The Real Estate Market is 32% of the Way Back to Normal Levels

There's a lot of information out there regarding the real estate situation in America, as people try to figure out what their next step is. There's mixed messages at times regarding the recovery, some are saying we're doing better with more home sales and higher sales prices, while others are not quite so convinced. The local Jacksonville moving specialists found out that Trulia states that the market is 32% of the way back to normal. This data seems to be better than June 2011 when the market was said to be only about 22% on its way back. What Trulia means by on its way back to normal it means to pre-bubble levels, before the housing bubble burst. The All My Sons of Jacksonville learned Trulia took a close look at housing construction, existing home sales and the delinquency or foreclosure rate. In June of 2012, housing construction was up by 24%, making it 28% of the way back to normal. Existing home sales dropped during these past few months, and were at 49% of pre-bubble levels in May and 35% of pre-bubble levels. Delinquent mortgages and foreclosures increased in June to 11.23% from 11.08% in May, placing the rate at 34% of the way back to normal levels. The last time Trulia measured the overall real estate market in April, it was at 37% of the way back to pre-bubble levels compared to todays 32%.


What's your real estate reality? Are you buying? Selling? Moving? Call the Jacksonville movers for professional residential moving services. The All My Sons of Jacksonville movers are backed by four generations of reliable movers and are part of All My Sons Moving and Storage.

Short Sale on the Rise This Summer

Experts are saying there will be an uptick in the number of short sales for distressed properties throughout the next few months. The short sales market is expected to hit an all-time peak this year, because bankers are realizing short sales are better than foreclosures. The local Jacksonville moving specialists remind you that a short sale is underwater homeowners selling their houses despite owing more on the mortgage than the property is worth. Many banks are now choosing to forgive the remaining debt on the mortgage, which in the past was still owed to bank/lender/. The local Jacksonville moving specialists learned the Obama administration is really supporting this idea of short selling properties and has put in place a few programs to help make the transition. For example, in the past, a loan amount forgiven used to count as taxable income, but these days it's no longer the case. Due to new reports regarding the first quarter of 2012, the number of short sales increased 25% and was at the highest level in three years.


Are you going through a short sale yourself? Will you have to move to a new home? Consider the local Jacksonville moving specialists for an affordable moving quote and reliable movers. The All My Sons of Jacksonville are part of a huge network of professional movers with countless moving offices across the U.S. The Jacksonville movers deal with everything from commercial moves to long-distance moves as well as auto moves.

Less Home Sales in June

According to the National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index, the number of contracts signed to buy existing homes decreased in the month of June. Some say that's due to the smaller inventory of homes on the market, making it difficult for potential buyers to find what they're looking for. The local Jacksonville movers learned that there 1.4% less homes for sale in June compared to the previous month. However, the good news is that that number was up 9.5% compared to last year during the same time. Buyers are definitely interested to own, however less home listings, mean fewer contract signed. The inventory of houses on the market has been steadily declining, which is even more significant in the lower-priced homes learned the All My Sons of Jacksonville. Especially when it comes to first-time buyers and investors. Sales of new homes also declined in June, by 8.4%. The local Jacksonville moving specialists learned that a low inventory of homes is not the only thing that's affecting home sales. Even with historically-low mortgage rates, many potential buyers can't qualify for the mortgages because of credit.


Are you in the market for an existing home? Are you moving into a new residential area in and around Jacksonville, FL? If so, call the All My Sons of Jacksonville for professional moving services along with an affordable moving quote. You can expect excellent customer service, expert moving know-how and a stress-free moving day.

Jacksonville Movers Present Most Expensive Buildings

Sure real estate is not exactly at its prime, but land is still being bought and buildings are going up. Real estate is expensive in downtown Seoul Korea where construction on the Yongsan Landmark Tower started last year. The building, the local Jacksonville movers, is expected to cost a record-braking $3.43 million. The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas also joins this list of expensive buildings, costing a whopping $950 million to build. The Bank of China in Central Hong Kong cost $1 billion to put up, Shanghai World Financial Center cost $1.2 billion and the Yankee Stadium in New York City cost $1.5 billion. Dubai, the local Jacksonville movers learned, has some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Its Palm Island is widely popular with major commercial and residential infrastructures, not to mention leisure and entertainment centers. Dubai's Burj Khalifa building cost $1.5 billion to complete.


