NationalRealtyNews.com

WASHINGTON – Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes ticked up last month to the highest level in 3 1/2 years, helped by a jump in the number of houses for sale.

The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million, up from 4.94 million in March.

Home sales have risen 9.7 percent in the past 12 months, evidence that the housing market is still improving.

But sales have been roughly flat since November. The supply of available homes remains tight, and many potential buyers aren’t able to get loans.

The number of homes for sale rose 12 percent in April from March to 2.16 million. But inventory is still almost 14 percent lower than a year earlier.

The increase in inventories partly reflects the beginning of the spring selling season. The supply of homes would be exhausted in 5.2 months at the current sales pace. That’s below the typical level of about six months.

More Americans are interested in purchasing homes: Buyer traffic has risen 31 percent in the past year, the Realtors’ group said.

Rising demand and tight supply has pushed up prices. The median price of a home for sale jumped 11 percent last month from April 2012 to $192,800. That’s the highest in nearly five years. The median is the figure halfway between the highest and lowest number.

Higher prices could encourage more people to sell homes, fueling further sales gains.

“Sellers want to sell in a rising market,” said Jonathan Basile, an economist at Credit Suisse. “When more sellers come out and sell, they’ll also have to buy.”

If current legislation that creates a path to legalization for 11 million undocumented immigrants is passed, the nation’s Hispanic real estate leaders estimate that it would create a new pool of 3 million homeowners and pump more than $500 billion in sales, income and spending into the U.S. housing economy. According to an info graphic released by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), the chain reaction triggered by home purchases would drive demand for more than $500 billion in real estate transactions and an additional $233 billion in origination fees, real estate commissions and consumer spending associated with homeownership.

Based on previous estimates from analysts, NAHREP officials calculate that as many as 6 million undocumented immigrants are likely to pursue legalization and possibly citizenship under the bill and up to 3 million would pursue homeownership based on the patterns of naturalized Latinos.

“Foreign-born householders have a high value and strong desire for homeownership,” says Juan Martinez, NAHREP president. “They have been here in our midst for years, working and participating in our economy. Legitimizing them through immigration reforms would finally give them the access and the confidence to buy homes.”

NAHREP, a nonprofit 501(c)6 trade association with 20,000 members, based its projections on updated data and the approach it used for its 2004 study “The Potential for Homeownership Among Undocumented Workers,” to estimate the economic impact on the current housing economy.

• Assuming past purchase trends among foreign-born householders remain consistent, half or up to 
3 million of the 6 million undocumented immigrants that are expected to pursue legalization, will also buy a home once they have legal status;

• Many of the undocumented foreign-born householders have age and income characteristics associated with potential homeownership with household incomes of about $40,000;

• Up to 3 million undocumented foreign-born householders could potentially afford a home worth $173,600, the national median sales price of a home. This would generate more than $500 billion in new mortgages, and about $25 billion in mortgage origination and refinance income;

• Assuming an average of 5.5 percent in sales commissions for these home sales, these purchases would create $28 billion in income within the real estate community;

• Home purchases by 3 million legitimized immigrants would create $180 billion in additional consumer spending within local communities based on the average $60,000 in associated purchases estimated by the National Association of REALTORS® in 2012.

“If we can get past the anti-immigrant sentiment that has so strongly colored the national conversation around immigration reform, we will see just how much our U.S. economy has to gain by legitimizing these people,” addsMartinez.

Other housing and corporate leaders that work closely with the underserved market agree that legalization will spark swift interest in homeownership among these Latinos because they are already established in communities here in the U.S.

“Homeownership is an integral part of the American Dream in the undocumented immigrant community. Our estimates in 2004 were very conservative and we received many calls from consumers who wanted to know what lenders were offering these loans,” says Gary Acosta, NAHREP co-founder and a veteran housing leader who was chairman of NAHREP when the study was conducted. “With the possibility of a legitimate path to residency and citizenship, we expect this group to be eager to buy homes.”

“Immigration reform would unleash pent-up demand for homeownership by millions of undocumented immigrants. It would help re-establish homeownership as a driving force in building wealth and accelerate the recovery of the nation’s economy,” says Alejandro Becerra, a former senior housing fellow, researcher, author and recipient of the 2011 HOPE Award.

In its annual policy statement issued last March, NAHREP leaders advocated for immigration reform at the federal level that would create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and their children and bring them out of the shadows.

For more information, visit www.nahrep.org.

WASHINGTON, DC–(Marketwired – May 22, 2013) –  Existing-home sales rose in April but remain below underlying demand because of limited inventory and tight credit, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All regions are showing strong price gains from a year ago.

Total existing-home sales¹, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million in April from an upwardly revised 4.94 million in March. Resale activity is 9.7 percent above the 4.53 million-unit level in April 2012.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the market is solidly recovering. ”The robust housing market recovery is occurring in spite of tight access to credit and limited inventory. Without these frictions, existing-home sales easily would be well above the 5-million unit pace,” he said. ”Buyer traffic is 31 percent stronger than a year ago, but sales are running only about 10 percent higher. It’s become quite clear that the only way to tame price growth to a manageable, healthy pace is higher levels of new home construction.”

Existing-home sales are at the highest pace since November 2009 when the market spiked to 5.44 million in response to the home buyer tax credit. Total sales have been above year-ago levels for 22 consecutive months, while prices show 14 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases.

Total housing inventory at the end of April rose 11.9 percent, a seasonal increase to 2.16 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 5.2-month supply² at the current sales pace, compared with 4.7 months in March. Listed inventory is 13.6 percent below a year ago, when there was a 6.6-month supply, with current availability tighter in the lower price ranges.

The national median existing-home price³ for all housing types was $192,800 in April, up 11.0 percent from April 2012. The last time there were 14 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases was from April 2005 to May 2006.

Distressed homes⁴ — foreclosures and short sales — accounted for 18 percent of April sales, down from 21 percent in March and 28 percent in April 2012. Eleven percent of April sales were foreclosures, and 7 percent were short sales. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 16 percent below market value in April, while short sales were discounted 14 percent.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 3.45 percent in April from 3.57 percent in March; it was 3.91 percent in April 2012.

The median time on market for all homes was 46 days in April, down sharply from 62 days in March, and is 48 percent faster than the 83 days on market in April 2012.

NAR President Gary Thomas, broker-owner of Evergreen Realty in Villa Park, Calif., said market conditions have flipped in the past year. ”With homes selling in half the time it took to sell a year ago, buyers must be both decisive and prudent,” he said. ”Advice with contract terms and negotiations is where the expertise of a Realtor^® shines for both buyers and sellers.”

Short sales were on the market for a median of 73 days, while foreclosures typically sold in 43 days and non-distressed homes took 44 days. Forty-four percent of all homes sold in April were on the market for less than a month, while only 8 percent were on the market for a year or longer.

First-time buyers accounted for 29 percent of purchases in April, compared with 30 percent in March and 35 percent in April 2012.

All-cash sales were at 32 percent of transactions in April, up from 30 percent in March; they were 29 percent in April 2012. Individual investors, who account for most cash sales, purchased 19 percent of homes in April, unchanged from March; they were 20 percent in April 2012.

Single-family home sales rose 1.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.38 million in April from 4.33 million in March, and are 9.0 percent above the 4.02 million-unit level in April 2012. The median existing single-family home price was $193,300 in April, which is 11.0 percent above a year ago.

Existing condominium and co-op sales declined 3.3 percent to an annualized rate of 590,000 units in April from 610,000 in March, but are 15.7 percent above the 510,000-unit pace a year ago. The median existing condo price was $189,500 in April, up 11.3 percent from April 2012.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast rose 1.6 percent to an annual rate of 640,000 in April and are 4.9 percent above April 2012. The median price in the Northeast was $245,100, up 5.1 percent from a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the Midwest fell 3.4 percent in April to a pace of 1.12 million but are 9.8 percent above a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $149,300, up 6.7 percent from April 2012.

