Housing

Are Trailer Parks The Answer To The Boomer Housing Crisis?

Virginia Prescott — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:29:54 +0000

The mass retirement of baby boomers could trigger yet another housing crisis. Boomers were responsible for roughly 80% of home construction in the 80’s and 90’s, and many of those homes were big, too big for empty nesters transitioning to a fixed income. Enter a housing solution that’s been with us all along: mobile home communities, or trailer parks.

2012: A Year Of Gains In N.H. Housing Market

Todd Bookman — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:44:25 +0000

Modest improvement: that’s how a new report from the New Hampshire Housing Financing Authority sums up 2012.

Two hundred and ninety-seven homes fell into foreclosure in December, an 18% jump from a month earlier. But total foreclosures for the year are down sharply from their peak in 2010.

Jane Law with NH Housing says the overall economy is still driving a housing recovery.

How Is New Hampshire Housing?

Laura Knoy — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:04:18 +0000

At the start of a New Year, some numbers look good -- sales are steadily going up and prices are recovering. But there are also less hopeful signs -- foreclosures remain a stubborn problem and new construction is slow. We’ll take a look at the housing picture here in the Granite State.

Guests:

Brian Gottlob - Principal of Policon Research, an agency focusing on economic and public policy issues.

Cautious Optimism For N.H. Housing Market

Todd Bookman — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:30:58 +0000

New data from NH Housing Finance Authority shows 263 New Hampshire homes fell into foreclosure in September. That’s a 13% decline from 2011 levels.

The report says the numbers are a sign that the worst of the housing crisis could be behind us.

But, cautious optimism aside, there is some tangible good news here: total foreclosures are on track to be their lowest since 2009. Foreclosure auction notices are also way down.

New Housing Data Shows Sales Strong, Prices Soft

Todd Bookman — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:55:26 +0000

Residential properties in New Hampshire continue to move at a strong pace.

More than 1,100 homes sold in September. That’s a 7.5% jump from 2011 levels, fueled in part by very low mortgage rates.

Prices, though, remain flat. The average sale price last month was just under $200,000, a slight dip from August.

Ned Redpath with Redpath Realty in Hanover says buyers still control the market

Housing Sales Up, But Prices Remain Flat

Todd Bookman — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 18:42:20 +0000

New housing data suggests the New Hampshire market may be stabilizing, even while residential prices remain low.

The median sale price last month was $210,000. That’s the same price from August 2011--a signal that the number of houses for sale continues to outpace demand.

But a report from the New Hampshire Association of Realtors says the number of units sold is up more than 20% from last year. And gains are being seen in each of the state’s ten counties.

Vacation Home Slowdown Can Hurt More Than Real Estate Market

Brady Carlson and Amanda Loder — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:42:06 +0000

Anyone who’s been in this state in late July has seen the traffic pattern – the long line of cars and trucks with boats or kayaks or bikes on the back, heading north on the highway to New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. Some folks are heading toward campgrounds or b&b’s; some others are heading toward their own vacation homes, which in the Lakes Region can be pretty substantial.

The Foreclosure Fiasco Continues!

Laura Knoy — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

We look at the issue of foreclosures, Thursday on the Exchange, a problem that has not improved much in the Granite State, despite a rebounding housing market.

One Roof, Three Generations, Many Decisions

Marilyn Geewax — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:02:00 +0000

Part of the Family Matters series

The Great Recession slammed into all age groups, flattening the career dreams of young people and squeezing the retirement accounts of middle-aged savers. It financially crippled many elderly people who had thought they could stand on their own.

To cope with the hard times that began five years ago, millions of families pulled together — stacking two, three, even four generations on top of one another.

We Stand At The Doorstep Of A Foreclosed House. Then We Go In

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:49:00 +0000

In Florida, the foreclosure process takes 861 days, on average.

That means houses often sit in limbo for more than two years after the owner stops paying the mortgage. Maybe the homeowner is still living in the house. Maybe he's renting it out. Maybe squatters are living there, or maybe it's empty and falling down.

Marc Joseph's job is to find out.

Joseph is a real estate agent.

Ohio Tears Through Blighted Housing Problem

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:33:00 +0000

Cleveland resident Cedric Cowan was asleep on an overcast spring morning when the roaring sounds of splintering wood and falling rubble jolted him awake.

Cowan lives in a neighborhood hit hard by foreclosures.

Mortgage Settlement May Affect Broader Housing Picture in New Hampshire

Brady Carlson — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:45:00 +0000

To learn more about the mortgage settlement and its potential effects in New Hampshire, All Things Considered host Brady Carlson talks with Dean Christon, executive director of the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority.

Will The $25 Billion Mortgage Settlement Help Stem The Wave Of Foreclosures?

Rachel Gotbaum — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:27:00 +0000

Since 2005, the number of foreclosures in New Hampshire has increased 700 percent. Last year, more than 3,800 families were forced out of their homes due to foreclosure.

City Rents Rise As Buyers Wait Out Housing Bust

Jim Zarroli — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:50:00 +0000

The turmoil in the housing market over the past few years has scared a lot of people away from homeownership. That means many people who can afford to buy are now renting. With so much demand for apartments, rents are once again on the rise. And in places like New York City, they're near record highs.

A few weeks ago Lauren Weitz got her first apartment in the city. Every night when she gets home from the office, she upholds a New York City tradition.

"Go very slowly, because some of these are crooked," Weitz says, walking up the five flights of stairs to her apartment.

Spring Brings Some Green Shoots In Housing Market

Yuki Noguchi — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:50:00 +0000

Housing prices are still declining, but many analysts see some signs for optimism in the housing market. The mild spring has brought buyers out earlier than usual, and real estate agents are busy.

Doug Azarian is one of them. One of his clients recently signed a deal on a $1.5 million house in Cape Cod, Mass. — a contemporary waterfront property with three bedrooms.

"The buyers came in, and they loved it from the minute they walked in the door," Azarian says.

There are several notable things about Azarian's Cape Cod deal.