Buellton CA real estate listings and homes for sale, home buying, home selling information – Avalar California

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Think all Realtors are the same ?

November 15th, 2007 2:22 PM

Still Do ?

Posted by Remi Fontaine on November 15th, 2007 2:22 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Avalar conference in Las Vegas a huge success

November 28th, 2007 6:06 PM

watch the conference video here

The National Association of Realtors recently hosted it's 100th annual Convention and Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over 30,000 real estate professionals and their guests attended the event. Avalar was Thrilled to be right in the center of the action. Realtors from around the globe learned about Avalar's patented revenue sharing program, online training and cutting edge technology !

Posted by Remi Fontaine on November 28th, 2007 6:06 PMPost a Comment (0)

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A Home of One's Own

November 21st, 2007 12:58 PM

The environment in which consumers have been buying and selling homes has undergone a significant transition over the past two years. After reaching record-setting levels, home sales have fallen and prices have softened in a number of markets. While there were significant gains in homeownership rates during the first half of the decade, recent turbulence in the mortgage and credit markets, along with an increase in foreclosures, have contributed to the current cyclical downturn in the housing market.

So, how do we explain almost five and a half million home sales (seasonally adjusted, annualized) in the third quarter of this year?

Yes, near-term considerations are important, but housing is a long-term investment with both financial and non-financial rewards. The financial gains have been, and will continue to be, an influence on the desirability of owning a home. For those who have owned a home for several years, equity gains have been substantial and have contributed to growing household wealth.

But however significant the financial motivations for homeownership, buyers routinely point to other reasons – such as their desire to own a home or establish a household, and lifestyle considerations such as a growing family or retirement – as driving factors in their home purchase decision. These influences are less tied to financial considerations of homeownership and more tied to the needs and expectations of households confronting each of these events. Home buying has a social benefit as well: most people buy homes in order to be a homeowner, to live in those homes, and to be part of the communities in which those homes are located.

The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® recently released its 2007 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. The Profile reports on results from a survey of consumers who recently purchased or sold a home (or both) that was conducted by NAR Research. Analysis of the results validate what many real estate professionals already know: people don’t just buy a house or a condo – they purchase a home.

Reasons for Purchasing a Home
People buy homes for various reasons: to be closer to schools or jobs, because of change in employment or family situation, or for retirement. As the housing market cooled in 2006 and prices dropped, in some markets precipitously, the "attraction" of buying multiple properties to flip lost its luster.

In spite of the slowdown in the housing market, people are still buying homes. Why? Because they want to own the home in which they live. One in three buyers reported that the primary reason they purchased a home was a desire to own a home of their own or establish a household. Not surprisingly, the percentage of first-time buyers citing this rationale for home purchase was much larger than that for repeat buyers. Among first-time buyers 70 percent reported they purchased a home so they could establish a household compared with 9 percent of repeat buyers.

An additional 12 percent of all home buyers indicated that their primary reason for buying was a job-related relocation or move, with another 12 percent wanting a larger home. Repeat buyers were most likely to report that they purchased their home because of a job-related relocation or their desire for a larger home.

Reasons for a home purchase vary quite substantially among different age groups. Three-quarters of younger home buyers, those between 18 and 24, report purchasing a home because of their desire to own a home of their own or establish a household. In fact, this remains the most frequently cited primary reason for purchasing a home for buyers 64 or younger. Home buyers 65 years and older reported that their primary reason for purchasing a home was to downsize to a smaller home (19 percent), purchase a home due to retirement (18 percent) or because they wanted to be closer to family, friends, and relatives (18 percent).

What They Buy
Home buyers appreciate having a choice. With housing inventory – of both new and previously owned homes – at high levels, the choices of properties are numerous. New home construction provides additional supply to the residential real estate market in places where the stock of previously owned homes falls short of meeting demand. As demographic patterns shift and new households are formed, as households relocate, and as home buyers look for new features and larger homes, new homes are built to accommodate these changing requirements.

Nationally, the share of new homes purchased has been steady at slightly over 20 percent for a number of years. In 2007, 23 percent of recent home buyers reported purchasing a new home, while the remaining 77 percent of buyers purchased a previously owned home.