In the South, existing-home sales rose 2.0 percent to an annual level of 2.01 million in April and are 14.9 percent above April 2012. The median price in the South was $168,700, which is 10.6 percent above a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the West increased 1.7 percent to a pace of 1.20 million in April and are 4.3 percent above a year ago. Given limited choices and multiple bidding, the median price in the West was $263,600, up 17.5 percent from April 2012.

The National Association of Realtors^®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. For additional commentary and consumer information, visit www.houselogic.com and http://retradio.com. 

NOTE: For local information, please contact the local association of Realtors^® for data from local multiple listing services. Local MLS data is the most accurate source of sales and price information in specific areas, although there may be differences in reporting methodology.

¹Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings from Multiple Listing Services. Changes in sales trends outside of MLSs are not captured in the monthly series. NAR rebenchmarks home sales periodically using other sources to assess overall home sales trends, including sales not reported by MLSs.

Existing-home sales, based on closings, differ from the U.S. Census Bureau’s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which account for more than 90 percent of total home sales, are based on a much larger data sample – about 40 percent of multiple listing service data each month – and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.

Single-family data collection began monthly in 1968, while condo data collection began quarterly in 1981; the series were combined in 1999 when monthly collection of condo data began. Prior to this period, single-family homes accounted for more than nine out of 10 purchases. Historic comparisons for total home sales prior to 1999 are based on monthly single-family sales, combined with the corresponding quarterly sales rate for condos.

²Total inventory and month’s supply data are available back through 1999, while single-family inventory and month’s supply are available back to 1982 (prior to 1999, single-family sales accounted for more than 90 percent of transactions and condos were measured only on a quarterly basis).

³The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical of market conditions than average prices, which are skewed higher by a relatively small share of upper-end transactions. The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to a seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns. Changes in the composition of sales can distort median price data. Year-ago median and mean prices sometimes are revised in an automated process if additional data is received.

The national median condo/co-op price often is higher than the median single-family home price because condos are concentrated in higher-cost housing markets. However, in a given area, single-family homes typically sell for more than condos as seen in NAR’s quarterly metro area price reports.

⁴Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales), days on market, first-time buyers, all-cash transactions and investors are from a monthly survey for the NAR’s Realtors® Confidence Index, posted at Realtor.org.

The Pending Home Sales Index for April will be released May 30 and existing-home sales for May is scheduled for June 20; release times are 10:00 a.m. EDT.

Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the “News, Blogs and Videos” tab on the website. Statistical data in this release, as well as other tables and surveys, are posted in the “Research and Statistics” tab.

Northwest Indiana single-family home sales increased 26 percent in April as compared to one year ago, marking the 22nd straight month home sales have increased in the region.

A total of 766 single-family homes were sold in April in the region, as compared to 608 homes in April 2012, according to sales figures from the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors.

“It is crazy,” said Minakshi Ghuman, a Realtor with Century 21 Pace Realty in Valparaiso. “It’s never been this crazy. It’s as crazy as it was in 2007.”

Sales figures from the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors for the first four months of this year show Ghuman is right. Home sales locally this year are now on track to approach the 10,075 homes sold in 2007.

In another sign of the housing market’s health, home building is again revving up in Northwest Indiana, with much of the new construction sold before completion, Ghuman said.

The home sales increase in Northwest Indiana in April was much more robust than nationally, with experts citing tight supplies and tight credit as two factors holding back home sales in many parts of the United States.

“Buyer traffic is 31 percent stronger than a year ago, but sales are running only about 10 percent higher,” said Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors chief economist. “It’s become quite clear that the only way to tame price growth to a manageable, healthy pace is higher levels of new home construction.”

The median existing single-family home sold price nationally was $193,300 in April, which is 11 percent above a year ago, according to National Association of Realtors home sales data. That compares to a median sold price of $130,000 in Northwest Indiana in April, which is just 0.3 percent higher than the $129,661 median sold price in April 2012.

Single-family home sales nationally increased 9 percent in April as compared to April 2012, according to National Association of Realtors home sales data.

