While the exact dates for categorizing each generation are often in debate, Stefan Swanepoel, author of the 2007 Swanepoel Trends Report, says there is no debate about their existence and the fact that each has very different characteristics, resulting from the events that shaped them.

According to Swanepoel as the Boomers make way for Generations X and Y, the world is gradually dealing with the change – real estate is no exception. Each new generation reacts and seeks to change what the previous generations have done, leaving their own footprint on society and business. Although there is no agreement on the exact dates, the following is the generally accepted rule of thumb.

G.I. Generation (1901 – 1924)
Silent Generation (1925 – 1945)
Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964)
Gen X or Baby Busters (1965 – 1976)
Gen Y/Millenials/Echo Boomers (1977 – 1994)

The first Echo Boomers (Generation Y) are turning 30 next year, which puts the majority of them in their twenties today. They are a determined, daring and smart group that grew up in a period in which the Internet already existed. As a result, they are very comfortable with every aspect of the medium. They have surfed, watched, recorded, listened and downloaded just about everything they can and are now beginning to effect significant change in the real estate industry.

Even as homeowners Echo Boomers approach matters very differently. They are more likely to buy a home at a younger age than previous generations. They are also not like their Boomer parents that waited for marriage or even a long-term relationship before becoming homeowners. Their thoughts, desires and perspectives are going to change the way the industry conducts itself – like it or not.

The real estate industry is facing a large, escalating change in customer demographics. The Internet is maturing and the door is opening for entry into the industry by newer business models that are heavily focused on fulfilling consumer needs rather than just completing a sales transaction. In 2005, 40% of homebuyers were first time buyers and 50% of them were between the ages of 25 and 34 (Gen X and Echo Boomers). Even more telling – 38% of all homebuyers in that period were under the age of 35.

According to numerous studies undertaken by NAR and the California Association of Realtors® (CAR), approximately 70% of all homebuyers start their search on the Internet. In 2003 the percentage of Internet Buyers and Traditional Buyers was equal. In 2000 Internet buyers represented only 30%.

These new savvy online consumers are looking to the Internet as a tool to fulfill their home buying experience. What they use the Internet for and the extent and quality of service available are starting to shape the real estate process. “Home buyers and sellers are a generational melting pot and understanding each generation will soon become paramount for all brokers and agents,” Swanepoel says. “It is quickly becoming a necessity for agents to become a generational expert in order to effectively serve all their home buying and selling customers.”

Learning to work effectively with each different generation is as much about improving one’s personal skill set as it is re-engineering the real estate professional. That said, according to Tom Stevens, immediate past president of NAR, the next generation of homeowners is already beginning to exert its influence on the housing market so there is no time to lose.

Between 2001 and 2005, NAR reported that the number of first time homebuyers under the age of 25 increased from 11% to14%. When you increase that age to 35 the percentage jumps to 64%. Add to that the fact that the median age of buyers who used the Internet to search for homes in 2005 was 38 and the picture becomes very clear. In 2005, 40% were Generation X and 39% were Echo Boomers … that’s 8 out of every 10 new homebuyers.

Gen X and the Echo Boomers represent the push for newer approaches and processes that are integrated into the “technology” platforms they are not only familiar with but the very ones they helped develop. Companies like Edina and others that are re-engineering their businesses to understand, market to and focus on this growing younger market are smart and wise.

For the others, don’t wait too long or you may find your business eclipsed as fast as new concepts like MySpace, YouTube and Facebook became mainstream. If you are looking for more information on how to restructure your company, look no further than the 159-page Swanepoel TRENDS Report.

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With the booming property market in WA and the basic price of a home reaching around $350,000 home buyers are finding that purchasing a home is almost out of reach for those in the low to middle income bracket and especially first home buyers. Entering into the property market has never been more important than in recent years to build equity and realize the ‘Aussie dream’ of owning your own home. If you are in the position of buying a house in WA then there are some important steps to follow for successful home buying.