Type and Location of Homes Purchased
Detached single-family homes dominate the market. Overall, about three-quarters of recent home sales were detached single-family homes. Townhouse/row houses and apartment/condominiums
in buildings with five or more units both accounted for 9 percent of home sales; and duplex/apartment/condos in two-to-four unit buildings comprised 2 percent of the sales.

The suburbs are the most popular location for today’s home buyers. Fifty-six percent of recent home sales occurred in suburban areas. This percentage varies distinctly across regions, from 43 percent in the Northeast to 63 percent in the South, mainly because of the urban-suburban composition of the regions. Buyers in the Northeast more often purchased a home in a small town or rural area than buyers elsewhere. Buyers in the West were more likely to purchase a home in an urban area or central city.

Neighborhoods really do matter to home shoppers. The quality of the neighborhood – characterized as the level of upkeep and appeal of the neighborhood and surrounding areas –
continues to be ranked as the most important factor of neighborhood choice by 65 percent of recent home buyers in this year's survey. Convenience to the home buyer’s job was ranked as the second most important feature when choosing a neighborhood, followed by overall affordability of homes in the area and convenience to friends and family.

The reasons home buyers chose a specific neighborhood varies markedly by location. Those who purchased a home in an urban area or a central city ranked convenience to their job, to entertainment and leisure activities, to shopping, to public transportation, and to airports higher than the buyers who purchased in other locations. For those who purchased a home in a rural area, availability of larger lots or acreage was the second most cited factor. For suburban buyers, the quality of the neighborhood, quality of the school district, and convenience to schools were frequently viewed as important factors. Those who purchased a home in a resort/recreation area ranked having a home in a planned community, convenience to park and recreational facilities and to entertainment and leisure activities much higher than other buyers.

Size of Home Purchased
The typical home purchased was 1,810 square feet. First-time buyers typically purchased smaller homes (1,510 square feet), mainly because they are more likely to purchase condos or townhouses. Repeat buyers purchased somewhat larger homes, with a median size of 2,015 square feet. While the typical home purchased by first-time buyers was slightly smaller compared to last year, the typical home purchased by repeat buyers was slightly larger. This difference was partly due to the fact that repeat buyers tend to purchase new homes more frequently than the first-time buyers, and the typical newly built home purchased (2,125 square feet) was slightly larger than that of last year.

Down the Road
Housing market conditions will vary regionally with employment rates, new job growth and household formations. Mortgage interest rates remain near generational lows, and short of some
unexpected shock to the economy, are expected to remain favorable over the near-term. These fundamentals will continue to support home buying and drive the decision of many consumers
to purchase “a home of one’s own.”

Posted by Remi Fontaine on November 21st, 2007 12:58 PMPost a Comment (0)

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GROWTH IN THE WEST !

November 20th, 2007 1:00 PM

Tucson, AZ – We are pleased to announce Avalar’s first office in Tucson, Avalar Advantage Realty. Casey King, broker/owner, was busy running his own independent real estate office when he decided to explore the option of owning a franchise. While researching the top companies, he gravitated towards Avalar’s unique opportunity for additional revenue streams. Agents are often looking for offices with national recognition and Casey feels that joining Avalar will help his recruiting efforts. Without the confines of the typical franchise, Casey is looking forward to opening multiple branches in Southern Arizona over the next few years.

Costa Mesa, CA – Min Kim, broker/owner of SoCal Avalar, has the entrepreneurial spirit and is excited to begin his newest endeavor. While successfully operating his investment company, many of Min’s clients began asking him to sell their properties. Rather than continuing to refer their business elsewhere, Min decided to purchase a real estate franchise. He interviewed with many of the top real estate franchises in the country; however Avalar stood out from the rest. Upon meeting Mr. Scoble in Las Vegas, Min and his wife were immediately impressed by his genuineness and accessibility. Avalar continues to surpass Min’s expectations and he is enthusiastic about the opening of SoCal Avalar in January 2008.