The median time on market for all homes sold in April was just 46 days, down sharply from the median 83 days homes sold last April were on the market, according to the association.

The interest rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 3.45 percent in April from 3.57 percent in March, according to the weekly survey of Freddie Mac, the federally backed home mortgage bundler.

Locally, home sales in Porter County increased 31.4 percent in April as compared to the year-ago month, according to the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors. The median sold price moved up 5.9 percent to $174,795.

In Lake County, home sales increased 23 percent in April, with the median price up 1.6 percent.

The Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors covers home sales in Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties.

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Home resales rose in April to the highest level in nearly 3-1/2 years and prices surged, offering the economy a buffer from the stiff headwinds posed by belt-tightening by Washington.

The National Association of Realtors said on Wednesday existing home sales advanced 0.6 percent to an annual rate of 4.97 million units, the highest level since November 2009.

The data underscored the housing market‘s improving fortunes as it starts to regain its footing. Resales were 9.7 percent higher than in the same period last year.

“It’s quite supportive of the overall economy,” said Michelle Meyer, a senior economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York. “It’s a cushion against some of the other concerns in the economy.”

Economic activity appears to have slowed somewhat early in the second quarter as the effects of higher taxes and deep government spending cuts have started filtering through.

Manufacturing, in particular, has been showing strains. But housing has held up surprisingly well, with the gains in home values helping to boost consumer confidence and retail sales.

The ripples from housing’s recovery have also extended to the jobs market, with construction employment rising.

That should limit the degree to which the economy slows this quarter. It expanded at a 2.5 percent annual pace in the first three months of the year.

Tight supplies in some parts of the country have constrained the pace of home sales, but sellers are starting to wade back into the market, attracted by rising prices.

In April, the median home sales price increased 11 percent from a year ago to $192,800, the highest level since August 2008. It was the fifth consecutive month of double-digit gains.

With prices rising, more sellers put their properties on the market. The inventory of homes on the market rose 11.9 percent from March to 2.16 million.

SUPPLY STILL TIGHT

The increased inventory represented a 5.2 months’ supply at April’s sales pace, up from 4.7 months in March. It remained, however, below the 6.0-month level that is normally considered a good balance between supply and demand.

The market has been helped by monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve that has kept mortgage rates near record lows. On Wednesday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said a decision to scale back the $85 billion in bonds the Fed is buying each month could come at one of the central bank’s “next few meetings” if the economy looked set to maintain momentum.

The housing report had little impact on U.S. financial markets, with traders focused on Bernanke’s comments. The dollar rose to a near three-year peak against a basket of currencies, while prices for U.S. government bonds slumped.

Wall Street stocks fell, with the Standard Poor’s 500 index posting its biggest decline in three weeks.

Adding to signs that the housing recovery was becoming firmly established, distressed properties – which can weigh on prices because they typically sell at deep discounts – accounted for only 18 percent of sales last month.

That was the lowest since the Realtors group started monitoring them in October 2008. These properties, foreclosures and short sales, had made up 21 percent of sales in March.

In another bright sign, properties are selling more quickly. The median time on the market for homes was 46 days in April, down from 62 days the prior month. That was the fewest days since the NAR started monitoring that number in May 2011. Before the market collapsed in 2006, it usually took about 90 days to sell a home.

“While there are clearly a lot of interested buyers out there snapping up homes at a rapid clip, there do not seem to be enough homes on the market,” said Omair Sharif, an economist at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut.

About 44 percent of all homes sold in April had been on the market for less than a month, while only 8 percent had been on the market for a year or longer.

Last month, first-time buyers accounted for 29 percent of the transactions, with investors buying 19 percent of homes. Investors, both individuals and institutions, are mostly buying homes for renting.

Sales were up in three of the four regions, falling 3.4 percent in the Midwest.

(Editing by Andrea Ricci and Dan Grebler)

The U.S. residential industry boomed in April, with existing home sales rising 0.6 percent to 4.97 million units, the highest level in about three and a half years. 