Firstly get yourself a pre-approved home loan before looking at properties. This will give you an advantage over other home buyers that may be interested in the same property as you plus you will have more negotiating power. Shop around to find the best interest rates and a loan type that suits your circumstances. Make sure that the properties you are looking at are affordable in comparison to your income, monthly expenses, loan repayments and any future increases in interest rates. As a general guide, loan repayments should not exceed 36% of your gross monthly income. Lenders will want you to provide evidence of your income, savings and deposit history to secure a home loan.

Identify the search parameters of the type of house you are looking for including the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas, outdoor entertaining, size of the block, whether you need a carport or garage, a new or older style home? Ask yourself what your favorite suburbs are and which locations actually fit into your buying budget. Do they have the local facilities that you need such as medical, banking, shops, trades and services, restaurants, video stores, post office and schools? Once you have worked out the type of house you are looking for and the location, then research the papers and internet for listing prices and the prices properties in those areas have recently sold for.

Negotiating a Sale Price

When you have found the ideal home for your needs then with the help of a buyer agent, or if you are dealing directly with the sellers agent you will need to decide on a starting offer. Compare recent home sales in the same area to the sale price of this home and its specifications, a reasonable first bid offer can be 5 to 8% lower than the listed price. You can negotiate the sale price with the seller from there, if any repairs need to be done to the home then factor this into the sale price.

Once the sale price has been agreed upon by both parties then a settlement date needs to be set, usually 45 to 60 days from the contract signing date. Make sure that your offer is subject to finance being successfully obtained and a house inspection report being completed prior to settlement. Thus if any significant construction or pest issues are discovered the sale can be re-negotiated and repairs made, or the offer to purchase rescinded. A deposit of 1 to 10% of the purchase price is usually required at the time of signing the contract and is paid to the agent to be held in trust until the property is settled.

Buying Tips

• Insist on a pest and building inspection being carried out prior to settlement

• Check and more importantly ask if there are any illegal building additions that have been made to the property ie. completed without local council approval.

• Also ask if the property has any restrictions or covenants.

• Identify all the costs associated with buying the home including stamp duty, settlement agents fees, legal fees, loan application fees, council rates, water rates, title transfer fees, building inspection costs, removalist fees, re-connection costs of utilities and add these costs into your budget.

• Include a settlement inspection in your purchase contract list of inclusions to be carried out 1 to 2 days prior to settlement. This way you can ensure the property is in the same condition as when you viewed it at contract signing. If any repairs need doing then confirm this in writing with the seller.

• Make sure that everything discussed and agreed to with the seller and their agent is put in writing, citing all purchase conditions and inclusions on the contract of sale.

Buying a home is a big investment emotionally and financially, being prepared throughout the purchasing process will help you avoid many common pitfalls that unwary buyers face.

© Brendan Leahy Real Estate

www.blre.com.au

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In these strange economic times, for home buyers – a person looking to purchase a home could not find a better time to be getting the best deals available within the housing market. With home buyers looking for steals and sellers looking for an out and banks selling off homes at cut-rate prices, the opportunities could not be better, favoring the home buyers.

The old school conventional wisdom within the housing industry just does not hold water today and can actually get in your way of getting your best low-ball deal on a house you want to buy. A low-ball offer can best be summed up as any offer that is less than a large percentage of the asking price.

The current market dictates that seller needs to consider every offer made from prospective home buyers, no matter how low the offer is. Home buyers should make low-ball offers in this market because they could come out way ahead of the game.

Home buyers should also keep a few things in mind before buying a house simply because it seems like such a steal. Shopping around for the right home for you and your family can be a real emotional roller-coaster of a ride. Shopping for homes is not like shopping for anything else you have shopped for before. It is important to stay focused on what you really want and what you need when buying a house.

Home buyers check list.

The size of the house, the location, the age of the home and many offer variables need to be accessed before jumping on a deal.

