General News – Perry Hester

New Price-1645 Rayado Creek Ln

Perry Hester — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:07:17 +0000

Just listed-7340 Lakehurst Rd

Perry Hester — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:04:38 +0000

Recently Sold-6420 Franklin Ridge Dr

Perry Hester — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:02:04 +0000

New Price-333 Windrose

Perry Hester — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:54:17 +0000

New Price-6204 Franklin Hawk

Perry Hester — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 14:48:39 +0000

Just Sold-6225 Loma de Cristo

Perry Hester — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 14:48:03 +0000

Wave of Hispanic Buyers Shores Up U.S. Housing Market By Laura Kusisto and Ben Eisen Wall Street Journal

Perry Hester — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 14:47:26 +0000

Homeownership rate for Hispanics has increased more in recent years than any ethnic group

Hispanics are experiencing the largest homeownership gains of any ethnic group in the U.S., a turnaround for the population hardest hit by the housing bust that could help buoy the market for years.

The homeownership rate for Hispanics has increased more during the past several years than any race or ethnic group, including whites. The rate, which hit a 50-year low in 2015, has risen 3.3 percentage points since then, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

A New Survey Suggests How Much a Kitchen Remodel Might Cost You by Mitchell Parker, Houzz

Perry Hester — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 15:05:31 +0000

A New Survey Suggests How Much a Kitchen Remodel Might Cost You

It’s a good starting point, but the true cost will depend on regional and other factors

Many things in life can be boiled down to one central concern: What’s this going to cost me? When it comes to remodeling a kitchen, the answer isn’t always straightforward. The size of your space, the scope of work involved, your DIY abilities, the quality of materials you choose and even your geographic location all play a part. But if you’re going into it blind, a new study from Houzz, which surveyed more than 1,700 users about their kitchen renovations, can give you a solid jumping-off point and offer ideas on how you might allocate that budget.

Let’s first take a look at some overall average breakdowns based on the size of a kitchen. The survey distinguishes between large kitchens (200 square feet or more) and small kitchens (less than 200 square feet). This Los Angeles kitchen would be considered large at 295 square feet.

We start with size because your square footage will generally dictate the amount of materials you’ll spend money on, so it’s a good baseline. That isn’t to say a 200-square-foot kitchen in New York City will cost the same to remodel as a 200-square-foot kitchen in Houston. Again, a lot of other factors will be at play.

The following are averages of costs reported by homeowners in the survey, and can give you an idea of how to start budgeting.

Parker, Mitchell. “A New Survey Suggests How Much a Kitchen Remodel Might Cost You.” Houzz, Houzz, 12 Jan. 2018, www.houzz.com/ideabooks/101858192/list/a-new-survey-suggests-how-much-a-kitchen-remodel-might-cost-you.

US home prices march upward as buyers fight over low supply by Christopher Rugaber AP News

Perry Hester — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 18:59:48 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices rose in April from a year earlier, lifted by bidding wars in many cities where would-be buyers fought over a sparse supply of homes.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index moved up 6.6 percent from a year earlier, led by outsize gains in Seattle, Las Vegas and San Francisco. All three cities showed double-digit increases.

Prices rose even as home sales fell and mortgage rates climbed. Sales of existing homes dropped in April and May and are now running 3 percent below their year-ago level. Fewer homes are available — the supply has fallen 6.1 percent in the past year — and they are selling quickly.The average house for sale remained on the market for just 26 days in April, down from 39 a year ago.

Mortgage rates reached a seven-year high of 4.77 percent in late May before declining this month. Last week, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 4.57 percent, according to Freddie Mac. That is still much higher than a year ago, when it was 3.9 percent.

The economy is growing and the unemployment rate is at an 18-year low, which typically would point to stronger home sales. Americans are increasingly turning to newly-built homes, where sales jumped 6.7 percent in May. But higher prices and fewer existing homes to choose from are cutting many Americans out of the housing market.

Prices rose at a healthy pace in Denver, where they were 8.6 percent higher than a year ago; Los Angeles, where they were 8.3 percent higher; and San Diego, 7.8 percent.

The smallest gains were in Chicago, up 3 percent; Washington, D.C., up 3.2 percent; and New York, up 4 percent.

The Case-Shiller index covers roughly half of U.S. homes. The index measures prices compared with those in January 2000 and creates a three-month moving average. The April figures are the latest available.

Rugaber, Christopher. “US Home Prices March Upward as Buyers Fight over Low Supply.” AP News, Associated Press, 26 June 2018, apnews.com/.

US economic growth in Q4 revised up to 2.9% rate Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press

Perry Hester — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 16:37:09 +0000

Washington – The U.S. economy grew at a solid 2.9 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year, a sharp upward revision that caps three straight quarters of healthy growth. The Trump administration is hoping the economy will accelerate further this year, aided by sizable tax cuts and increased government spending.
The gross domestic product, the country’s total output of goods and services, grew at a faster clip than its previous estimate of 2.5 percent, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The gain followed increases of 3.1 percent in the second quarter and 3.2 percent in the third quarter.

Crutsinger, Martin. “US Economic Growth in Q4 Revised up to 2.9% Rate.” Detroit News, AP, 28 Mar. 2018, www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2018/03/28/united-states-economy-gross-domestic-product-rate/33350899/.