Like some of my blogs that don’t involve buying and selling real estate, I sometimes go a little personal and answer some questions that I have asked myself.  Today is Palm Sunday, and though I will be getting ready soon to go to church and celebrate a very important holiday for myself and my family.  I wanted to revisit the meaning of Palm Sunday.

Due to the fact that the explanation may be misinterpreted if I do it I went further and did some research on the internet and now would like you to see what I found.

I hope you all enjoy and to those celebrating this holiday, have a very blessed day!

MEANING BEHIND THE CATHOLIC HOLIDAY OF PALM SUNDAY

CATHERINE CATALETTO Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 917-829-1402

So FUNNY, how sometimes we celebrate or acknowledge a holiday or event without knowing where it orginated from, how long it goes back or what the meaning is.  As I get older, I find myself trying to answer some questions so I can enjoy it even more.

I hope this information I found answers some of your questions.?

OH BY THE WAY….THIS ISN’T AN APRIL FOOL’S JOKE!!!!  (SMILE)

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE DID APRIL FOOLS COME FROM!

CATHY CATALETTO Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 917-829-1402

For more fun, informative and interesting blogs you can visit me at:  CathyCataletto.com

A client asked me 6 weeks ago, what is the best time to list your home.  Should we wait until the summer, or is spring a better time.

With the years of me selling real estate, history does repeat itself and this holds true to this question.

My answer to her was “There is a no time better time to sell a home then when that one buyer sees it on the market”

Taking my experience into consideration and seeing it with the proof I was able to show her with my other listings, she decided to list her home.

I am happy to report, that we are now, in the middle of the winter, fighting snow storm after snow storm, going into contract.

When is the best time to sell your home?….Anytime that theres a buyer looking to purchase it.

Cathy Cataletto – 917-829-1402

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson and Certified Short Salesperson

Cathy Cataletto Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 917-829-1402

Here we are, at this time of the year where we have to set our clocks BACK AN HOUR TONIGHT.  Daylight Savings time..FALL BACK!!!!

At this time I would also like to remind anyone that have vacant homes to winterize them.  For the people who live in their homes also remember to take care of your outside houses and underground sprinklers. 

Everyone enjoy the cooler weather and as the winter approaches us, you should check in if you know anyone who is elderly and lives alone…to make sure they have heat!

 
ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE MARKET THAT WE’RE IN,  PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME.

Cathy Cataletto Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 917-829-1402

Though we would all like to say that real estate is selling like hot cakes, the facts are that as long as there is movement then there is a market that can satisfy both buyers and sellers.

Years ago, when interest rates where starting at 17%..yes 17%…homes weren’t selling like crazy, but we made many buyers and sellers happy.  For whatever reason the makes a market slower then what many would like to see it, we are still far from the worse it “could be”.

Location, location, location is a saying that is known to almost all of us, but when a market is “tighter” then not, one ore two of the those important “locations” is now replaced with price.

Which is not a bad thing. 

It becomes a fair thing.

Yes, in a perfect world, we as humans would love to get the most money that is coming to us, and pay less then what someone would like to sell it to us for.  What this market does, BECAUSE THE INTEREST RATES ARE AT AN ALL HISTORY LOW…IS FOR US TO GET LESS AND PAY LESS..

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT?  IT ALLOWS EVERYONE TO MOVE ON,,,THE MOVE BECOMES SUCH A FINANICAL BENEFIT BECAUSE OF THE LOW INTEREST RATES..WHICH IS WHAT STAYS WITH YOU AS THAT BUYER FOR MANY YEARS.

So, when people ask me “how is the market”, my reply to them is, it’s a market like we’ve never seen before, but on the same hand, it is a Fair market.

If you would like any other information regarding the market in my area, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Cathy Cataletto Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 917-829-1402

Welcome to Staten Island

Below you can find the statistics of homes being sold on Staten Island, New York. 

What do these numbers really mean?  Who do they include? 