Does the house you are considering have a good school nearby that your children will be attending? Is the home surrounded by neighbors you would rather watch on reality TV than live next door to? The home may be next to a nice wooded area, but were you aware that the land was sold and a new shopping mall is going to be next to your back yard sometime next year?

As you can see, for any serious home buyers, there are a lot of considerations to check out before purchasing a new home. Is the home you are considering maintenance free or will you have to do some major renovations to suit your tastes? Honestly, this “consideration” list goes on and on.

The most important thing that you can do before shopping for a home is to make an extensive list of all the considerations that need to be taken into account before buying. You will find some things you can live with while other things can’t be sacrificed for any amount of money.

Remember that old Beatles’ song, “Money Can’t Buy Me Love”? Keep that in mind when you decide to put a low-ball bid in on some house you found that is right next to the train tracks and expressway. Your family will love you for making a list, then checking it twice before buying.

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What fabulous news for first home buyers, a whopping $21,000 towards deposit, expenses or even new furniture if you buy a brand new home before June 2009. So if you’re ready to take the plunge and sign up for what is likely to be the biggest commitment you’ve ever made, now, more than ever, seems to be the perfect time to get into the property market as a first home buyer. Even though your friends and family will be full of advice, as with any major decision in our lives, it’s always good to take their experiences and opinions on board, however your own research will give you peace of mind and assurance, before you sign up for the big purchase and possibly sign your life away to the mortgage company. Generally, most first home buyers already have an idea on the location and the type of home they want, so now it’s just a matter of finding out whether you can afford what you want to buy. Almost all the major banks and other lenders offer special packages with reduced application fees and lower interest specifically for First Home Buyers. With the help of some comprehensive search engines, shopping around not only for a home loan, but a property is almost as easy as 1 – 2 – 3, so jump on the internet and let your fingers do all the work for you. It’s important to remember that the bank can’t lend you all the money to buy your first home. As a first home buyer, at least a small part of your deposit will have to come from your own savings or alternatively a gift from your relatives. Once you find the right home loan, apply for a pre-approval. This can be done either online or in person. A pre-approval is the bank’s preliminary approval subject to an acceptable property. You will need to provide a completed application form along with requirements such as your identification, income evidence and savings (gift) verification. Once the bank is satisfied that you’re an acceptable first home buyer, they will issue a pre-approval and you can start shopping around for your first home.

So when and how do I apply for a First Home Owner Grant? The First Home Owner Grant is only available to Australian residents and citizens, so before you apply you should contact your state revenue office, alternatively visit their respective website for more information. If you satisfy all the first home buyer criteria and conditions, there are two ways you can apply for your first home owner grant. If you apply for your first home owner grant via your bank, you’re likely to receive the grant at settlement, so on the day you officially become a home owner. If you apply for the grant directly with the state revenue office, the grant is not likely to come through until after the settlement. The best way is to keep in regular contact with the lending manager of your chosen bank. Remember, they help first home buyers every day and are the best source of information and guidance, so don’t be afraid to call them if you have a question, after all, they’re here to help you.

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You’ve stacked up bills and late payments for months, unable to pay anything. You’re facing the repossession of your home. You’re so worried about where money will come from that you have trouble sleeping. Pretty soon you won’t even have a house to call your own. What can you do to escape this financial nightmare?

Does this sound familiar to you? If so, you are not alone. The current housing crisis in the UK has many people facing this same dilemma. Where can they turn? The traditional option of a long, expensive wait while an estate agent sells your home won’t work for you. Fortunately, there is a better option.

A home buyer service can help people out of this mess and give them cash for their home within a week. They specialize in rescuing people from repossession and other financial messes. From Belfast to Colchester, a home buyer is ready and willing to take your burden away and give you a fresh start.

With a simple phone call, you can set up an appointment with a house buyer. They will get basic information from you and send their agent to your home. Usually within a day the agent will arrive to examine the home and valuate it.

After a thorough analysis, they will send you their estimate. You can take some time to decide if you want to accept the offer or reject it. By accepting their offer, you can have the money in your bank account by the week’s end.

If you choose to decline the offer, there are always other home buyers willing to send their appraisal agent to make another offer. Make sure that you are satisfied with the price, even though you’re going for a quick sale.

Most home buyers will give you the option to rent from them once you sell your home. You’ll need some time to find a permanent place to stay, and home buyer services understand this. You’ll save cash with a lower rental payment and be able to put some away at the same time.

The advantages of using a home buyer service are numerous. Homes can sit on the market for months on end, losing value in the process. With a house buyer, you’ll have a guaranteed sale before you cash your next paycheck.

Home buyers also let you avoid hidden fees. The costs of estate agents are rising, and you’ll want to avoid dealing with them. Home buyers provide free services from appraisal agents to make selling property easier. Home buyer services are simple, quick, and effective at selling your home.

You may not even be in financial trouble, but you still need to sell your house. Maybe you have a few properties and you need to get one of them of your hands? UK home buyers will prove that their services are superior to those of estate agents. They guarantee to get that sale in front of you and cash in your bank in seven days.

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Housing affordability in Australia is reaching a crisis point with many individuals and families now finding the ‘Australian dream’ of owning their own home soundly out of reach. This has never been truer than for the first home buyer.

The average median house price in Australia is now around $412,000 a whopping 108% increase over the 1997 – 2006 period with a corresponding 97% increase in the average home loan. It’s no wonder first home buyers are now contemplating a life time of renting.

The average first home buyer will now need to spend over 30% of their disposable income to service the minimum monthly repayments on a new home loan of around $2,332 a month. With rental prices for private housing rising sharply over the last couple of years the first home buyers capacity to save a deposit has been dramatically undermined and along with rising living costs the first home buyer is struggling.

The housing affordability crisis in Australia has come about because of a shortage of available housing and the excessive cost of raw land, long delays in planning approvals and the high cost of infrastructure to support community services. All of these factors are contributing to delays in residential construction.

A similar housing affordability crisis is occurring in the UK for first home buyers brought on by a prevalent housing shortage. The UK mortgage market has been pushing for longer fixed rate loan terms for periods up to 25 years as an immediate solution to ease the housing affordability crisis for first home buyers.

The impact on Australian First Home Buyers…

The emerging trend in Australia at the moment for first home buyers is a delay in home ownership with preference given to maintaining their lifestyle and being able to live in a suburb of their own choice rather than making sacrifices to purchase a home in a less desirable location. With rising debt, large deposit requirements and soaring house prices the first home buyer is opting to rent rather than face the uncertainty of being unable to meet the monthly loan repayments of a new mortgage.

Mortgage relief for the First Home Buyer…

Mortgage brokers like Altrust Finance, financial institutions and the Australian government are all working towards finding lending solutions to alleviate the current housing affordability crisis for first home buyers. Low doc loans and non conforming home loans are making it easier for families and individuals to own their own home. New shared equity schemes aimed at reducing the upfront costs of home ownership for the first home buyer as well as reducing loan repayments are emerging in the Australian mortgage market place. Non conforming loans, no deposit loans and family guarantee mortgages are all available to the first home buyer and are aimed at addressing the needs of the borrower. Australian mortgage brokers like Altrust Finance Group now have the flexibility to offer first home buyers a range of home loan options to beat the housing affordability crisis and purchase their first home.

© Rob Donald, Altrust Finance Group 30th August, 2007
www.altrust.com.au

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The subprime mortgage real estate fiasco has created a glut of residential real estate in the real estate market. Foreclosures are on the rise and it doesn’t look like the end is in sight for at least another year. Thousands of home owners are losing their homes because adjustable mortgage rates have adjusted upward and caused increases of monthly mortgage payments so high that the affected home owners just can’t make the payments. It is inevitable, under these circumstances that many homes go into foreclosure and banks have to take them back.