Damon Scott
Reporter- Albuquerque Business First

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The U.S. residential industry boomed in April, with existing home sales rising 0.6 percent to 4.97 million units, the highest level in about three and a half years.

A key component — sales of single-family homes — increased 1.2 percent for the month. The data was released by the National Association of Realtors Wednesday.

Home price data logged a rise of 4.8 percent in April, following a 6.2 percent increase in March to an average $192,800, the highest level of the recovery. With prices increasing, tight inventories loosened up with 230,000 units added to the market, lifting the inventory of homes 11.9 percent from March to 2.16 million.

While the supply of homes rose from 4.7 months to 5.2, it remained below the six-month level generally considered to represent a healthy balance between supply and demand. The average time a house spent on the market plummeted to 46 days from 62 days in March.

Last month, first-time buyers accounted for 29 percent of transactions, with investors picking up 19 percent of homes. Analysts said investors are mostly buying homes for renting.

Local data shows little deviation, as home sales in the Albuquerque metro area rose more than 20 percent last month compared to April 2012. The 20.7 percent jump marked the highest April sales month since 2007, according to figures released Monday by the Greater Albuquerque Association of Realtors.

Analysts said one looming threat for May is that mortgage rates are on the rise, making for volatile mortgage activity.

Mortgage applications decreased 9.8 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 17. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased to 3.78 percent from 3.67 percent, while 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 2.96 percent from 2.88 percent.

505.348.8315 | damonscott@bizjournals.com

Commercial/residential real estate, retail, restaurants

Wisconsin Realtors Association: Wisconsin home sales and prices continue healthy growth in April

5/21/2013

For More Information Contact:

Michael Theo, WRA President CEO, 608-241-2047, mtheo@wra.org

or

David Clark, Economist, C3 Statistical Solutions and Professor of Economics, Marquette University, 414-803-6537, dclark@c3stats.com

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin existing home sales jumped 9.2 percent in April 2013 compared to April 2012, representing 22 straight months of positive sales growth in the state. Median prices climbed by a solid margin, growing 7.8 percent over the past year to $138,000, according to the most recent statistical report released by the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA).

“This is a solid but sustainable pace of sales,” said Renny Diedrich, chairman of the WRA board of directors. This continues the modest growth established in the first quarter of the year nationally in which sales were up 9.8 percent, as well as for Wisconsin, where revised figures show that sales rose 11.7 percent compared to first quarter of 2012. “It looks like the first quarter trends are continuing into the prime selling period of the year, which is very encouraging,” Diedrich said, noting that in a typical year, about 60 percent of Wisconsin home sales take place between April and September.

Five of the state’s six regions experienced positive growth in sales, with two regions up in the neighborhood of 20 percent. Specifically, the West region saw its sales grow 20.9 percent in April 2013 compared to that same month in 2012, and sales were up 18.5 percent in the South Central region over that period. The Northeast region grew at 8.6 percent, the North was up 5.3 percent, and the Southeast increased 4.5 percent comparing April 2013 relative to April 2012. Only the Central region saw its sales decline, with a modest reduction of 2.2 percent.

Median prices increased 7.8 percent in April compared to April 2012, after rising 9.3 percent in March, again compared to the same month in 2012. “We’re seeing strong upward price pressure statewide and across all regions,” said Michael Theo, WRA President and CEO, who pointed to a number of factors on both the demand and supply sides of the market. “On the supply side, unsold inventory has fallen by more than 9,000 homes over the last year, and on the demand side, very favorable mortgage rates have gotten some buyers off the fence and into the market over the last few months,” said Theo. He also suspects that the tight inventory of entry-level homes is helping to fuel the upper end of the market. “We’ve been hearing from REALTORS® that trade-up buyers are having very little problem selling their existing homes, which helps explain why higher-end homes are moving more quickly than they have in the past,” he said.