Well to start off, these numbers are homes sold by licensed real estate salespeople.  It is a clear indication that our professional experience still as it did for decades, help with sale and purchase of homes.  Our services are still needed, especially in a difficult market and we continue to prove our worth to the public. 

These home sales all include, bank owned, foreclosures, short sales, and the conventional home sales. 

These are very good numbers in the market that we’re in and gives a lot of hope to people who are in the process of selling their home, or are indecisive 

The most recent homes that have acceptances and that are under contract from January 1, 2010 to date are:   948 (nine hundred and forty-eight) 

Homes that have sold from January 1, 2010 to date are:  1938 (one thousand, nine hundred and thirty-eight) 

If you would like additional information or to find out how I can help you to become part of these great statistics, please feel free to reach out to me. 

Who is Cathy Cataletto? 

Search homes like a real estate salesperson by clicking on this link! 

Cathy Cataletto Licensed Real Estate Salesperson & Short Sale Certified Agent

Everyone should understand that every market area has its own statistics, and when compared nationwide, it can be very misleading as to the home sales in your very own backyard. 

There are areas that have been severely effected by the “housing bubble”, some feel it already popped, some feel that we haven’t even seen the worse of it yet, while others feel that we are on an upswing.  If you traveled to other states and spoke to Realtors, you will be surprised to hear their “version”.  Funny, how so many different versions can all be factual. 

Keep in mind that real estate will always sell, what the prices are all vary according to the supply and demand.  

Almost everyone at one time in their lives will have the real estate to sell.  Some sell due to changes in their lives that are productive ones while others due to circumstances not within their control.  On the other hand you will always have buyers, as with sellers, some buyers are forced to find a home to buy.  The circle of real estate, no matter how down the market is/seems, homes are still selling. 

I have found a very interesting article pertaining to this subject:  New York-Will the housing market come back? 

If you have any questions about the housing market in my area, don’t hesitate to contact me at: cathycataletto@aol.com – or you can visit me at cathycataletto.com and see my other interesting blogs. 

Cathy Cataletto Licensed Real Estate Salesperson and Certified Short Sale Agent

Who is CATHY CATALETTO? 

SEARCH THE INTERNET LIKE A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL.

Fannie Mae’s Latest Nationwide Survey Shows Consumers See Mixed Outlook for Housing

Majority of Americans Believe Home Prices Have Bottomed

Rents Expected to Increase More than Home Prices

Americans Remain Cautious, with Many Preferring to Rent Now and Buy Later

Mortgage Borrowers and Underwater Borrowers Are Less Discouraged About Homeownership, While Delinquent Borrowers and Renters Are More Pessimistic

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/  Fannie Mae’s (OTC Bulletin Board: FNMA) latest national housing survey finds that most Americans believe the housing market has reached bottom, but they are more cautious about owning a home.  Respondents to the Fannie Mae National Housing Survey believe that home prices will hold steady (47 percent) or increase (31 percent) over the next year, and that rental prices will stay the same (46 percent) or go up (39 percent).  Across the general population, the average expected rise in rental prices is four times that of home prices (3.6 percent versus 0.9 percent).

Seventy percent of Americans think it is a good time to buy a house, compared with 64 percent in a similar survey conducted in January 2010.  But 33 percent — up from 30 percent — of all respondents said they would be more likely to rent their next home if they were to move.

“Our survey shows that consumers see a mixed outlook for housing and homeownership,” said Doug Duncan, Vice President and Chief Economist, Fannie Mae.  ”These findings indicate a return to a more balanced and realistic approach toward housing. While this will likely weigh on the housing recovery in the near-term, it should, over time, help to build a stronger and healthier market focused on sustainable homeownership.”

“Although most Americans believe that home prices have bottomed, they are adopting a much more cautious approach toward buying,” Duncan continued.  ”Homeowners and renters alike continue to be wary of taking on risk, and they are less confident in the long-term outlook for housing.”