While it is unfortunate that many home owners are losing their homes, the opposite and upside effect is that the real estate market is now a boom for the first time home buyer.

Mortgage interest rates are still low and banks and real estate lending institutions have 30-40 year fixed loans for home buyers. With home values in many areas around the country, such as California, plummeting anywhere from 30-50 percent of what they were a year ago, the market is wide open for buyers who have never owed a home and would like to do so now.

Lending institutions and sellers are very motivated now and are readily lending their ears to home buyers saying “lets make a deal” and deal they will. Here are some of the innovative and sensible ways home buyers can now acquire a home of their own when they are armed with some real estate homebuyer education.

1. Use government grants and loans for down payment assistance.

The federal government in 2003 established the American Dream Down Payment Act. This federal law has allocated $200 Million a year since 2003 to assist with arranging down payments for first time home buyers. This is a good indication of just how serious the government is about helping Americans make the American dream of home ownership come true.

Fannie Mae, one of the many federally supported programs for home buyers has programs such as the MyCommunity Fixed Rate Mortgage. This unique program is ideally suited for the first time home buyer. It provides for low down payment, high loan to value with broad flexibility, including nontraditional credit considerations allowing for the buyer to qualify for the loan. It also has special financial options to serve public servant professions such as teachers, police officers, firefighters and health care workers, and people with disabilities.100% financing is available with 30-40 year fixed rates. Check out the details at http://www.efannie.com.

These funds, in addition to other government funding sources, are made available through federal, state and local government agencies that provide down payment assistance to their citizens on a case by case basis.

Every major city and county has one of these programs. One need only exercise a little initiative and these funds can be acquired. Contact your local housing authority, city managers office or county administration department to find out about them and how to apply.

2. Use non-profit agency down payment assistance

Another little known, but long existing opportunity for first time home buyers to acquire help with down payment assistance is the numerous numbers of non-profit agencies around the country that provide free down payment assistance to home buyers. The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, enacted by Congress in 1977 and revised in 1995, requires banks located within identified communities to make loans and reinvest the depositors’ deposits within that community.

For decades now and continuing into the future banks have been making huge amounts of funds available to invest in targeted communities. However, the availability of the funds was not publicized in a significant way and many people did not and still do not know about these funds. Many non-profit agencies became aware that they could help in the community revitalization effort by creating a means whereby the banks could channel the funds through various home assistance programs that non-profits created. The non-profits that specialize in this type of program have grown over the years. Some are very large and are nation wide such as the Nehemiah Corporation – www.nehemiahcorp.org.

They get funding from the banks via the Community Reinvestment Act and other funding sources and then provide for down payment assistance and other housing assistance to persons desiring to own a home.

One of the high points of these programs is that the funding is often times not limited to first time home buyers and certainly is not limited to only low income home buyers. This creates yet another source of down payment assistance for the prospective home buyer. Given the numerous avenues of funding to assist in buying a home and the present market swing in favor of home buyers, buyers are now firmly in the driver’s seat.

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All the signals are right if you are a first home buyer living in Australia. At no previous time has a first home buyer had access to a number of cash subsidies and savings that have resulted firstly from individual state government initiatives and secondly from initiative by the Federal Government to encourage first home buyers back into the market. By providing generous subsidies and grants it is hoped that more first home buyers will be out and about looking for a new home and this will provide the stimulus for increased construction activity in the home sector.

In NSW the state government introduced a New Home Buyers supplement Effective from 11 November 2008. Under this arrangement a NSW First Home Buyer who is purchasing a newly constructed home will receive a Supplement of $3,000.

This will be will be added to the existing $7,000 grant for eligible First Home Owner Grant applicants building a new home or buying a newly constructed home. For the time being, the $3,000 Supplement will only be available for 12 months (11 November 2008 to 10 November 2009 inclusive), at which time it will be reviewed in the context of the property market. One can probably assume that if the global crisis continues beyond November 09 then the first home buyer supplement will be extended for a further period.

