Trout Stocking Sites week of March 24 to April 4.
Fannin County: Blue Ridge, Georgia
Big Creek, Blue Ridge Tailwaters of the Toccoa River, Hemptown Creek, Hot House Creek, Little Fightingtown Creek, Noontootla Creek, Rock Creek, Rock Creek Lake, Toccoa River, Wilscot Creek
Union County; Blairsville, Georgia
Cooper Creek, Suches Creek, Toccoa River, Wildhog Creek, Winfield Scott Lake
Information is subject to change. Please call the hatchery at 706-838-4723 for answers to questions. The hatchery also provides trout for the state. Please contact Georgia DNR or go to my web site at www.TomNickolson.com and click on local info for information on sites stocked by the state.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Steep slope bill a hot topic
House bill would require counties to adopt regulations
By DWIGHT OTWELL
dotwell@cherokeescout.com
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 8:05 PM CDT
SCOTT WALLACE/Cherokee Scout
The N.C. General Assembly will consider a law regulating building on steep slopes. Houses such as these in Marble may not be constructed on the sides of mountains like this if the law passes. The Legislature will take up the measure in May.
One side pictures houses sliding off high slopes, crushing those inside. The other foresees economic doldrums, with most construction on mountains forbidden.
The Safe Artificial Slope Construction Act (HB 1756) will be unthawed when the N.C. General Assembly convenes for its short session in May. State Rep. Roger West (R-Marble) is on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, where the bill may become one of the first orders of business.
“This will be one of the hotter pieces of legislation,” West said. “I hope they don’t cram it down our throats.”
West also is a developer.
The bill would require local governments to adopt ordinances to regulate site planning, design and construction of artificial slopes in mountainous areas in order to promote safe and stable slopes for development and reduce the likelihood of slope failures on developed or disturbed land. The law would require disclosure of landslide hazards to purchasers of properties in areas vulnerable to landslides as indicated on maps prepared by the N.C. Geological Survey.
Southwestern Commission Director Bill Gibson said anecdotal evidence indicates a steep slope law has been needed in the mountains for a long time to eliminate possible dangers. Slope failure and the difficulty of some emergency vehicles reaching homes on steep inclines are the primary reasons regulations are needed.
‘Tipping point’
Gibson said professionals talk about a slope exceeding 30 percent as “the tipping point” that should be regulated, but soil composition is important. A 30 percent slope is three feet out and one foot up, Assistant County Fire Marshal Steve Baumgartner said. That is about the point at which a person using a lawn tractor will feel uncomfortable riding it horizontal to the slope, he said.
A house with good support on a solid rock foundation may be safe. However, if the soil is poor it could be very unstable.
A woman was killed in Maggie Valley in 2003, when the mountain beneath her house collapsed because of a leaking water pipe. In 2004, 140 landslides occurred in western North Carolina, claiming five lives and destroying 27 homes, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.
The landslides occurred on both natural and developed slopes, according to the Geological Survey.
West said the slopes of 25 percent or greater would be regulated under the legislation. Areas that are in moderate or high-slide hazard areas would be targeted.
In 2004 in Peeks Creek in Macon County, rains from hurricanes Ivan and Frances started slides that destroyed more than a dozen homes and killed five people. As a result, a landslide risk analysis was started in western North Carolina by the Geological Survey.
Economic fears
While many environmentalists embrace steep slope regulations, real estate and homebuilder associations often criticize efforts to regulate mountainside construction for fear of losing business and jobs.
West said the steep slope bill came into the environmental committee last year, and they “fought it back.” The bill would limit construction and road building on slopes and create another layer of bureaucracy.
The regulations would require a lot more work and money by those building homes, he added. Loggers wouldn’t be allowed to build roads.
“[The bill] would do some good in some cases, and it would be bad in other cases,” West said. “We don’t need statewide legislation. Counties should be able to do that.
“[The bill] needs to be in a study bill and looked at by mountain legislators, and not people from the coast. It will put a damper on counties like Cherokee, Clay and Graham. It could be called the ‘vacate western North Carolina’ bill.”
West said regulating slopes isn’t a completely bad idea. In some cases, builders have constructed on slopes too steep and with improper soil to support a structure. But too often when regulations are passed without much study, there are unintended consequences.
State Sen. John Snow (D-Murphy) referred all questions to West.
Cherokee County Manager David Badger said Jackson County has been the leading county in western North Carolina concerning steep slope regulations. The county placed a moratorium on building, then lifted it after a steep slope ordinance was approved.
Badger wouldn’t speculate on the dangers of building on steep slopes. There are a lot of reputable builders, he said, although accessibility to houses by fire and emergency vehicles is an issue.
“The question is how do you determine if it is a slide-prone area,” he said. “You have to go on a case-by-case basis.”
Emergency concerns
The only regulation affecting slopes in Cherokee County was adopted from the N.C. Fire Code. The ordinance requires that an access road be provided for every new building in the county.
Fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed width of not less than 20 feet. Fire access roads shall not exceed 10 percent in grade unless approved by the fire chief.
Baumgartner said the ordinance was passed in April 2007 because fire trucks couldn’t get up steep roads to many homes.
“This is meant to allow emergency vehicles to access subdivisions,” he said. “No excessive grades or switchbacks is what we’re hoping for.”
Randy Dockery, a real estate agent and land developer for Appalachian Land Co., said if people use reason there wouldn’t have to be a law. But he can see both sides.
“Until we have zoning laws, I don’t think it will make a lot of difference,” he said.
Dockery realizes the danger of houses built on a mountainside that fire trucks can’t reach. Those houses could burn down. At the same time, the law could be so strict that it unnecessarily inhibits business, he said.
Dockery doesn’t want to see sediment going down the mountains into streams. “I haven’t seen a house fall off the mountain yet,” he said. “It depends on how they write the law.”
Mapping hazards
Lisa Martin, director of regulatory affairs for the N.C. Homebuilders Association, said the association is not in favor of the proposed bill. However, the association is in full support of funding to map landslide hazards in the mountains.
Most county maps aren’t complete. One of the most important aspects of the maps is to have parcel level maps, which allow property owners to tell if their property is in the landslide areas.
“Slope is not an indicator of landslide potential,” she said. “There is a point at which engineering needs to be done.”
Jeff Howard, owner of Howard Construction Co., believes some situations [concerning steep slopes] should be addressed. For example, he said clear cutting on mountains is unacceptable.
Howard said the N.C. Homebuilders Association and Appalachian Homebuilders are trying to defeat the bill before the House because the slope they are trying to use would be a small hill.
“You might be able to build on the flat top of a mountain, but nothing on the side,” he said. “We are voting to send this bill back to the drawing board and get it right.”
Howard said there needs to be some control over slopes, but he doesn’t want to see a bill approved that would eliminate most construction on mountainsides.
“I understand the public outcry,” he said. “We need to be cautious on how we do this. There is a place in Blairsville, [Ga.], that looks like they stripped the entire mountain and left only about 10 trees.
“Quite a few developers do a very good job. Others cut all the trees off the mountain and throw up a few houses.”
Buyer’s warning
Bill Eaker, environmental services manager for Land of Sky Regional Council in Asheville, said his commission hasn’t taken a stand on the bill. The commission does have a draft of a report that recommends a number of strategies proposed in the bill.
“We recommend that home buyers be officially notified if they are buying land in an area prone to landslides,” he said.
The state maps of landslide prone areas being developed are critical, Eaker said.
“We recommend developments on steep slopes over 40 percent,” he said.
A geotechnical analysis should be done in a portion of developments with 40 percent or greater slope, he said. He hopes this provision would encourage developers to leave steep slopes alone.
The draft recommendation says that future developments not be clear cut with half of the development left with trees.
“There have been impacts from steep slope development,” Eaker said. “There have been significant soil erosion and sedimentation areas. Even if sediment erosion control measures are used, it doesn’t do the job on steep slopes. We have seen impacts from streams from runoff [overwhelming streams].
“Extraordinary measures need to be taken to minimize the amount of impervious areas. There is a lot of concern among natural resource professionals about impact on headwaters of streams and the long-term impact. But we are not anti-developments or growth. We are offering regulatory and non-regulatory strategies.”
Eaker said housing and the real estate industry are a concern in this area. However, a lot more thought should go into how subdivisions are planned and developed.
“Everyone needs a lot more information about how to do it right,” Eaker said. “Preserving high-priority areas is a significant strategy also.”
Eaker added that matching grants are available for communities or government entities to purchase, for example, a mountaintop, to preserve it. Reports from the Land of Sky Advisory Committee will be on its Web site, landofsky.org, in late April.
Under the proposed Safe Artificial Slope Construction Act, the Sedimentation Control Commission will identify the jurisdictions that are required to adopt ordinances by showing them a map or drawing.
The commission will assume responsibility for safe building programs in affected areas if the local government fails to adopt an ordinance that meets the program’s requirements.
Meanwhile, environmentalists, builders, Realtors and legislators are readying for a fight when the short session of the N.C. Legislature convenes at noon on Tuesday, May 13 .
House bill would require counties to adopt regulations
By DWIGHT OTWELL
dotwell@cherokeescout.com
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 8:05 PM CDT
SCOTT WALLACE/Cherokee Scout
The N.C. General Assembly will consider a law regulating building on steep slopes. Houses such as these in Marble may not be constructed on the sides of mountains like this if the law passes. The Legislature will take up the measure in May.
One side pictures houses sliding off high slopes, crushing those inside. The other foresees economic doldrums, with most construction on mountains forbidden.
The Safe Artificial Slope Construction Act (HB 1756) will be unthawed when the N.C. General Assembly convenes for its short session in May. State Rep. Roger West (R-Marble) is on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, where the bill may become one of the first orders of business.
