Housing's Bright Holiday Season

Dave Straub (312) 254-0200 :: Contact me :: View my profile December 2012 Housing's Bright Holiday Season Real estate on solid ground heading into 2013 Home for the holidays. It's one of the most comforting notions during this joyous but also frenetic time of year. And in 2012 we saw the reclaiming of "home" as an asset as well. With the stabilization of values (even appreciation in some markets), broadening of lending standards, continued low mortgage interest rates, and demand beginning to outweigh supply, the fundamentals of the market tell us that homeownership has found its place again as a desired, long-term investment. @properties Market Minute: An end-of-year message (and surprising fashion statement... watch the ending) from @properties' co-founders, Michael Golden and Thaddeus Wong. Indeed, even with the growing chatter of "cliffs" and such, we're living our lives on this side of solid ground -- getting married, having kids, looking for community and lifestyle, and finding stability and security. Life is "business as usual" as much as "busyness as usual." In fact, at @properties, 2012 was our best year ever with sales up over a third from last year. And we fully expect it to continue. So what's our focus for 2013? Quite simply, our focus is you. With the support of cutting edge technology, innovative marketing, and the collaboration of more than 1,100 agents and employees, our job is to continue to bring you the very best in service and results in local real estate. Our long-term view of the market looks good. Yours should, too. 2013 will continue to be a good time to buy, sell and invest in real estate. With my warmest wishes this holiday season, thank you for our continued relationship. Health and happiness in the New Year. In the news: 10 Real Estate Trends to Watch in 2013 December 6 | Steve Yoder Five years and 16 million foreclosures after the 2008 housing crash, most Americans have not lost faith in real estate. More Survey Shows Confidence About Housing Up December 12 | Saabira Chaudhuri Despite continued uncertainty surrounding the fiscal cliff, Americans are showing increased confidence in the housing market and the direction of the economy, according to government-controlled mortgage giant Fannie Mae. More Mortgage Rates to Stay Low, Property Values to Rise in 2013 December 10 | Kristin Jones Mortgage rates are likely to remain near record lows for the first half of 2013, while property values are expected to strengthen, said mortgage-finance company Freddie Mac. More