This first home buyer supplement is on top of the $14,000 provided under the Commonwealth’s First Home Owner Boost scheme. This will give eligible First Home Owner Grant applicants i.e. first home buyers building a new home or buying a newly constructed home a total of $24,000 towards the cost of their new acquisition.

Effective from 1 July 2009 (still subject to Federal Government approval) the First Home Owner Grant and NSW New Home Buyers Supplement will be capped and only be available for properties valued up to $750,000. This is likely to include the majority of first home buyer purchases and is a terrific incentive for first home buyers to enter the market. Other Australian states also provide incentives at State level to first home buyers – the Commonwealth ‘boost” scheme obviously applies to all states and territories.

To date the most funding under the first home buyer schemes in NSW has gone to Liverpool ($98 million +), followed by Campbelltown ($70m +) Wentorthville (69m+) and Blacktown ($63m+). In NSW as at 8th January a total of $5 billion has been paid in subsidies and grants to first home buyers. These subsidies for first home buyers include:

· $7000 additional grant for new homes where contracts were signed between 9 March 2001 and 31December 2001

· $3000 additional grant for new homes where contracts were signed between 1 January 2002 and 30June 2002

· $7000 Boost Payment for established homes where contracts were signed from 14 October 2008

· $14 000 Boost Payment for new homes where contracts were signed from 14 October 2008

· $3000 NSW New Home Buyers Supplement for new homes where contracts were signed from 11November 2008.

In addition to the above mentioned subsidies and grants first home buyers in NSW also have access to concessions relating to stamp duty costs.

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FHA Home Mortgage Loans

 Since the 1930s, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has been helping Florida families become homeowners with a set of loan programs commonly known as FHA mortgage loans. Despite the longevity and popularity of these FHA loan programs, many would-be Florida homeowners really don’t understand the advantages to the FHA home loan.

The FHA is an agency of the Federal government that insures private FHA mortgage lenders against loss. FHA was Formed by congress in 1934.  and FHA became part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Housing (HUD) in 1965. Today FHA acts as a buffer between FHA mortgage lenders by reducing their risk in issuing FHA loans as well as helping Florida mortgage applicants get FHA loan amounts they wouldn’t qualify for with traditional financing terms.

 FHA loans are not just for Florida first time buyers and are available to everyone in Florida  looking to purchase or refinance a Florida home. If refinancing a Florida home the current FHA loan Does NOT have to be an FHA loan.

The most popular FHA mortgage loan program nationwide is the FHA 203(b). The  FHA home loan that only requires Florida homebuyers come up with a minimum of 3.5% down payment from the Florida  buyer and permits 100% of their money needed to close to be a gift from a relative, non-profit organization, or government agency.

Today, FHA home loans  play a critical role in financing for Florida minority mortgage applicants and Florida  first time home buyers, borrowers who have troubled credit history, and Florida first time homebuyers who have little money to put down on a home. Other advantages to FHA home loans include:

Florida FHA Mortgage Loan Providing mortgage solutions for those looking for an FHA loan in Florida!

Florida home buyers should know the many advantages of the FHA mortgage loan programs. FHA loans were created to help increase home ownership. For the Florida home buyer the FHA program can simplify the purchase of a home, making financing easier and less expensive than a conventional mortgage loan product. Some highlights of the Florida FHA loan program include:

Minimal Down Payment and Closing costs.

Down payment less than 3% of Sales Price Gifts are allowed Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards closing and prepaid costs. 100% Financing available No reserves required. FHA regulated closing costs.

Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:  

No minimum FICO score or credit score requirements. FHA will allow a home purchase 1 year after a Bankruptcy. FHA will allow a home purchase2 years after a Foreclosure.

Apply now for an FHA Home loan at http://www.fhamortgagefhaloan.com/

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