Tom's Blog

Real estate thoughts and advice from Tom Toole, III of RE/MAX Main Line. 610.692.2228 office; 610.692.6976 direct
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  • Is your home underwater? There are options out there for you.

    Here is a great article from http://realestate.msn.com about options for a homeowner who is under water (by Susan Johnston from U.S. News and World Report): Nearly 11 million homeowners are underwater — meaning they owe more on their mortgage than the property is worth — according to the most recent data from CoreLogic. For ...
    Posted to Tom's Blog (Weblog) by 710741 on November 4, 2011
  • Foreclosures are crushing home prices, but mortgage rates remain low.

    Home prices have continued to drop during the first quarter of 2011, dropping 4.6% from a year earlier according to CNNMoney.com and the National Association of Realtors.  Condo prices fell ever harder by a rate of 10.4%.  The main cause for this decline is the sale of foreclosed properties, which accounted for 29% of the market - a 3% ...
    Posted to Tom's Blog (Weblog) by 710741 on May 12, 2011
  • Unemployment rate drops to lowest level in 2 years.

    According to MSNBC.com, the unemployment rate dropped to 9% last month, which is its lowest level in 2 years.  However, the U.S. labor market slowed considerably as only 36,000 new jobs were generated in January, the fewest in four months.  These statistics offer a conflicting picture.  Unemployment fell because the Labor ...
    Posted to Tom's Blog (Weblog) by 710741 on February 4, 2011
  • Home prices fall 2% in 3rd quarter.

    U.S home prices fell 2% in the third quarter according to CNNMoney.com.  The S&P Case-Schiller Home Price INdex has recorded gains in four of the previous five quarters, including a 4.7% jump between April and June 2010.  This leaves national home prices down 1.5% year over year and off 2% compared to the second quarter.  Some ...
    Posted to Tom's Blog (Weblog) by 710741 on December 2, 2010
  • Just listed! 256 Torrey Pine Court in West Chester!

    Beautiful end unit carriage home in Whiteland Woods is being offered at $374,900!  Located on a premium lot and backs to wood!  Nearly 2,500 SF.  Address is 256 Torrey Pine Court, West Chester, PA 19380.    Check out my Featured Listings section for pictures and all the details of the gorgeous property.  Call me at ...
    Posted to Tom's Blog (Weblog) by 710741 on October 7, 2010
  • 10 great reasons to buy a home...

    Many people are getting sick of the doom and gloom surrounding the real estate markets right now (I am one of them).  The consumers and media tend to forget about all of the great reasons to buy a property.  Brett Arends of The Wall Street Journal wrote a great article today about the reasons people have bought real estate over the past ...
    Posted to Tom's Blog (Weblog) by 710741 on September 16, 2010
  • 21.5% of mortgages are under water...

    According to CNNMoney.com, 21.5% of mortgages are currently under water in the 3rd quarter of 2010, which is an improvement from the previous quarter when an estimated 23.3% of loans were under water.  There are a few reasons for this improvement, including the loss of homes to foreclosure and improving home values in some markets.   In ...
    Posted to Tom's Blog (Weblog) by 710741 on August 9, 2010
  • Again, interest rates approach 5%!

    Over the past day or two, Buyers have been able to lock in a 5% interest rate on a 30 year fixed loan!  These historically low rates, combined with the high inventory (creating lots of choices for Buyers) make the end of 2009 an excellent time to buy.  I have seen investors scoop up great opportunities, most of which only last a short ...
    Posted to Tom's Blog (Weblog) by 710741 on October 8, 2009