Despite increasing prices, housing in the state remains very affordable. The Wisconsin Housing Affordability Index shows the percentage of the median-priced home that a buyer earning the median family income can afford to buy, given the available 30-year fixed-mortgage rate and down payment of 20 percent. The index stood at 255 in April, which is similar to its level of 258 in April 2012. By comparison, the U.S. Housing Affordability Index reported by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) was at 197 in the first quarter of 2013, and NAR predicts that the national index will fall to 114 by the end of 2014. “We’re still quite a bit more affordable than the national level, but affordability will slip if prices and mortgage rates rise” said Theo. “This is the time to enlist the help of an experienced REALTOR® to get the most value out of a market that is clearly heating up,” he said.

The Wisconsin REALTORS® Association is one of the largest trade associations in the state, representing over 13,400 real estate brokers, sales people and affiliates statewide. All county figures on sales volume and median prices are compiled by the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association and are not seasonally adjusted. Median prices are only computed if the county recorded at least 10 home sales in the quarter. All data collected by Wisconsin REALTORS® Association are subject to revision if more complete data become available. Beginning in 2010, all historical sales volume and median price data at the county level have been rebenchmarked using the Techmark system which accesses MLS data directly and in real time. The Wisconsin Housing Affordability Index is updated monthly with the most recent data on median housing prices, mortgage rates, and estimated median family income data for Wisconsin.
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HAMPTON — Carey Giampa, Realtors is pleased to welcome Lauren Stone, Terri Brunette and Lisa Paquette to the firm’s staff of professional realtors.

Stone, a resident of North Hampton, has been a licensed broker since 1985. She is an experienced Seacoast sales leader with a focus on the Hampton, North Hampton, Rye and New Castle communities. She is an accomplished realtor and a member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate and has access to all the tools available at LuxuryRealEstate.com.

As a lifelong Seacoast resident, Stone thoroughly enjoys all the region has to offer from sandy beaches in the summer, to apple picking in the fall, to sledding in the winter. She has built a strong customer base by being able to help others embrace the varied and exceptional lifestyle that Seacoast communities offer.

With over $250 million in sales since 2000, Stone brings extensive experience, intimate community knowledge and a reputation for outstanding customer service and negotiating skills to her role as manager/broker with Carey Giampa.

“It is exciting to continue my sales career with Carey Giampa,” said Stone. “I appreciate their independent local focus, professionalism and visionary marketing. Working with Carey Giampa will allow my team to even better serve buyers and sellers in this exciting and fast-paced market.”

Selling real estate full time and working primarily with buyers, team member Brunette lives in Hampton with her husband and two children. Brunette has perfected the skills necessary to work through the variety of opportunities and challenges facing clients making one of the most important decisions of their lives. She is an active member of the Seacoast Board of Realtors, the New Hampshire Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors and loves helping clients find exactly what they are looking for.

Paquette graduated from Castleton State College with a degree in Business Management and also holds a Masters in Business Administration from Webster University in Las Vegas. A New Hampshire Realtor since 2005, she joined top producer Lauren Stone’s team in 2011, where she primarily works with buyers in the Seacoast area. A member of the Seacoast Board of Realtors, the New Hampshire Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors, she lives in North Hampton.

“We are delighted to add Lauren and her team’s impressive experience, insight and expertise to our firm,” said Patrick Carey, co-owner. “They are local and understand the nuances of the Seacoast communities, especially the complex, luxury oceanfront segment of the marketplace. Working together the three accomplished realtors are able to provide extraordinary customer service.”

Carey Giampa, with sales over a billion dollars, has built success as a local independent real estate firm by understanding needs and concerns of customers come first. Carey Giampa, realtors focuses on listings of all price points and segments from northern Massachusetts to southern Maine. With offices in Rye, Portsmouth, Hampton, and Seabrook Beach, they specialize in listings that evoke the splendor of Seacoast.

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Realtor Richard Strahm has some pull.

The Democratic Lansdale Borough Council candidate in Ward Three is a member of the Montgomery County Association of Realtors, the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors, according to Lansdale First treasurer Denton Burnell.

