says that George Washington commissioned seamstress Betsy Ross of Philadelphia to sew a flag that would represent the new nation. Ross knew Washington and sewed many flags.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed a resolution calling for a national banner.
“Resolved, that the Flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation,” they wrote.
The flag’s 13 red and white stripes represent the 13 original colonies. Each star in the blue field represents each of the 50 states in the Union.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
2011 Home Expo
via jim-barber.net
The 2011 Home Expo runs from June 4th – 12th. The hours are as follows Monday – Friday 5:00pm – 9:00pm Saturday from 10am – 9pm and Sunday 1:00pm – 6:00pm. Entry is $8.00 at the gate and includes 2011 Home Expo Program. Please note, ticket sales will stop approximately 1 hour before the Expo closes.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Home Builders Association of Southern Indiana (HBASI) office at (812)280-1600.
Or visit: http://2011homeexpo.com
Map Link: http://goo.gl/maps/JPO7
Friday, June 3, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
FRC Blog » Families Hurting in Current Housing Market
Families Hurting in Current Housing Market
by Chris Gacek
May 31, 2011The housing market continue to sink according to economic data released today. As the New York Times article by David Streitfeld put it:
Housing prices fell in March to their lowest point since the downturn began, erasing the last little bit of recovery from the depths plumbed two years ago, according to data released Tuesday.
The Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index for 20 large cities fell 0.8 percent from February, the eighth drop in a row. Prices are now down 33.1 percent from the July 2006 peak.
“Home prices continue on their downward spiral with no relief in sight,” said David M. Blitzer, chairman of the S.& P. index committee.
The continuing slide in prices has created enough economic agony that fundamental home ownership patters may be changing. In 2004, the “homeownership rate” (share of occupied homes in the U.S. that are owner-occupied) peaked at 69.2%, the rate now stands at 66.4% in the first quarter of 2011. Apparently, that is an extremely rapid retrenchment given the illiquid and long-term nature of the housing market. Streifeld observes that this is an ownership rate that has fallen back to the level of 1998 – with some experts believing that a decline to 1980s or earlier levels may be possible. Housing prices have now fallen to mid-2002 levels.
Many families are upside-down on their mortgages, and that fact prevents geographical mobility as homeowners cannot leave an area for better paying positions elsewhere. With large college loans outstanding and collapsing housing prices, it is not surprising that families in such circumstances are under tremendous economic pressure. It is hard to imagine that this will not have a great impact on the 2012 election in addition to the traditional economic variables like the unemployment rate.
Family Research Council is a 501c(3) non-profit organization. If this post has been helpful to you, please consider a gift to help us continue to advance Faith, Family, and Freedom.
via frcblog.com
http://www.frcblog.com/ Thursday, May 26, 2011
Fixed Mortgage Rates Fall to 2011 Lows!!
Fixed Mortgage Rates Fall to 2011 Lows; 30-year loan fell to 4.60 percent
NEW YORK (AP) — Fixed mortgage rates hit the lowest point of the year for the third straight week.
Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate on the 30-year loan fell to 4.60 percent from 4.61 percent. That’s the lowest point since mid-December. The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage, a popular refinance option, slipped to 3.78 percent from 3.80 percent. That marked the lowest level since late November.
Rates have fallen for six weeks in a row. They tend to track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which crept lower this week on worries over Europe’s ongoing debt crisis.
While low mortgage rates make purchasing a home more attractive, sales are still slumping. Sales of new homes rose in April from the previous month, but are down almost a quarter from last year, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. And the number of people buying previously occupied homes is well below what economists consider healthy, despite an uptick in activity in April.
Read More from Yahoo Finance
Real estate affordability sets record!!!
Real estate affordability sets record in Q1
74.6% of homes affordable to median-income households
By Inman News, Wednesday, May 25, 2011.Flickr image courtesy of Hammer51012.
Housing affordability hit a new record high in the first quarter, surpassing the previous high set in fourth-quarter 2010, according to an index released by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo today.
The Housing Opportunity Index found that 74.6 percent of new and existing homes sold in the first quarter were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,400. That's up from 73.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010, and it's the highest level recorded in the more than 20 years the index has been measured.
"With interest rates remaining at historically low levels, today's report indicates that homeownership is within reach of more households than it has been for more than two decades," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the NAHB, in a statement.
"While this is good news for consumers, homebuyers and builders continue to confront extremely tight credit conditions, and this remains a significant obstacle to many potential home sales."
more...
