Energy License To Sell Your Home?

Recently-there has been a lot of false information circulating that the government is going to require homes being sold to have an energy license.
Here is some information on this issue put out by the National Association of Realtors:


There is no requirement in H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy & Security Act, that home sellers obtain either a license or energy audit or make energy retrofits before they can sell their home. The legislation, earlier passed by the House, is currently pending in the Senate.

Here are the two REAL provisions in the bill:
1) Section 202 (Building Retrofit Program) would offer matching grants for home improvements. State government would administer the program, which is voluntary and available to all property owners.
2) Section 204 (Building Energy Performance Labeling Program) would apply to new construction only and prohibit time-of-sale labeling. The original energy audit and MLS listing provisions were deleted as the result of NAR insistence; existing real estate was excluded from the bill's requirements.


There are many programs offered on the local and state level for energy effective retrofits to your home.  Please contact me for more information!

Figuring Out The Market Today

With the high rate of foreclosures still expected to come onto the market in the near future-we can expect property prices to continually fall.  In this chart below-we can see the trend that is taking place.

But-if you continue to wait for prices to fall-you may be missing out on the lowest interest rates we have seen in a long time.  This graph below shows that for every percentage point interest rates rise-property prices will have to fall at least 10% to have the same monthly payment.

However, it is difficult to predict how far interest rates will rise.  What we do know is that the government will be less and less involved with rates and as the private sector takes over-of course they will raise them-to make money.

In this graph you can see what has happened over the last few years with mortgages.  The green is private lenders and the blue is government loans.

There is going to be a shift back to more private lending and in reading predictions-they are thinking anywhere from 6-8%.

It is hard to know what the future of real estate holds.  But with interest rates going up and property prices expected to continue to fall-it makes sense that now is the time to both buy and sell!

Media Day

Last Monday I had what I would call-a media day...

In the morning I went to the Zephyr Cove Chase International office to do a video shoot.

They asked me questions about being an agent with Chase.  Something I have no problem answering!  I love it!

Later in the afternoon I went to meet my clients and a reporter, at the house we just closed, to do an article on first time home buyers.

First we took some photos...

Then we went inside to answer some questions. 

Jeff and Amy were great clients to work with-and had very nice things to say about the transaction we had just completed!  I'm happy to see them in a home that they are excited about!

The video and article to follow...