Friday, February 28, 2014

THE FUTURE OF SHORT SALES



Short sales and foreclosures played a starring role during the Great Recession. According to National Association of REALTORS® statistics, in the summer of 2009, distressed sales made up just under 50 percent of all transactions as. Fast forward to last fall, and that number dropped to only 14 percent.
Short sales are becoming less common for many reasons. For one, many markets are now well into recovery mode. Home values are rising and sellers who were underwater only a year ago have a bit more breathing room today. With fewer homeowners in financial distress—and the worst of the cleanup from the housing bubble behind us—banks and courts are finally processing through their backlogs of distressed properties. And employment growth means more homeowners can afford to stay in their homes and make their mortgage payments.
In addition, short sales are becoming less favorable for sellers. For the last few years, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, which protects sellers from having to pay tax on unpaid or forgiven debt, has made short sales a viable option for many underwater homeowners. However, the Act was sunset at the end of 2013. A short sale in 2014 could significantly impact your tax obligation, making it less attractive.
Buyer interest in distressed properties has also cooled. Too much hassle, and most short sales and foreclosures are not such a great deal after all. Finally, lenders themselves are also less interested in short sales. As market values increase, there is less need for lender/borrower negotiated sales. Added to that, the return of third-party purchasers (institutional investors or cash buyers purchasing at foreclosure auctions) is shifting the pendulum back toward traditional foreclosure auction and REO.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT http://findneworleansproperties.com/ 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Fashioning French New Orleans: Clothing the Colonial Child


6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014
The Cabildo, New Orleans

During the Colonial era, most Americans followed the European custom of dressing their children as miniature adults. But in New Orleans, frequent shortages of textiles and the large number of orphans made clothing children more challenging. Guest speaker Sophia White will explore this and other topics as she discusses children's clothing in New Orleans during the French Colonial period.
This free public event is presented by the Louisiana State Museum and Friends of the Cabildo.
For more information visit http://findneworleansproperties.com/