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via inman.com
Thanks to Schuler Bauer Real Estate Services for sharing this great information!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Realtors Request Looser Credit Regs as Home Sales Decline
BY ADAM QUINONES
The National Association of Realtors today released Existing Home Sales data for April 2011
Existing Home Sales report on the number of completed real estate sales transactions on single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops. The methodology in calculating existing-home sales statistics is really quite simple. Each month the National Association of Realtor® receives data on existing-home sales from local associations/boards and multiple listing services (MLS) nationwide. The monthly EHS economic indicator is based on a representative sample of 160 Boards/MLSs. NAR captures 30-40% of all existing-home sale transactions with its monthly survey.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Realtor Humor
Every once in a while I get funny emails... this one is from a Realtor friend of mine that I just had to share. Thanks Dave Raymond for sharing this with me!!
Your House As Seen By: Yourself...
Your Buyer...
Your Lender...
Your Appraiser..
And.... Your County Tax Assessor...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Mortgage Rates: Early Signs of Significant Shift – Jim Barber
Mortgage Rates: Early Signs of Significant Shift.
After spending the first four months of 2011 in a tight range, we may be witnessing the early stages of a significant shift lower in home loan borrowing costs. But these signs are only the beginning of what might evolve into a sustained rally in the bond market. Nothing has been confirmed. Preliminary signs are encouraging, but could very well be a “false start”.
via jim-barber.net
Very interesting!!
Thanks ADAM QUINONES!!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Home Remodeling a Forward Indicator of Housing Bottom?
Home Remodeling a Forward Indicator of Housing Bottom?
Builders who specialize in home remodeling are seeing a better market than they have in years according to the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) released on Friday. The index rose to 46.5 in the first quarter of the year from 41.5 in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The current RMI is the highest the index has been since the fourth quarter of 2006.
The RMI is based on builders' perceptions of current remodeling activity and on indicators of future activity such as calls for bids. In addition to the RMI there is an index reflecting each of its two components. Any score of less than 50 indicates more respondents view the market activity as lower (compared to the prior quarter) than report that it is higher.
Current market conditions increased from 43.3 in the fourth quarter to 46.1 while future market indicators jumped to 46.8 from 39.7.
"Remodelers report a jump in activity so far this year and have been receiving more calls for work and appointments," said NAHB Remodelers Chairman Bob Peterson. "However, many home owners are still slow to commit to remodeling due to feeling uncertain about the economic recovery and difficulty obtaining loans."
There were indications of market growth in three of the four regions. The RMI rose from 38.8 to 46.1 in the Northeast and from 39.7 to 46.1 in the West. The South had a marginal rise from 45.8 to 46.1 and the Midwest, while still scoring higher than the other regions dropped substantially from 54.3 in Q4 to 47.1.
All current indicators of types of remodeling increased: major additions to 50.3 from 48.6, minor additions to 48.0 from 43.9, and maintenance and repair to 39.5 from 37.0. Future market indicators also improved across the board: calls for bids rose to from 47.2 to 53.1, appointments for proposals to 52.4 from 43.1, backlog of remodeling jobs to 49.7 from 42.6, and amount of work committed for the next three months to 32.1 from 25.9.
NAHB asked an additional special question of remodelers in this survey cycle: why did they think prospective customers are holding back from remodeling their homes? Ninety-percent of the builders cited the difficulty of obtaining financing while 81 percent noted that customers had lost equity in their homes and 74 percent mentioned economic uncertainty. Other reasons given by builders include their reluctance to invest in a home that might not hold its value (67 percent), negative information from the media (62 percent) and inaccurate appraisals which leading to difficulty in getting financing (54 percent.)
"Home remodeling continues to slowly increase and continued growth through the year is expected." said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. "The fact that some indicators are breaking 50 means remodelers are seeing improving activity in their markets. While credit scarcity and economic uncertainty continue to weigh down remodeling, signs of increasing consumer interest are promising."
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LinkFinally ... some Good News!!
Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
http://www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742
Fax 812-248-0364
"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23
===========================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : May 2, 2011
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : May 2, 2011
Mortgage markets improved last week overall. Bigger concerns for Eurozone debt combined with lesser concerns for domestic inflation to push U.S. mortgage rates lower.
Last week marked the 3rd consecutive week through which conforming mortgage rates dropped, the longest such streak since February.
Mortgage rates are now scraping their lowest levels of the year.
A few interesting stories developed last week.
First, the Federal Open Market Committee met and voted to hold the Fed Funds Rate within its target range of 0.000-0.250. In its post-meeting press release, the FOMC said that inflation has been “pushed up” in recent months, but that believes, long-term, that inflation will moderate.
This message pleased the inflation-sensitive bond markets, the place where mortgage rates are made. Bond prices rose in response, and mortgage rates fell.
Then, because markets believe Greece can’t meet its current debt obligations without restructure, a bout of safe haven buying began, benefiting domestic mortgage-backed bonds and, therefore, mortgage rates.
It’s a terrific example of how world events can change mortgage rates for buyers and would-be refinancing households.
This week, mortgage rates will take their cues from the Greece story as it continues to develop, and from Friday’s Non-Farm Payrolls report. The jobs report is always a potential market-mover.
Economists expect to see 196,000 jobs added in the economy for April. If the actual number is larger-than-expected, look for mortgage rates to rise on better prospects for the U.S. economy. If the number falls short, look for rates to drop.
With last month’s mortgage rate rally, this week marks a good time to lock a rate. Based on current market fundamentals, it appears that there’s much more room for rates to rise than to fall. This may be as low as rates get all year.
Good Information, Thanks Dan!
Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
http://www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742
Fax 812-248-0364
"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23
===========================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Is It Time?? Look and YOU Decide!
How in this economy can you same THOUSANDS!! Could it be time to look at Real Estate as an investment again?
Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
http://www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742
Fax 812-248-0364
"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23
===========================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Get Skype and call me for free.
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Thursday, April 28, 2011
Online Property Marketing
This is the flip book presentation of how our marketing system can help your listings get in front of as many potential buyers as possible.
A few of the many features are:
* A complete professional property website
* “Texting for” property info with call capture
* Mobile phone website QMLS.mobi included
* Complete HD dynamic FREE virtual tour created
* Unlimited HD pictures and HD Panoramic pics
* Quick and fast online printing of flyers
* One-Click classified postings to Craig’s List
* Feeds to popular classified real estate sites
*** Sell more, List more, Earn more!
Call me anytime so we may discuss just how this system can help you sell more AND list more...
Jim Barber - 502-939-4742
Online Property Marketing
This is the flip book presentation of how our marketing system can help your listings get in front of as many potential buyers as possible.
A few of the many features are:
* A complete professional property website
* “Texting for” property info with call capture
* Mobile phone website QMLS.mobi included
* Complete HD dynamic FREE virtual tour created
* Unlimited HD pictures and HD Panoramic pics
* Quick and fast online printing of flyers
* One-Click classified postings to Craig’s List
* Feeds to popular classified real estate sites
*** Sell more, List more, Earn more!
Call me anytime so we may discuss just how this system can help you sell more AND list more...
Jim Barber 502-939-4742
Marketing Your Property Online
This flip show will show you how our marketing system can help your property sell by getting it in front of as many buyers as possible!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Home Prices Down Seven Months in a Row: Case-Shiller
BY ADAM QUINONES
Standard and Poor's has released February Case-Shiller Home Price data...
S&P/Case-Shiller provides two monthly indices which track the price path of single family homes in a 10-City and a 20-City data base. Each index combines matched price pairs from sales of individual homes. All indices are based on a value of 100 which represents home prices in January 2000. A current index value of 150 percent would translate to a 50 percent appreciation in price since that date.
Monday, April 25, 2011
New Home Sales Follow Building Permits Higher in March
The Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development have released New Residential Sales data for March 2011. New Residential Sales data provides statistics on the sales of new privately-owned single-family residential structures in the United States. Data included in the press release are (1) the number of new single-family houses sold; (2) the number of new single-family houses for sale; and (3) the median and average sales prices of new homes sold. A house is considered sold when...
Posting to Craig's List UPDATE!
This post is to explain how the craigslist poster has changed for E properties. By watching this video you'll see how easy it is to post your listings to craigslist! Call me anytime with questions I'm always available.
Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23
================================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Purchase Apps Climb as Borrowers Rush to Beat FHA Fee Hike
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released itsWeekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 15, 2011. The MBA's loan application survey covers over 50% of all U.S. residential mortgage loan applications taken by mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and thrifts. The data gives economists a snapshot view of consumer demand for mortgage loans. In a falling mortgage rate environment, a trend of increasing refinance applications implies consumers are seeking out lower monthly payments. If consumers are able to reduce their monthly mortgage payment and increase disposable income through refinancing, it can be a positive for the economy as a whole (may boost consumer spending. Also allows debtors to pay down personal liabilities faster). A trend of declining purchase applications implies home buyer demand is shrinking. Excerpts from the Release... The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 5.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 5.9 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 2.7 percent from the previous week. The four week moving average is down 5.7 percent. The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 58.5 percent of total applications from 60.3 percent the previous week. This is the lowest refinance share since May 7, 2010. 
The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 10.0 percent to its highest level since December 3, 2010,driven largely by a 17.6 percent increase in Government purchase applications. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 10.9 percent compared with the previous week and was 11.4 percent lower than the same week one year ago. The four week moving average is up 2.5 percent.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sharing and Syncing Files - FREE and EASY!!
Check out this video on how you can freely share files and folders between different computers over the Internet a safe and secure way to be able to stay synced up with your files no matter what computer you happen to be on and also to be able to share your pictures and files with friends and family, check it out.
Hope you have a great day.
Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23
================================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Untitled
Check out this video on how you can freely share files and folders between different computers over the Internet a safe and secure way to be able to stay synced up with your files no matter what computer you happen to be on and also to be able to share your pictures and files with friends and family, check it out.
Hope you have a great day.
Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23
================================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
STOP companies from pulling your credit and HURTING your Credit Scores!
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Did you know that each time you get a "pre-approved" or "pre-qualified" credit letter that the credit report has been pulled and because of that pull the credit scores have gone down?
This video details how you can STOP companies from pulling your credit and HURTING your Credit Scores!
Link to Opt out: http://goo.gl/yeqKz
[[posterous-content:fEwGECfDvirakxGyozdc]]Scan the QR Code above using your smart phone.
[[posterous-content:qwABvqJjsJHbiAitFuHb]]
Friday, March 4, 2011
How to record anything on your screen for FREE!!
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In this post I will show you how to record anything that is on your computer screen for FREE!
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Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
http://www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742
Fax 812-248-0364
as though you were working for the Lord
rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23
===========================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Friday, February 25, 2011
QR Codes...
What are QR codes? How do they Work? What can they do? Jim answers these questions in this video.
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Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
http://www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742
Fax 812-248-0364
===========================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Thursday, February 24, 2011
What is a QR code and why should you care?
Well a QR code is a very interesting piece of new technology. I'm going to be coming out with a video telling a lot about QR codes and how they can be used to help your business. Check out this video for more info!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Sell Your House / Listing Fast with this New Technology
Whether you have your own home for sale by owner or are a Real Estate Agent that has listings that they need to move quickly. Let me help you get in front of as many potential buyers as possible.
Give me a call that way I can show you this new technology that will help both the for sale by owner and the Real Estate Agent get their properties in front of a ton of potential buyers!
Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742
"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23 ===================================
Check out my Facebook page: http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Sell Your House / Listing Fast with this New Technology
Whether you have your own home for sale by owner or are a Real Estate Agent that has listings that they need to move quickly. Let me help you get in front of as many potential buyers as possible.
Give me a call that way I can show you this new technology that will help both the for sale by owner and the Real Estate Agent get their properties in front of a ton of potential buyers!
Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742
"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23 ===================================
Check out my Facebook page: http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Monday, January 31, 2011
Facebook Fan Pages WORK!!!
Facebook Fan Pages work for getting your product or service in front of THOUSANDS!!! Thank You www.CabinsForYou.Com !
Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
http://www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742
Fax 812-248-0364
Colossians 3:23
===========================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Friday, January 28, 2011
Untitled
Here is that NEW Marketing tip that I promised!
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Have a Blessed Day!
Jim Barber
http://www.JimBarber.info
Direct 502-939-4742
Fax 812-248-0364 "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do,
as though you were working for the Lord
rather than for people."
Colossians 3:23
===========================================
Check out my Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/jim.barber.lo
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Free Phone Tool!!
This is a great FREE tool. It's one that I use on a regular basis and have fallen in love with!
This new tool will allow your phone to ring in a number different places all at once. Imagine that you have a very important phone call but you're not sure exactly where you're going to be, you can have your phone ring simultaneously at your home at your office and on your cell phone all for FREE.
You can also create individual greetings for each one of your callers, friend, family, work! Again this is a great free tool and I love it it's call Google Voice!
Check out the video to find out more!
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