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Issue # 93       
November 2015  
Dear (Contact First Name),  

Welcome to Optima Properties' monthly newsletter.  We strive to keep you informed of the real estate market and trends that may affect your relocation, investment, or purchase decisions.  

You have expressed an interest in properties or rentals in either South Florida or Western North Carolina in the past and these periodic newsletters will help to keep you current of what is happening in the real estate industry nationwide and locally.   
 
Home sales and new home construction continue to increase in October sustaining months long trends indicating stability in the housing market.  Mortgage rates stay steady or trend somewhat lower for fixed rate mortgages over the past 30 days contributing to home affordability in light of increasing home prices.

Please feel free to call me to discuss any and all matters relating to the real estate market in South Florida or Western North Carolina. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Contact Kim N. Bregman, Optima Properties
Thanksgiving


Lic. Real Estate Broker, FL & NC
REALTOR, MBA, ABR, NAEBA, FEBA 
 
In This Issue
Buyer's Guide  
 
Answers to common questions, resources, and tools.
 
 Finance Center

 

Articles, Calculators, Tools, and Advice  






 





Mortgage Rates:

As Of October  30, 2015 

 

Average RateAverage Points
30 year FRM3.79
0.6

15 year FRM		2.98
0.5
5/1 ARM
2.89
0.4
1 year ARM2.620.2
   




Fixed rate mortgages moved lower this month

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Networking
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2012 Head shot 
Kim N. Bregman    

Optima Properties 

 Lic. Real Estate Broker, FL & NC, REALTOR, MBA, ABR 

The greatest compliment that I can receive is a referral from clients, friends and co-workers.  Thank you for your trust.   

 Florida:
17914 Foxborough Lane
Boca Raton, FL 33496
561-251-7170 Cell
561-477-0676 Office
561-892-0937 Fax

North Carolina: 
581 Tsalagi Trail

Maggie Valley, NC 28751 
828-400-7953 Cell
828-400-7953 Office
561-892-0937 Fax

kim@optimaproperties.com
www.OptimaProperties.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
In The News!
 
 Case-Shiller:
Home Prices up 5.1 Percent in August  

 
New York, October 27, 2015 - S&P

Dow Jones Indices today released the latest results for the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices. Data released today for August 2015 show that home prices continued their rise across the country over the last 12 months.

Year-over-Year
The S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, recorded a slightly higher year-over-year gain with a 4.7% annual increase in August 2015 versus a 4.6% increase in July 2015. The 10-City Composite increased 4.7% in the year to August compared to 4.5% in the prior month. The 20-City Composite's year-over-year gain was 5.1% versus 4.9% in the year to July.

Fifteen cities reported greater price increases in the year ending August 2015 versus the year ending July 2015.

Month-over-Month
Before seasonal adjustment, the National Index posted a gain of 0.3% month-over-month in August. The 10-City Composite and 20-City Composite both reported gains of 0.3% and 0.4% month-over-month respectively. After seasonal adjustment, the National Index posted a gain of 0.4%, while the 10-City and 20-City Composites both increased 0.1% month-over-month. Eighteen of 20 cities reported increases in August before seasonal adjustment; after seasonal adjustment, five were down, 11 were up, and four were unchanged.

Analysis
"Home prices continue to climb at a 4% to 5% annual rate across the country," says David M. Blitzer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Index Committee for S&P Dow Jones Indices. "Most other recent housing indicators also show strength. Housing starts topped an annual rate of 1.2 million units in the latest report with continuing strength in both single family homes and apartments. The National Association of Home Builders sentiment survey, reflecting current strength, reached the highest level since 2005, before the housing collapse. Sales of existing homes are running about 5.5 million units annually with inventories of about five months of sales.

"A notable part of today's economy is the continuing low inflation rate; in the year to September, consumer prices were unchanged. Even excluding food and energy, the core inflation was 1.9%. One result is that a 5% price increase in the value of a house means more today than it did in 2005-2006, the peak of the housing boom when the inflation rate was higher. The rebound from the recent lows was faster than the 1997-2005 housing boom, and also much less driven by inflation."
 

Advice For Buyers!
What You Should Do After Closing
 
You searched for homes over the course of months or even years. You endured a series of offers and counter offers, property disclosures, inspections, loan applications, due diligence, and packing. Finally, after so much excitement, stress and anxiety, the house hunt has come to an end. But the story isn't over yet. Here are some next steps to consider before you actually move in.
 
Make Copies of your Closing Documents.
The first stop you make after closing should be your local copy shop. While all the documents are still together and in order, make at least one copy of everything. Put one set in your folder for tax filing and one set in a file for house records.
 
Get a Safe Deposit Box and Put the Original Documents In It.
Keep your photocopies on hand at the house in case you need them in a pinch, but store the originals of your mortgage loan docs and your title certificate in a secure, off-site location. That means a safe deposit box at the bank, or on file with your attorney.
 
