Housing Seminar on Friday, July 10, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
in Fort Worth
Greater Fort Worth Association of REALTORS®
Contacts:
Rebekah LaMontagne, rebekah@gfwar.org or
(817) 336-5165 , ext 112
Ashley Callais, acallais@phprinc.com or 817 924 2300
Media Invited: Housing Seminar on Friday, July 10, 2009
from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Fort Worth
Affordable Housing Session to Equip REALTORS® with Valuable Tools to Assist Citizens who Need Help with Foreclosures, Refinancing, or Assistance Programs or who Can Benefit from Federal Programs
Who:
What:
When:
Where:
Why:
In an effort
to assist those looking for affordable homes, the Greater Fort Worth
Association of REALTORS® is hosting a seminar provided by the Texas
Association of REALTORS® to offer a certification opportunity for
its 2,200 members to become Texas Affordable Housing Specialists (12
hours of MCE credit).
The two-day program will educate REALTORS® via a twelve-hour certification
track to equip them with the tools to help buyers with:
• Low-cost financing
• Assistance programs
• The impact of “green” technologies,
• Materials on affordability
In addition to serving buyers or sellers effectively in those transactions, REALTORS® can
offer consumers insights into available programs and alternatives to foreclosure
including loan refinancing, restructuring, and preventative steps. Ms. Santmyer
also will review the Texas Association of REALTORS® Short Sale Addendum and
REALTOR® obligations and fiduciary duties when working with clients.
The media is encouraged to attend on Friday to audit and find out more information.
Credentials:
Who:
What:
- The National Association
of REALTORS® announced a third consecutive
month increase in pending home sales, a result of record low mortgage
interest rates and the first-time buyer tax credit, according to leading,
forward-looking
indicator, the Pending Home Sales Index. Based on contracts signed
in April, the indicator rose 6.7 percent to 90.3 from its 84.6 March
reading.
- The NAR’s Housing Affordability Index has been at record highs in recent months, rising from 171.9 in March to 174.8 in April. This increase has been the second highest monthly value on record since the January peak at 176.9. For purposes of comparison, a value of 100 on this index indicates that a median income family has precisely enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced, single-family home. Therefore, the higher the index, the better housing affordability is for buyers.
When:
Why:
“Housing affordability conditions have been at historic highs, but now, the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit is beginning to impact the market,” he said. “Since first-time buyers must finalize their purchase by November 30 to get the credit, we expect greater activity in the months ahead, and that should spark more sales by repeat buyers.”
In addition, while top NAR economists and analysts propose that the total number of existing-home sales will improve over time, they also caution that the increase will be varied according to regional market. The timeframes for recovery and improvement will fluctuate significantly according to location.
Details: