New L.I.F.E. Project

We are very proud to announce we have our 2nd L.I.F.E project underway! The video below was provided by Mrs. Lindsay Andersen and only touches the surface of what this family has been through.

Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper is proud to have been given the opportunity to pair this family with a home just in time for the holidays. Keep an eye out for the progress and completion updates, there is much more to come!

http://www.ktvb.com/news/health/One-soldiers-story-of-losing-limbs-and-fighting-for-his-life-231508841.html

L.I.F.E. - Ribbon Cutting

We here at Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper, REALTORS® are all excited to announce our first L.I.F.E. (Living In Freedom Everyday) project is now officially complete! The Ross family is already in the process of moving into their newly ultra accessible rental.

On October 2, we had a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate this momentous occasion. Because of the great contributions, the Ross family now has wider doorways to their bedroom and bathroom along with a new roll-in shower that is large enough for Daniel to get in and out of with his wheelchair.

We would like to say, "THANKS" to all of those that made it possible for this remodel for the Ross family: Re-Bath of San Antonio, Air Warrior Courage Foundation, Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, and Freedom Alliance. And of course thanks to Kenneth & Lacy Rodriguez for allowing us to convert their home for the L.I.F.E. program. Also thanks to American Medical & Rehab for donating the medical bed and a very big thanks to Dusty Russell for spearheading the project and making sure everything happened!

We are thrilled for the Ross family and their new rental and look forward to many more L.I.F.E. projects to give back to our Warriors who have given so much for us. Also, check out our video of the day HERE! 

For more information about our new L.I.F.E. program, check out our previous post HERE. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Dusty Russell at drussell@cbharper.com or 210-483-7013.

L.I.F.E. 2013

Very few houses on the market are handicap accessible, and almost no rental homes are. What if there was a program that helps home owners convert their homes to be ultra accessible?

 CBDHR has stepped up to help meet the needs for accessibility in the rental market. We are calling the program L.I.F.E. (Living In Freedom Everyday). We have all heard over and over about the homes being built for our Wounded Soldiers through various different Non-profit organizations, but what you don’t see or hear is that this is only available for a handful of soldiers and only applies to those moving permanently.

Dusty Russell, Asst. Dir. of New Business Services, sees and deals with this issue every day, as she has been tasked with locating the rental housing needed for these soldiers and their families for the past 3 years. "We have hundreds of soldiers in our community that are here to recover and eventually go home. The on-base housing is limited and they don’t deserve to have to live in Hotels for a year simply because there is not access for them and their needs in our rental homes. I am so excited to be heading up this new project and would really love to see it’s enthusiasm cause a wave of action in our community."

Meet our first L.I.F.E. recipient in need, Daniel Ross. He is a soldier, husband, and father to 3 young children. He was injured in battle and is now a quadriplegic. Daniel will not be moving to San Antonio permanently, therefore, he needs to lease for his time here. The problem is that handicapped rentals in the area are far and few in-between.

Re-Bath of San Antonio and Kenneth & Lacy Rodriguez, the owners of 9430 Anderson Way in Converse TX 78109, have also stepped up to this challenge and will be the "stars" in this first event. Mr. & Mrs. Rodriguez have approved us to permanently modify their home to give Mr. Ross the access he and his family need to live comfortably while he faces the challenges of his new life. Re-Bath of San Antonio is donating a custom roll-in shower, complete with upgraded fixtures, labor included!

 Construction on the new Master bath began on Tuesday September 17th. We are calling this PHASE I and it will consist of Demo to the master bath and master bedroom door. All flooring, trim and old tub will be removed and the new roll-in will be installed.
Construction for PHASE II began Monday September 23rd and will consist of Sheetrock, fixtures, towel bars, tile, new master bedroom door and paint. This is our final PHASE and will complete the project. We also would like to thank Air Warrior Courage Foundation, Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, and Freedom Alliance for helping out with this PHASE. Without you, we would have not been able to get this done. Another big thank you to American Medical & Rehab for donating the medical bed.

We are all excited to start in our new venture to give back to these warriors who have given so much for us.

April realtor.com Report Shows Housing Recovery Accelerating

Realtor.com®, a leader in online real estate operated by Move, Inc., released its April data showing that the U.S. housing market is on its way to a broad-based recovery, an accelerated trend since March. The home-buying season shifted into high gear last month as inventory and home list prices on realtor.com® increased by 4.12 percent and 2.63 percent, month over month, respectively. As of April, homes are on the market nationwide approximately 81 days—a decrease of nearly 11 percent since April 2012—highlighting that while new homes are entering the market they are not available for long. “Due to increased demand for homes and more confidence in the job market—we are beginning to see more and more buyers entering the housing market,” says Steve Berkowitz, chief executive officer of Move. “Home buying season is off to a strong start, as buyers capitalize on moderate housing prices and snatch up homes quickly. In some markets, we are seeing homes staying on the market for only a few weeks.” Despite the increase in inventory month over month, nationwide inventory declined year over year in all but 11 of the 146 markets realtor.com® monitors. Approximately 36 markets registered a decrease of listings by 20 percent or more, still highlighting near records lows of available homes. Approximately 37 markets experienced a decline in list price since last year, a figure that has been improving throughout the home buying season. The number of markets throughout the nation experiencing a steady or slight decline in median list prices is decreasing throughout the home buying season, another positive signal for the overall housing market recovery. In April, median list prices increased in 109 markets. National Data - In April, the total number of single-family homes, condos, townhomes and co-ops for sale in the U.S. (1,750,839) increased by 4.12 percent month-over-month. On an annual basis, however, inventory decreased by 13.54 percent. - The national median list price for single-family homes, condos, townhomes and co-ops ($194,900) increased by 2.63 percent vs. March, and 3.12 percent since April last year. - The median age of inventory of for sale listings (81) fell by nearly 11 percent in comparison to April last year. Local Data - Only seven markets throughout the nation experienced a one percent or greater year on year increase in housing inventory since April 2012. The Shreveport-Bossier City, LA market lead the pack with an increase of inventory of 19.16 percent since April last year. - California continues to dominate the top 10 list of markets with the largest increase in median list price throughout the nation—only two regions in the list fall outside of California. These markets were hit the strongest by the housing crisis and are showing a great rebound as the housing recovery picks up steam. Oakland experienced the largest year over year increase in list price at 46.94 percent. The Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, Calif. market followed at 44.81 percent. Sacramento, Calif.; San Jose, CA; Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif.; Orange County, Calif.; Detroit, Mich.; Ventura, Calif.; Fresno, Calif.; and Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz. rounded out the top markets with the largest increases in list prices in the nation. For more information, visit www.realtor.com. RISMEDIA, Thursday, May 16, 2013—

Is It Okay to Break Your Lease If Landlord Wants to Sell?

As the real estate market creeps back to life, many tenants may be wondering if they can break their lease if their landlord puts the rental property up for sale. After all, once the property is sold, a tenant could be faced with a lot of uncertainties -- such as dealing with a new landlord who may have very different ideas about what he or she wants to do with the property. While you may just want to pack up and look for a new place to live, your ability to break your lease in this situation is limited by the lease you signed, and by your state's landlord-tenant laws. What Does Your Lease Say? In general, you should first look to your lease to learn about your rights and obligations if the property is put up for sale. Some leases include a sales provision because landlords want the flexibility to make tenants move out if such an opportunity arises. Similarly, a lease may give tenants the option to find a new apartment as soon as the property is placed on the market. However, the issue can get more difficult if your lease says nothing about the issue. Most states do not give tenants an automatic opt-out of the lease if the property is put up for sale. Instead, the lease will generally remain in effect -- just under a new landlord. This means in most cases, a tenant's original lease should be respected. However, state laws do vary, so you will want to talk to a landlord-tenant lawyer in your jurisdiction to learn about your exact rights. When Breaking Your Lease May Be Allowed Even if your lease is silent about what happens if your landlord wants to sell, you may still be able to legally break your lease. For example, if your landlord violates any terms of your lease while the property is being sold -- such as by forcing you to make your apartment available every day for open houses -- you may be able to get out of your lease because of the breach of contract terms. But before resorting to legal measures, tenants looking to break their lease may want to consider talking with their landlord first. Your concerns may be alleviated if your landlord makes it clear that the sale won't happen until the end of your lease term, that the new landlord will respect your lease, or that the sales process will not intrude on your enjoyment of your unit. By Andrew Lu RISMEDIA, Tuesday, February 12, 2013—

