Deon ’ s Do ’ s & Don ’ ts
February 2017
Deon ’ s Do ’ s & Don ’ ts
WHAT TO DO ABOUT RISING INTEREST RATES
by Deon Cannon
If you are
considering buying a new home , you probably noticed that mortgage interest rates are on the rise . So , the question becomes – act now or wait it out ?
Most pros think mortgage rates will increase or remain about the same without going any lower over the next year , so loan candidates who are serious about purchasing a home as well as existing homeowners eager to refinance need to ask themselves a serious question : Should I lock in now at a current low rate or take my chances down the road later in 2017 ?
Perhaps now is the time to act , whether you are looking to purchase or refinance . Some professionals suggest even more urgency if you ’ re looking to purchase , since prices continue to rise in most areas and inventory is at alltime lows .
Even a small price increase of five percent , coupled with an interest rate that is one eighth to one half percent higher than they are today , can cost a home buyer thousands . It ’ s reasonable to believe that by locking in sooner versus later makes sense , but only if the pricing available allows you to own the home within your budget . And if you can refinance today and lower your rate , with your lender paying the closing costs , you should do so .
Today ’ s mortgage rates are in a rock-bottom range . If you ’ re ready to buy a home or save money with a refinance , there ’ s no time like the present to capitalize on today ’ s record-setting rates . Some market participants are predicting two to three Federal rate hikes between now and the end of 2017 . The Fed continues to be the biggest buyer of mortgagebacked securities in the market . If they slow down on these purchases , the supply and demand relationship will invert , causing heavy volatility -- which could have more of a negative effect on mortgage rates than a Fed hike .
For those of you wishing to sell , the advice is the same . With interest rates and inventory at all-time lows since the end of WWII , it ’ s best to place your house on the market now , providing it ’ s in tip-top condition to sell . Buyers will be more willing to pay top dollar now , even though they will aggressively scrutinize the condition and value of their purchase .
They are professionals at Deon Cannon Realty and they ’ re here to serve your real estate needs . Call them at ( 404 ) 630-2985 and they ’ ll work with you right now to develop a strong and sensible plan to sell your home or find the one that ’ s absolutely perfect for you .
BUYING OR SELLING A HOME IN WINTER
by Pat Astrin
When it comes to buying or selling a home , most people feel that winter is lousy timing . You can ’ t show or see a home at its best when the weather is crummy .
Sellers feel they face a shortage of buyers , and buyers find there aren ’ t enough homes to choose from . A home is a big piece of your investment portfolio , one would think it ’ s a difficult season to enter the real estate market . Except that isn ’ t necessarily so . If a job change or new baby forces you into the real estate market in the winter or that ’ s when the itch to move happens to strike , you may find that conditions aren ’ t as bad as you ’ d thought . There might even be an upside - serious buyers and motivated sellers .
There are many benefits to keeping your home on the market during this wintry downtime . Among the most important is a fact that distinguishes real estate from almost all other markets : It only takes that one interested buyer , and you might miss the opportunity if you pull the listing during this time of year .
Buyers , too , can benefit from house hunting in winter , as the pace tends to be less frenzied than in the spring . Most agents are especially attentive in the offseason . It ’ s also easier in winter to assess the quality of insulation and heating , to tell if the basement gets wet , or if the home doesn ’ t get enough light . The buyer could find the perfect home in winter even if there are fewer homes on the market .
With the decrease in competition during the winter , buyers are less likely to end up in a bidding war . Real estate agents , who
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are salespeople , need commissions to feed their families , which serves real estate investors . In the summer , agents tend to juggle more clients and properties , but in winter they will fight harder to get a deal closed .
A buyer can likely benefit from a winter search because it ’ s likely that the seller is eager .
But there is an upside for sellers : There are fewer tire-kickers in winter , when people don ’ t buy unless they have a compelling reason . Sellers find that offseason buyers may be more focused and ready to buy a home .
Take advantage of the snowbirds . Winter is less of a negative in the South , and can in fact be the best time to buy or sell in winter . In the cold areas , people tend to go out less . And by the time people get home from work , it is already dark outside . Typically , curb appeal is a lot better on a sunny spring day with green trees and landscaped lawns .
For sellers , one of the drawbacks to listing in winter is that it is likely to take longer to find a buyer than in spring or summer . A slow pace can suggest there may be something wrong with the home or lead buyers to assume the seller must be getting desperate .
Talk to an agent at Astrin Real Estate . Time-on-the-market data is available to buyers and real estate agents . Buyers should talk to agents such as Pat Astrin and Jennifer Astrin and not limit their searches to websites such as Realtor . com and Zillow . com , etc , which use MLS listings .
For all your real estate needs - buying , selling , renting and investing , please call Astrin Real Estate and Astrin Property Management at 770-679-1770 or 770-313- 4124 . They are located at 3565 Hwy 20 SE , Suite D , Conyers Ga 30013 .
Come join us on February 4 , 2017 ( 7:00pm ) at St . Pius X Catholic Church , Conyers , Georgia for dinner prepared by Giancarlo Laredo Ruiz , a professional chef , and dance the night away with Adam L . McKnight and his band , Groove Park , playing music from the 50 ’ s to the present . Come dressed in the decade you like the best or in festive attire .
All the proceeds go to support our ongoing projects at our sister church in Lospalis , Haiti . These include support of the high school , school lunch program , medical clinic and medical missions , clean water , support and education for the farmers and much more . The medical mission last year was a great success . We had 22 missionaries and treated over 1000 patients . Your donations provided the much needed medications and medical supplies . Our next mission is scheduled for March 10th – 19th , 2017 .
Please choose a sponsorship level and mail a check to Haiti Humanitarian Fund at P . O . Box
Pat Astrin Broker / Owner Realtor / ABR Million Dollar Producer HUD / REO Specialist
• Residential
• Commercial
81311 , Conyers , GA 30013 or you can call 678-413-7979 to reserve your tickets and pay by credit card at the door on the night of the event . Please return this page with your pledge . ______ Yes , I would like to sponsor the Haiti Humanitarian Dinner Event this year with one of the following levels :
� Bronze level - $ 250.00 includes 4 tickets with reserved seating , 4 drink tickets and advertisement the night of the event .
� Silver level —$ 500.00 includes
Buy Sell Rent Invest
ASTRIN REAL ESTATE Looking for AGENTS Hablamos Espanol
3565 Hwy 20 SE SuiteD Conyers , Ga 30013
770-313-4124 770-679-1770
WWW . PATASTRIN . COM RENT YOUR HOME NOW !
DANCING THROUGH THE DECADES - BENEFITING HAITI HUMANITARIAN FUND
6 tickets with reserved seating , 6 drink tickets and advertisement the night of the event .
� Gold level —$ 750.00 includes 8 tickets , 8 drink tickets , a reserved table and advertisement the night of the event and on our website .
Name to be displayed for sponsorship ____________________________
______ I cannot sponsor at this time , but would like to attend . Please reserve _______ tickets at $ 40.00 each . Payment is enclosed .
______ I will not be able to sponsor or attend , but would like to make the following donation to continue the work in Lospalis , Haiti . Make checks payable to Haiti Humanitarian Fund or donate online at haitihumanitarian . org .
A 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) charity helping the less fortunate of Haiti . Federal Tax ID # 65-1176302 Thank you for your continued financial and spiritual support . Michael Manning M . D .,
Chairman