A majority of Americans (67 percent) continue to believe that housing is a safe investment; however, that number is down 16 percentage points from a similar survey conducted in 2003 — the largest drop by far among all investment types tracked since then.  Delinquent borrowers and renters are notably more discouraged than mortgage borrowers and underwater borrowers about a home’s safety as an investment and the appeal of buying versus renting.  More than 70 percent of all respondents believe it will be harder for the next generation to buy a home, up three points from the beginning of the year.

The Fannie Mae National Housing Survey polled homeowners and renters between June 2010 and July 2010.  Findings were compared to a similar survey conducted by Fannie Mae from December 2009 to January 2010 and released in April 2010, and a similar survey conducted in 2003.  

OVERVIEW OF KEY FINDINGS

Consumers More Confident That Housing Market Has Bottomed, But Less Certain About the Future

The survey revealed that Americans are feeling increasingly more confident that the housing market has hit bottom, but they are less certain about the longer-term prospects for homeownership.  

• A large majority of Americans (78 percent) believe that home prices either will remain flat or go up over the next year, up five points from the beginning of the year.  Forty-seven percent believe prices will hold steady, while 31 percent think they will go up.  This is a notable shift from January 2010, when these numbers were 36 percent and 37 percent, respectively.

• Thirty-nine percent think rental prices will increase over the next 12 months, while 46 percent said they will stay the same.

• Consumers continue to believe it is a buyers’ market; 70 percent said it is a good time to buy a house, up six points from January.  However, 83 percent believe it is a bad time to sell a house.  

• A majority of Americans (67 percent) continue to believe that buying a home is a safe investment, although this is down three points since January and 16 points since 2003.  Housing ranked second behind putting money into a savings or money market account (76 percent).

• Fifty-four percent think it would be very difficult or somewhat difficult to get a home loan today, down six points since January.  However, 71 percent of Americans think buying a home will be harder for the next generation, up three points since January.

Consumers Continue to Be Cautious in Housing Decisions

The survey showed that consumers are taking on less risk, and are more uncertain about owning versus renting.  

• The number of respondents who said they would be more likely to rent rather than buy their next home if they were going to move increased from 30 percent in January to 33 percent in July.  

• A majority of renters said they would be more likely to rent their next home if they were to move, increasing significantly from 54 percent in January to 60 percent in July, even though 69 percent of renters think it makes more sense to buy a home.

• Twenty-two percent of mortgage borrowers said they have reduced their mortgage debt significantly in the last year, and 27 percent of the mortgage borrowers say they have reduced their non-mortgage debt significantly.

Views on Homeownership Diverge Among Sub-groups

The survey also found that mortgage borrowers and underwater mortgage borrowers are less discouraged about homeownership, but delinquent borrowers and renters are growing more pessimistic.

• Mortgage borrowers (74 percent) and underwater borrowers (69 percent) are more likely to say owning a home is a safe investment than delinquent borrowers (57 percent) and renters (54 percent).  However, this measure has fallen among all sub-groups since January, with delinquent borrowers and renters showing the largest declines, down eight and seven points, respectively.

• Mortgage borrowers (83 percent) and underwater borrowers (77 percent) said they are more likely to buy in the future than rent — both groups increased two points from January.  

• The number of renters (37 percent) and delinquent borrowers (52 percent) who said they are more likely to buy in the future declined by seven and four points from January, respectively.

Economic and Housing Attitudes Among Minority Respondents

The survey showed a mix of optimism and concern among African-Americans and Hispanics as to how they think about the economy, their financial situations and abilities to obtain a mortgage.

• Forty-eight percent of African-Americans and 36 percent of Hispanics believe the economy is on the right track, compared to just 30 percent of the general public.

• Seventy-one percent of African-Americans and 58 percent of Hispanics expect their personal finances to get better over the next year, compared to 44 percent of the general public.

• African-Americans (65 percent) and Hispanics (72 percent) believe that obtaining a home mortgage today would be difficult, compared to 54 percent of the general public.