Thus, Suburban West Realtors Alliance, a group that supports real estate agents and consumers, threw its support behind the campaign of Strahm with a $1,054.80 contribution via the Southeast Realtors Political Action Committee to the nonpartisan Lansdale First PAC, according to Lansdale First’s 2013 campaign finance report for April 2 to May 5.

Suburban West Realtors Alliance serves Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. 

Burnell said that through their Southeast Realtors PAC, they support local Realtors who are running for public office. 

Strahm first came onto the Southeast Realtors PAC radar last May when he spoke to the administration and finance commitee about new borough fees and how they may affect the homeowner. 

“The Suburban Realtors Alliance took notice, and when Richard decided to run for office, they were happy to support his candidacy,” said Burnell.

Of the $1,054.80 contribution, $54.80 is in-kind, according to the report.

There are more unpaid debts than expenditures on the Lansdale First campaign finance report.

Per the report, there is an outstanding balance of $1,674.35 due to creditor Strahm, for expenses like yard signs, website fees and fundraiser refreshments. Lansdale First candidate Mary Fuller, in Ward One, is the creditor for $61 for business cards, per the report.

All in all, Lansdale First accounts $2,880 in total funds. Another Lansdale First candidate in Ward Three, Bob Willi, accounts for a $100 contribution.

Lansdale First PAC has endorsed Fuller, Willi, and Strahm for council, and Doug DiPasquale for mayor. It has registered as an indefinite nonpartisan PAC, according to Montgomery County Voter Services.

Just back from meeting their state legislators in Sacramento early in the month, members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors trekked to Washington, D.C., last week, joining more than 9,000 attendees from across the nation at the National Association of Realtors midyear legislative meetings and trade expo.

Realtors meet with regulators, lawmakers and industry leaders to address critical real estate issues affecting individuals, communities and the nation.

“Realtors are leading advocates for home ownership and private property rights, and want to ensure that their point of view on important housing and investment issues is heard at all levels of government,” said Gary Thomas, the national group’s president. “Coming to Washington this week gives Realtors an important opportunity to meet with their members of Congress and advocate policies that are crucial to the real estate industry and Realtors’ businesses, communities and clients.”

During the week, attendees met with legislators on Capitol Hill to urge action toward preserving the mission and purpose of the Federal Housing Administration’s single-family mortgage program, encouraging the return of private capital to mortgage markets, restructuring government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to guarantee affordable mortgage financing is available to creditworthy consumers in all types of markets, and maintaining current tax policies for home

ownership and real estate investment.

Realtors also participated in sessions with a number of government officials and industry experts, including representatives from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Fannie Mae, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Reserve Board and Freddie Mac.

“We need to ensure that any policy decisions our elected officials are making today or in the future continue to support, and not hurt, housing markets, America’s 75 million current homeowners and those who aspire to one day own a home of their own,” said Thomas.

“The National Association of Realtors Midyear Legislative Meetings Trade Expo was an enormous gathering of Realtors from every state in the country. Realtors from around the country come to Washington each year to remind our country’s elected officials that home ownership has value for all families,” said Carolyn Miller, president of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors.

Miller added that many social benefits are derived from home ownership. “Owning a home brings family pride, a better family life and community involvement. Home ownership expands your borrowing and buying power. We’re here to personally explain to our representatives and senators that home ownership needs to be protected because it is a major pillar of our economy,” said Miller.

Realtors met with Anna Eshoo, U.S. representative for California’s 18th Congressional District, which includes parts of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, including Los Gatos and Monte Sereno; Jackie Speier, U.S. representative for California’s 14th Congressional District, which consists of portions of San Mateo County and San Francisco; and Mike Honda, U.S. representative for California’s 17th Congressional District, which encompasses western San Jose and Silicon Valley.

Members of the local trade association with Miller in Washington included president-elect Dave Tonna, NAR director John Tripp, past president Suzanne Yost, board director Dave Barca, Jeff Barnett, Carole Feldstein and Barbara Williams.

Information is presented by the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors at silvar.org. Contact rmeily@silvar.org.