Sacramento, CA – Kevin Coates, Ray Melville and Chuck Goldmark are no strangers to the ups and downs of the real estate market. Since 1989 Kevin and his team have led Sacramento’s premier New Home Sales and Marketing organization, averaging nearly 1500 closings the last few years. As the market shifted, they began to consider including the resale component in addition to new home sales. This shift prompted them to consider joining a franchise, and eventually transition to Avalar. Kevin is confident that Avalar Real Estate and Mortgage Group will seamlessly combine multiple facets of real estate and continue to be a leader in Sacramento.

Posted by Remi Fontaine on November 20th, 2007 1:00 PMPost a Comment (0)

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AVALAR EXPANDS FROM COAST TO COAST !

November 20th, 2007 12:58 PM

SAN ANTONIO, TX - We would like to welcome Kent Hicks and his team to Avalar! Mr. Hicks had been operating an independent office with over 60 agents for the past four years prior to joining Avalar. He has been in the Real Estate industry for 37 years, and has accumulated nearly $2 billion in sales throughout his career. Additionally, Mr. Hicks hosts a radio show in San Antonio every Saturday on WOAI 1200AM. His broadcast can be heard nationwide on www.woai.com; log on to hear the latest real estate news or call in to ask a question.

Mr. Hicks began to research different franchise models after deciding the market was changing and he needed to offer his agents something new. He stated Avalar provides a business model for the future, and is excited to provide his agents with an opportunity to receive residual income. The Path to Success program will help strengthen recruiting and retention efforts and encourage agents to bring new salespeople to the office.

COLUMBUS, GA – John Peak has joined Avalar and he brings with him over 20 years of experience in home building and development. As a graduate of both Auburn University and Columbus State, Mr. Peak has the knowledge to lead a successful real estate office that will compliment his existing business as an investor, developer and consultant, which he shares with his brother, Fred D. Peak.

Columbus is 55 miles from Ft. Benning, a U.S. Army base. As more bases around the country close, military members are relocating to Ft. Benning; the population is expected to increase by 30,000 over the next 10 years. Mr. Peak hopes to bring the future of real estate to Columbus and provide a resource for new residents to buy and sell homes. He believes that Avalar’s agent-driven concept and revenue sharing platform will help create a successful office that the local community will benefit from.

ARLINGTON, TX – We would like to welcome Kevin and Taylor Ward to Avalar! Together they have 17 years of real estate experience and have worked for companies such as ReMax and Century 21. Kevin and Taylor will lead two offices in the Dallas area: one in Arlington and the other in Coppell. They see Avalar as a great opportunity and appreciate the flexibility to operate their office in a way they find most productive. Although the market is challenging, their goal is to teach agents how to survive, prosper and take advantage of the changes.

Posted by Remi Fontaine on November 20th, 2007 12:58 PMPost a Comment (0)

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HUD Rule Bans Privately-Funded Downpayment Assistance

November 15th, 2007 1:21 PM

“HUD’s action to move forward with banning privately-funded downpayment assistance programs is outrageous and we have responded by filing a lawsuit in Federal Court yesterday to challenge the merits of HUD’s damaging rule and to seek an injunction blocking implementation of this rule. It is inconceivable that HUD has taken this action in complete disregard for the House’s passage of legislation that would block it, driven by strong bipartisan support from House Financial Services Sub-Committee on Housing Opportunity Chair Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-California) and fellow committee member Congressman Gary Miller (R-California). To date, privately-funded downpayment assistance programs have helped over 600,000 families become homeowners, and have been credited not only for helping people buy homes, but also stabilizing neighborhoods and cities and creating stronger families. As evidenced by the over 15,000 letters sent in opposition to HUD by families across the country, programs like the Nehemiah Program continue to be a lifeline for families working to reach the dream of homeownership. Further, broad opposition to this proposal by groups including the National Association of Home Builders, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the US Council of Mayors, and National Association of Counties speak to the validity and importance of seller-funded downpayment assistance programs. We remain hopeful that the legislative process reaches a successful conclusion.”

Pursuant to an April 1998 settlement agreement resolving litigation between Nehemiah and HUD, the rule will go into effect six months after the date of its publication for the Nehemiah downpayment assistance program. During the six-month exemption period, Nehemiah will continue to provide families in need with important downpayment assistance and lead the fight against HUD’s rule.

Posted by Remi Fontaine on November 15th, 2007 1:21 PMPost a Comment (2)

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