Are you moving into an expensive building? Do you need professional movers to help you with every detail of your residential move? Call the local Jacksonville moving specialists for a hassle-free moving day!

Painting 101

Need to revamp certain rooms around the house, but don't want to spend too much money? The local Jacksonville movers say painting can solve the problem. It's easy enough that you can do it yourself and don't have to hire anyone. Plus, color can really change the mood of each room. First you have to make sure you have a smooth surface. So make sure you remove all the light fixtures, doorknobs, art, photos and even light switch that are in the way. You'll want to repair any hole that's in the wall before you start, so use spackle or sand them smooth. If there's old paint peeling, that should also be sanded off. The All My Sons of Jacksonville suggest you clean the walls before you apply new paint. Grab a bucket and a sponge and wash down the surfaces. A cleaner wall will make the paint adhere better resulting in a long-lasting finish so don't overlook that step. Then, use painter's tape to mask around the doors, windows, trims and others areas you don't want to paint over.

Figure out what type of paint you'd like to use. Latex paint is better than oil-based paint for indoor projects. The local Jacksonville moving specialists remind you to choose quality paint brushes so that you don't lose any bristles while your painting and avoid fibers from sticking to your wall. the only thing that should stick is the paint. Being strategic is always a good idea, paint cut-in areas first because you'll have to apply yourself more. These areas include baseboards, corners around doors or windows, then attack the large wall surfaces by using even strokes. The All My Sons of Jacksonville suggest you apply the same pressure, keeping the roller in one direction.


Happy painting!

Foreclosures Increase Again

According to foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac, the number of U.S. homes entering the foreclosure process for the first time increased for the second consecutive month (in June) this year. The local Jacksonville moving specialists learned that California had a big hike in foreclosure starts, increasing 18% versus last year in June. This rise in foreclosure is happening as the banks are recovering from the robo-signing incidents and after they've reached $25 billion settlement. So now, all of the backlogged unpaid mortgages are floating to the surface. Lenders initiated foreclosure on 12% of the loans behind payment in June, which the All My Sons of Jacksonville moving team learned was the highest number since the first 6 months of 2009. Most likely, these people that are getting foreclosed on haven't been making their monthly payments for about a year and are just now starting the process. So this kind of new inventory doesn't really represent new homeowners in distress. The spike in foreclosures might mean more short sales are also underway as well.


The local Jacksonville movers learned that in the second quarter took about 378 days for a home to complete the foreclosure process, where the bank took over the property. Short sales took about 319 days to sell. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, there are 3 million U.S. homes behind their mortgages and an additional 629,000 homes were on banks' books but not sold yet. The local Jacksonville movers learned that that's a 15-month supply at current pace of sales. 13 million home loans are underwater which means they're also at a risk of going through the foreclosure process.

Cities Grow Faster Than Suburbs

The local Jacksonville movers learned that for the first time since the 1920s, cities in America are growing faster than their surrounding suburbs. According to new reports by the U.S. Census Bureau and analyzed by the Brookings Institution, urban areas grew faster than suburbs in 27 of the 51 largest U.S. cities between 2010 and 2011. This is a big change since the 20s where more and more people were buying cars. The cities that are showing the most growth include New Orleans, Atlanta, Denver, Charlotte, New York, Philadelphia, Ohio and Kansas City, MO. The All My Sons of Jacksonville learned that empty nesters and young people are choosing the cities over the suburbs sometimes for economic reasons, such as having to rent versus buying a home. Sometimes, it's more about lifestyle. People want to be next to cultural amenities, cafes and restaurants, even public transportation. Dallas however is one city that has the reverse trend. The suburban lifestyle is outgrowing residential moves to the city. People in Dallas seem to gravitate more towards the community life of the suburbs especially when newlyweds add children to the mix.


What do you think the situation is with Jacksonville, FL? Are the suburbs growing faster or the cities?