• African-Americans (75 percent) and Hispanics (76 percent) both still believe that owning a home is a good way to build up wealth that can be passed along to their families, compared to 58 percent of the general population.

A fact sheet containing a complete set of the survey’s key findings can be found at: Fannie Mae National Housing Survey Fact Sheet.

Survey Methodology

From June 12, 2010 — July 14, 2010, 3,399 telephone interviews were conducted with Americans aged 18 and older to assess their confidence in homeownership as an investment, the current state of their household finances, views on the U.S. housing finance system and overall confidence in the economy.  

This included a random sample of 3,001 members of the general population, including 870 homeowners, 1,020 mortgage borrowers, 900 renters, and 289 underwater borrowers (those who report owing at least 5% more on their mortgage than their home is worth).  The overall margin of error for the general population sample is +/- 1.79% and larger for sub-groups.

An additional oversample of 398 random national delinquent borrowers was also polled.  The margin of error for the delinquent borrower oversample is +/- 4.91% and larger for sub-groups.  Delinquency was defined as not having made a mortgage payment in the past 60 or more days.

Interviews were conducted by Penn Schoen Berland, in coordination with Fannie Mae.

For more information about the survey, visit http://www.fanniemae.com/about/housing-survey.html.

Fannie Mae exists to expand affordable housing and bring global capital to local communities in order to serve the U.S. housing market. Fannie Mae has a federal charter and operates in America’s secondary mortgage market to enhance the liquidity of the mortgage market by providing funds to mortgage bankers and other lenders so that they may lend to home buyers.  Our job is to help those who house America.- SOURCE Fannie Mae

For more of my blogs, you can visit me at:  cathycataletto.com

Who is CATHY CATALETTO?

Cathy Cataletto Licensed Real Estate Salersperson and Certified Short Sale Agent

Search the internet like a Real Estate Agent!

We all hear these terminologies, Short Sales, Foreclosures, Pre-forclosure, Bank Owned Loan Modification ,  and it’s very easy to get confused, which makes it more frustrating and stressful to a homeowner that is in NEED TO DO A SHORT SALE.

 A short sale really isn’t something to fear, in fact, when a homeowner is educated as to the meaning and the stages of a short sale, they welcome it.  If a short sale is done CORRECTLY it is a wonderful burden taken off a financially distraught homeowner.The course and the certificates that an Agent receives is a good indication if that Agent is able to help guide that homeowner in the right direction.

There are so many myths vs facts which makes for a lot of homeowners to lose their homes.

With all the years that I’ve sold Real Estate and with my Designation of being a Short Sale Agent, it seems that I never grow a thick skin when I see that a homeowner has lost their home, and walks away owing so much money.  Knowing that I have the, education, the tools and the experience, I just wish I could’ve been able to give them a fighting chance.

The questions of all those myths and facts vary from…

Is it too early to start a short sale, how long does a short sale take, how long can I stay in my home, if I am NOT BEHIND ON MY MORTGAGE can I still fit into the criteria of having the bank accept a short sale, what does the word short sale mean, do I owe money, do I pay money, can I get money at the closing from any proceeds on the short sale?…..

These are only a few questions that many homeowners are asking, not even to mention the foreclosures, pre-foreclosures, bank owned and loan modifications.

So in “short”, don’t hesitate to ask question, if you ever heard the expression, “theres no stupid question” this surely applies to that statment.  The right Agent, a little education and the ability to see the reality of things, you may be surprised that there is a chance of you getting a major burden off your shoulders.

I hope to hear from anyone that can use my assistance, help is only a phone call away. 917-829-1402

Cathy Cataletto-Licensed Real Estate Salesperson and Certified Short Sale Agent

To see more of my blogs like Short Sales, Foreclosures, Preforclosure, Bank Owned, Loan Modification-When is the “right time” for a short sale-you can visit me at: cathycataletto.com

Who is Cathy Cataletto?

If you would like to search the internet like an agent, double click on this link and enjoy!