First time home Buyers who want to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit better get moving. Some may feel like they still have plenty of time before the December 1st deadline to close on their new home but they don’t. The fact is, finding and buying a home takes time, especially if you haven’t done anything yet. Below is a breakdown of some of the steps you will need to climb in order to get the key to your new home.

Find a lender and get pre-approved: Definitely the fist step. If you haven’t done so already, you need to talk to a lender and find out how much house you can buy. This could be the loan officer where you bank or a mortgage broker or both. It is not mandatory to shop around, but you certainly can.

Find a REALTOR®: This should be someone you can trust to work for you in your best interests. If you do not know a realtor, ask your friend and family to see if they might know someone they’ve used in the past and were satisfied with the services they received. Again, it is not prohibited to interview more than one person in order to find the best one for you. Of course, feel free to contact me; I would love to help!

Viewing and finding a home: This may take some time depending on your criteria. Keep in mind that your first home will likely not be your dream home. Such is life. You will need to view your home as your first major investment and while you would love to invest in a million dollars property, you budget may limit you to 150K for now. Shop in your price range and find the place that will grow with you for a few years (and your net worth will grow with it).

Write an offer and negotiate the price: As realtors, we are trained negotiator and if you have your own representation (your agent is not the one also representing the seller), your realtor will work in your best interests to get you the home you want for the best possible price.

The contract is signed by both parties: Congratulations! You are on the right track. From this point on, it will take another 40 days or so to complete the process, which involves:

1. Inspections (usually a home inspection and a termite inspection)
   
2. Completing your loan application
3. Appraisal
4. Title

Closing: If everything goes well, you are now ready to take possession of your new home. However, many things can happen after you signed the contract and before you close, that could delay the process and delay the closing. Buyers who wait until the last minute will probably miss the boat as lenders are already very busy and loan processing is likely to get backed up with buyers wanting to close before December 1st.

If you are seriously thinking about buying a home and you want to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, now is the time to shift gears!

Homes for sale in Lafayette, LA $0 – $100K

Homes for sale in Lafayette, LA $100K – $150K

Homes for sale in Lafayette, LA $150K – $200K

Homes for sale in Lafayette, LA $200K – $250K

Visit my web site to view all homes available in Lafayette and Acadiana

In July, the inventory for single detached home in River Ranch was high with 50 homes available on the market. Currently, the inventory is down with 41 single family homes now available.

Three homes sold in River Ranch between July and August with an average price of $794,467 ($222.90/sqft) and they spent an average of 154 days on the market.

What mostly made the total inventory go down in River Ranch is the fact that 9 properties were taken off the market (withdrawn) and 3 listings expired. Only 3 homes are currently under contract (pending) with an average price of $444,833 ($204.64/sqft) after spending 142 days on the market.

Of the 41 homes available in River Ranch, 21 are new or proposed constructions while 20 are pre-owned properties. Prices vary from $249,900 to $1,350,000 with the average price being $607,987. The average days on the market for available homes is 151.

 

Overall, when comparing statistics from 2008 and 2009, the average price for a home in River Ranch is slightly up from $651K to $658K while the price per square foot is down from $212 to $210. Days on the market have jumped from 87 in 2008 to 159 so far this year.

Click here to view all available homes and condos in the Village of River Ranch

You like the idea of a townhome and its low maintenance but still want a small yard? This home might be the one for you! Located on the south side of Lafayette, 5 minutes for the Mall of Acadiana, these two new townhomes have much to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kitchen is very functional and features granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The living area is roomy with a fireplace and wood laminate floors. Also downstairs is the master suite and a large master bath with garden tub and a separate shower. There is also a half bath with pedestral sink downstairs for the guests and a large laundry room with mop sink.

Upstairs are two bedrooms, both communicating with the second full bath and a bonus room that would make a wonderful play room or media room. These homes are extremely well insulated and energy efficient. Floor plans are similar and have 1758 square feet of living area.

We have two of these townhomes available to purchase for $210,000 and the seller is willing to assist with closing costs. For more information about these properties, click on the logo below and visit my web site.

J.D. Power and Associates names company highest in customer satisfaction for second year in a row

AUSTIN, TEXAS (September 2, 2009) —According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM, Keller Williams Realty, Inc., the third largest real estate company in North America, received the highest overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers among the largest fullservice real estate firms for the second year in a row. The company also ranked second-highest among home sellers in the study.

“We couldn’t be prouder. This is an achievement our associates have truly earned. It is the face-to-face interaction and the relationships they build daily that has impacted this study and elevated Keller Williams Realty to another level in customer service,” said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty. “Knowing that this study was conducted during the toughest times the market has seen shows that spirit and dedication can make an impact.”

The study was produced by J.D. Power and Associates to measure home buyers’ and sellers’ customer satisfaction. The results of the home-buying experience were determined by three factors including the agent, office and the package of additional services.

“I am absolutely beaming with pride that our agents have been honored in such a fantastic way,” said Mary Tennant, president and COO of Keller Williams Realty. “We are lucky to be in business with such incredible business people, who have shown incredible resolve over the past two years. If there was a time to build their business, it is now.”

 

After rising for three months in a row, Lafayette and Acadiana home sales were down in August. In Lafayette parish, home sales went from 263 home sold in July to 194 in August and in Acadiana, 363 homes were sold in July compared to 264 in August.

There are currently 351 pending home sales in Lafayette Parish and 497 pending home sales in Acadiana.

 

 

If we take Lafayette Parish and compare this year’s home sales to 2008, we see that sales were up last year in August after being down in July. So far this year, between January 1st and August 31st, 1507 homes have sold in Lafayette Parish. In 2008, for the same period, 1672 home sold in Lafayette parish.