2012 Vacation Home Sales Up, Investment Dips but Stays Elevated, Prices Rise

Vacation home sales improved in 2012, while investment purchases remained elevated for a second consecutive year, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR’s 2013 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, covering existing- and new-home transactions in 2012, shows vacation-home sales rose 10.1 percent to 553,000 from 502,000 in 2011. Investment-home sales declined 2.1 percent to 1.21 million from 1.23 million in 2011, but those sales had been well under a million during the market downturn. Owner-occupied purchases jumped 17.4 percent to 3.27 million last year from 2.79 million in 2011. Vacation-home sales accounted for 11 percent of all transactions last year, unchanged from 2011, while the portion of investment sales was 24 percent in 2012, down from 27 percent in 2011, marking the second highest share since 2005. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says favorable conditions are driving second-home sales. “We had a strong stock market recovery, which helps more people in the prime ages for buying vacation homes. Attractively priced recreational property is also a big draw,” he says. Yun notes an ongoing investor presence. “Investors have been very active in the market over the past two years, attracted mostly by discounted foreclosures that could be quickly turned into profitable rentals,” he says. “With rising prices and limited inventory, notably in the low price ranges, investors are likely to step back in coming years.” The median investment-home price was $115,000 in 2012, up 15.0 percent from $100,000 in 2011, while the median vacation-home price was $150,000, compared with $121,300 in 2011, reflecting a greater number of more expensive recreational property sales in 2012. All-cash purchases remain common in the investment- and vacation-home market: half of investment buyers paid cash in 2012, as did 46 percent of vacation-home buyers. Forty-seven percent of investment homes purchased in 2012 were distressed homes, as were 35 percent of vacation homes. Of buyers who financed their purchase with a mortgage in 2012, large downpayments remain typical. The median downpayment for both investment- and vacation-home buyers was 27 percent, the same as in 2011. Investment-home buyers in 2012 had a median age of 45, earned $85,700 and bought a home that was relatively close to their primary residence – a median distance of 21 miles, although 29 percent were more than 100 miles away. Thirty-five percent of investment buyers purchased more than one property. “Property flipping modestly increased in in 2012,” Yun says. “However, this isn’t flipping in the sense of what took place during the housing boom. Rather, investors generally are renovating and improving properties before placing them back on the market to resell at a profit.” Six percent of homes purchased by investment buyers last year have already been resold, and another 8 percent are planned to be sold within a year. In the 2011 study, 5 percent of investment homes were already resold, and 8 percent were planned to be sold within a year. Overall, investment buyers plan to hold the property for a median of 8 years, up from 5 years in 2011. Seventy-eight percent of all second-home buyers said it was a good time to buy, compared with 68 percent of primary residence buyers. “This suggests that second-home buyers tend to be a step ahead of general buyers in sensing a market recovery,” Yun said. The typical vacation-home buyer was 47 years old, had a median household income of $92,100 and purchased a property that was a median distance of 435 miles from their primary residence; 34 percent of vacation homes were within 100 miles and 46 percent were more than 500 miles. Buyers plan to own their recreational property for a median of 10 years. Lifestyle factors remain the primary motivation for vacation-home buyers, while rental income is the main factor in investment purchases. Buyers listed many reasons buyers for purchasing a vacation home: 80 percent want to use the property for vacations or as a family retreat, 27 percent plan to use it as a primary residence in the future, 23 percent plan to rent to others and 23 percent wanted to diversify their investments or saw a good investment opportunity. Fifty-five percent of investment buyers said they purchased for rental income, 30 percent wanted to diversify their investments or saw a good investment opportunity, and 20 percent wanted to use the home for vacations or as a family retreat. Eleven percent of vacation buyers and 16 percent of investment buyers purchased the property for a family member, friend or relative to use, often for a son or daughter to use while attending school. Forty-five percent of vacation homes purchased last year were in the South, 25 percent in the West, 17 percent in the Northeast and 12 percent in the Midwest. Thirty-six percent of investment properties purchased last in the South, 28 percent in the West, 20 percent in the Northeast and 16 percent in the Midwest. Forty-seven percent of investment buyers said they were likely to purchase another investment property within two years, as did 37 percent of vacation-home buyers. Twenty-nine percent of vacation buyers said they were likely to purchase another vacation home within two years, as did 31 percent of investment buyers. Approximately 42.8 million people in the U.S. are ages 50-59 – a group that dominated second-home sales in the middle part of the past decade and established records. An additional 43.1 million people are 40-49 years old, which is the prime age for current buyers, while another 40.1 million are 30-39. NAR’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data shows there are 7.9 million vacation homes and 43.7 million investment units in the U.S., compared with 75.2 million owner-occupied homes. NAR’s 2013 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, conducted in March 2013, includes answers from 2,326 usable responses about homes purchased during 2012. The survey controlled for age and income, based on information from the larger 2012 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, to limit any biases in the characteristics of respondents.

