Thirteen Associates with RE/MAX Alliance Volunteer Time, Labor at Habitat for Humanity Build in Denver

DENVER – A total of 13 dedicated real estate professionals with RE/MAX Alliance in Denver recently volunteered their time and labor to help Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver on the organization’s newest home building project. The caring group of RE/MAX Alliance agents included Steve Arnold, Douglas Ballou, Tere Cardenas, Ryan Carter, Dave Dombrowski, Gwen Jasper, Michael Kearns, Elizabeth Lowey, Karen Moon, Cynthia M. Parker, Mark Pyms, Mike Valtierra, and Mark Whiting.
These RE/MAX Alliance broker associates worked a full day on Thursday, February 11th at Habitat for Humanity’s 24-unit Bails Townhome Community located at 4350 E. Bails Place in Denver. The Bails Townhome Community is an historic green, transit-oriented development that features green building practices that will reduce energy costs for the lifetime of the building. With a transit-oriented focus to build homes near light rail and bus lines, the Bails Townhome Community will save families money and time in transportation. Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are still available for this Habitat project. For more information, visit http://www.habitatmetrodenver.org/.
“Working on this Habitat for Humanity project was a great experience and we enjoyed meeting people from all walks of life,” said Cynthia M. Parker, broker associate with RE/MAX Alliance in the company’s Denver office. “We also met the recipient owner of the home we helped build. It was hard work but very rewarding knowing that we are doing a small part to help support affordable housing for those in need. It was also a lot of fun and I can’t wait to help again in the future.”
Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver builds and sells homes to hard-working people in need of decent and affordable housing. The organization is an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a non-denominational Christian housing ministry and global homebuilding movement.
RE/MAX Alliance is the third largest RE/MAX franchise in the world and the largest independently-owned real estate company in Colorado, and the number one RE/MAX office network in the United States. RE/MAX Alliance boasts more than 900 full-time sales associates and staff averaging 15-plus years of experience each and 23 strategically located offices throughout metro Denver and in Northern Colorado. RE/MAX Alliance is a proud participant in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and committed to the Children’s Miracle Network benefiting The Children’s Hospital.
For more information on specific offices, sales associates, or career opportunities, contact Kim Hawkins, at 303-850-1831 or via email at kimhawkins@remax.net. Additional information is available online at http://www.homesincolorado.com/.

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Pending Home Sales Stabilize, Remain Above Year-Ago Levels

Pending Home Sales Stabilize, Remain Above Year-Ago Levels

Washington, February 02, 2010

Pending home sales have leveled from a market swing driven by response to the home buyer tax credit, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in December, increased 1.0 percent to 96.6 from 95.6 in November, and remains 10.9 percent above December 2008 when it was 87.1. In November, the monthly index had fallen by 16.4 percent from surging activity in preceding months.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said it’s important to recognize how the tax credit is skewing market data. “There are easily understood swings in contract activity as buyers respond to a tax credit that was expiring and was then extended and expanded,” he said. “These swings are masking the underlying trend, which is a broad improvement over year-ago levels. December activity was the fifth highest monthly tally in two years.”

Buyers who have a contract in place to purchase a primary residence by April 30, 2010, have until June 30, 2010, to finalize the transaction to qualify for a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time buyers and $6,500 for repeat buyers.

The PHSI in the Northeast rose 2.3 percent to 76.1 in December and is 14.9 percent higher than December 2008. In the Midwest the index increased 5.2 percent to 86.9 and is 8.7 percent above a year ago. Pending home sales in the South rose 2.2 percent to an index of 98.4, and are 5.5 percent higher than December 2008. In the West the index fell 3.8 percent to 119.9 but is 18.6 percent above a year ago.

Yun projects the extended and expanded tax credit will encourage 2.4 million households to take the credit in 2010. “While new-home sales will remain low due to a lack of construction, existing-home sales are projected to rise to around 5.6 million in 2010,” Yun said. Last year there were 5.16 million existing-home sales.

He added that one of the greatest benefits of rising sales will be firming home prices. “For several months now we’ve been seeing stabilization in all of the home price measures as inventory is pulled down,” Yun said. “As a result, the housing wealth for many middle class families has begun to stabilize.”

Provided courtesy The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.