Got the keys? Great, now change the locks.
Assume that every one and his brother has a set of keys to your new home. The seller's real estate agent likely gave copies to his or her assistant, a stager, handyman, or even another agent at some point during the marketing period. That does not even take into consideration the spare keys that the Seller's gave the neighbors, their family, cleaning lady, and babysitter. That's why the first person you should call after getting the keys is a locksmith. Spend the money to get all the locks changed or re-keyed right away. Don't forget to reset any key code combinations that can be used to gain entry to the house as well including the garage door opener, garage keypads and alarm combinations should be changed.
 
Hire a cleaning crew.
There's nothing worse than showing up with the movers, dozens of boxes and your personal belongings only to discover the seller hadn't had the place cleaned as thoroughly as you would have liked.

Assume the worst and get a professional cleaning crew and painters in there the minute after the closing along with carpet cleaners. You want to start life in your new home with a clean slate. The movers might make a mess while moving in. But the bones of the place will be sparkling clean and you will have freshly painted closets and walls before the furniture and clothing gets in place. 
 
Have a handyman, small contractor or designer on call.
Moving in can take days, if not weeks, and is made up of the kind of stuff you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Things like aligning your framed artwork, centering the couch in the living room or getting the large rug set up in the master bedroom can drive you crazy. Nailed multiple holes in the wall in an attempt to get your family photos lined up on the staircase? Not all of us are cut out to do this kind of stuff. While it may seem like a luxury, investing a few hundred dollars in hiring someone to take orders, help with setting up and take over some of these mindless tasks will save time and potentially relieve you of a giant headache.
 
Play "what went off":
Turn all of the lights on, plug radios, lamps, etc., into as many outlets as possible, then turn circuits off one at a time; make a list of which breaker controls what, and post it near or on the inside of the panel(s). Make sure you know where the main water shutoff is, and test it to see if it works. If you have a water filter, check it or replace it.
Check the furnace filters/replace if not new looking. Check gutters and leaders for blockage; clean if necessary. If you have a fireplace, have the flue inspected by a professional. Check/change batteries in smoke detectors.
 
If you control your own hot water, you'll want to check the temperature pretty early on during your first day in the house. Developers of new homes have a bad habit of turning water heaters to "vacation" mode just before closing. This saves their utility bills but will result in a cold surprise when you go to take a shower. The temperature dial on your water heater should have a tick mark at the best setting. You don't have to turn it all the way to the hottest point unless you need near-boiling water at all times.
 
 Put your Name on the Mailbox & Buzzer. If you're living in a multi-unit complex, like a condo building, you'll want to get your name on the mailbox as quickly as possible, since the post office won't deliver to nameless boxes. People are of mixed opinions on whether you should also label your intercom buzzer. It can compromise your privacy, but if you're expecting a lot of guests or deliveries it will make things easier.
 
Cover the Windows.
The residents of your new neighborhood are about to watch you parade all your belongings into the house. Don't let them figure out what you've done with them so easily. Make sure you've got something in the windows of each room - it can be towels, shower curtains, cardboard - doesn't matter what for now. Just make sure your privacy is safeguarded so your windows don't become a walking advertisement for burglars and peeping toms.
 
Photograph everything. 
You'll eventually want to take an inventory of everything you move into your house, but before you do so it's a good idea to take pictures of your house in its native state. Once furniture is in place it will be difficult to remember where outlets are and what your home looked like when it was brand new. In the event of a catastrophic loss, you'll need to refer back to those pictures in order to restore your home, so make sure you store them offsite, email them to yourself at a webmail address, or upload them to a cloud-based server.
 
Meet your new neighbors.
Getting to know your new neighbors and trading phone numbers can be very beneficial in case of emergencies. There is always value in having a good neighbor.
 
Make sure your first weeks and months of homeownership are safe and pleasant.

 
Plan first. Party later.
 

Vacation Rental
Looking for a Luxury Home Vacation Rental in the Western North Carolina Mountains?

Winter in NC
Come to the Mountains this winter and enjoy all the mountains have to offer!  

Couple Skiing
Skiing and snowboarding at Cataloochee Ranch & Ski Resort, visit eclectic Asheville,  visit Tube World in Maggie Valley, hike in Smoky Mountain National Park and Pisgah Forest, see the Cataloochee Elk, gamble at Harrah's Casino, drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway and visit Cherokee.
 
Soaring Eagle Retreat, Luxury Log Home in
winter waynesville
Waynesville/Maggie Valley available for rental. Just 15 minutes from the Cataloochee Ski Resort and Ranch 30 minutes from the National Parks and 30 minutes from Asheville and Cherokee.
 
 
Kim's Blog
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Optima Properties has beeen working as Exclusive Buyer Agents for 25 years. 

We service customers specifically looking for properties in South Florida and Western North Carolina. 

We act as consultants, advisors, advocates and negotiators for our clients rather than as a salesperson.

I look forward to speaking with you and representing YOUR INTERESTS in future real estate transactions.

Sincerely,
Kim N. Bregman Lic. Real Estate Broker
FL & NC, REALTOR, MBA, ABR, NAEBA  

 

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