Pros and cons of renting vs. buying a home

At some point in your life, you will ask yourself the question, “Is it better to rent or to buy?” and the answer is almost always: “It depends on the state of housing and your circumstances.”After 2008, when the U.S. economy bottomed out and the housing bubble burst, the standard belief that it’s always better to own, rather than rent, was turned on its head. When home values plummeted and many people found they were upside-down in their mortgages (owed more than the home was worth), the American dream of owning was shattered and renting was suddenly the desired living style. That’s why the “Rent vs. Buy” question requires people to examine all the elements of the decision, since where we live is an emotional decision as well as an economic one. Here’s one way to break down the issues:Pros of Renting Lower cost upfront – As a renter, you will be required to pay first and last month’s rent and perhaps a security deposit for a pet. If you buy, you will be required to pay a hefty down payment, plus costs for the home inspection, closing costs and other potential items such as a survey and sewer scope. It’s a difference of a few thousand dollars if you rent compared with tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars if you buy. Freedom and flexibility – If you are new to the area, you can rent and use this time to check out neighborhoods to see where you might possibly want to buy. By renting you can test an area without committing to it. Invest money elsewhere – You can take money that would normally be spent on a down payment and house costs and invest in the stock market or other investment opportunities that could get a better return on value, depending on location.Uncertainty in your career -- If you think you might need to move in the near future, or are mulling job changes where you could be relocated elsewhere in the country, renting affords the freedom to come and go as needed.Uncertainty in income – If you expect a pay hike or pay cut in the near future, that can change your borrowing ability as well as impact your ability to pay a mortgage.Time to establish credit – Got bad credit? By creating a history of on-time rental payments, it can help you build good credit that you would need to qualify for a mortgage.No maintenance – When the pipe leaks under the sink, you don't head to your nearest hardware store, you head for the telephone and call the landlord. Incidental expenses – Occasionally, the landlord might pick up costs for utilities such as water, sewer, garbage, and in some cases heat and hot water as well.(Photo: Images_of_Money / Flickr)But there are downsides, too:– You may have no control over the fluctuation of your rent.– You might be limited in decorating the home or apartment.– You won’t build equity in your home.– You are subject to the landlord’s decisions.Pros of BuyingBuild equity – When you pay rent, you don't own anything. When you pay a mortgage, you increase your degree of ownership in your home with every payment. Also, you can borrow against your ownership (or equity) in the home to pay for major purchases and you can refinance your home at favorable rates to help fund major purchases.Submit tax deductions – You can deduct mortgage interest as well as your property taxes. Uncle Sam doesn't give renters this bonus. Not only that, but if you meet certain requirements the IRS won't apply a "capital gains" tax on your profits from the sale of your home. In addition, those who work from home may be eligible to take deductions for their home office and portions of utilities.Have creative control – You like dozens of pictures on the wall? Well, hammer away -- they are your walls now. Like the color mango? Go ahead and paint. Wish you had another room? Go ahead and add one.Maintenance choices – If you own a home, you can decide how to approach maintenance, either doing it yourself or picking your own contractor. If you live in a rental, you are at the mercy of the landlord when repairs are made and how.Pride of ownership – It might not make sense for everyone, but having a home you own is still the ultimate American Dream.While a home can be a good investment – and let's face it, you have to live somewhere – many financial experts caution against purchasing a home simply as an investment. Also, keep in mind that the dynamics of real estate markets across the U.S. vary greatly. This reality requires each consumer to be fairly sophisticated not only in terms of their own finances, but about all the data for the market in which they are looking. Zillow – Thu, May 31, 2012 2:54 PM EDT