“This will be one of the hotter pieces of legislation,” West said. “I hope they don’t cram it down our throats.”
West also is a developer.
The bill would require local governments to adopt ordinances to regulate site planning, design and construction of artificial slopes in mountainous areas in order to promote safe and stable slopes for development and reduce the likelihood of slope failures on developed or disturbed land. The law would require disclosure of landslide hazards to purchasers of properties in areas vulnerable to landslides as indicated on maps prepared by the N.C. Geological Survey.
Southwestern Commission Director Bill Gibson said anecdotal evidence indicates a steep slope law has been needed in the mountains for a long time to eliminate possible dangers. Slope failure and the difficulty of some emergency vehicles reaching homes on steep inclines are the primary reasons regulations are needed.
‘Tipping point’
Gibson said professionals talk about a slope exceeding 30 percent as “the tipping point” that should be regulated, but soil composition is important. A 30 percent slope is three feet out and one foot up, Assistant County Fire Marshal Steve Baumgartner said. That is about the point at which a person using a lawn tractor will feel uncomfortable riding it horizontal to the slope, he said.
A house with good support on a solid rock foundation may be safe. However, if the soil is poor it could be very unstable.
A woman was killed in Maggie Valley in 2003, when the mountain beneath her house collapsed because of a leaking water pipe. In 2004, 140 landslides occurred in western North Carolina, claiming five lives and destroying 27 homes, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.
The landslides occurred on both natural and developed slopes, according to the Geological Survey.
West said the slopes of 25 percent or greater would be regulated under the legislation. Areas that are in moderate or high-slide hazard areas would be targeted.
In 2004 in Peeks Creek in Macon County, rains from hurricanes Ivan and Frances started slides that destroyed more than a dozen homes and killed five people. As a result, a landslide risk analysis was started in western North Carolina by the Geological Survey.
Economic fears
While many environmentalists embrace steep slope regulations, real estate and homebuilder associations often criticize efforts to regulate mountainside construction for fear of losing business and jobs.
West said the steep slope bill came into the environmental committee last year, and they “fought it back.” The bill would limit construction and road building on slopes and create another layer of bureaucracy.
The regulations would require a lot more work and money by those building homes, he added. Loggers wouldn’t be allowed to build roads.
“[The bill] would do some good in some cases, and it would be bad in other cases,” West said. “We don’t need statewide legislation. Counties should be able to do that.
“[The bill] needs to be in a study bill and looked at by mountain legislators, and not people from the coast. It will put a damper on counties like Cherokee, Clay and Graham. It could be called the ‘vacate western North Carolina’ bill.”
West said regulating slopes isn’t a completely bad idea. In some cases, builders have constructed on slopes too steep and with improper soil to support a structure. But too often when regulations are passed without much study, there are unintended consequences.
State Sen. John Snow (D-Murphy) referred all questions to West.
Cherokee County Manager David Badger said Jackson County has been the leading county in western North Carolina concerning steep slope regulations. The county placed a moratorium on building, then lifted it after a steep slope ordinance was approved.
Badger wouldn’t speculate on the dangers of building on steep slopes. There are a lot of reputable builders, he said, although accessibility to houses by fire and emergency vehicles is an issue.
“The question is how do you determine if it is a slide-prone area,” he said. “You have to go on a case-by-case basis.”
Emergency concerns
The only regulation affecting slopes in Cherokee County was adopted from the N.C. Fire Code. The ordinance requires that an access road be provided for every new building in the county.
Fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed width of not less than 20 feet. Fire access roads shall not exceed 10 percent in grade unless approved by the fire chief.
Baumgartner said the ordinance was passed in April 2007 because fire trucks couldn’t get up steep roads to many homes.
“This is meant to allow emergency vehicles to access subdivisions,” he said. “No excessive grades or switchbacks is what we’re hoping for.”
Randy Dockery, a real estate agent and land developer for Appalachian Land Co., said if people use reason there wouldn’t have to be a law. But he can see both sides.
“Until we have zoning laws, I don’t think it will make a lot of difference,” he said.
Dockery realizes the danger of houses built on a mountainside that fire trucks can’t reach. Those houses could burn down. At the same time, the law could be so strict that it unnecessarily inhibits business, he said.
Dockery doesn’t want to see sediment going down the mountains into streams. “I haven’t seen a house fall off the mountain yet,” he said. “It depends on how they write the law.”
Mapping hazards
Lisa Martin, director of regulatory affairs for the N.C. Homebuilders Association, said the association is not in favor of the proposed bill. However, the association is in full support of funding to map landslide hazards in the mountains.
Most county maps aren’t complete. One of the most important aspects of the maps is to have parcel level maps, which allow property owners to tell if their property is in the landslide areas.
“Slope is not an indicator of landslide potential,” she said. “There is a point at which engineering needs to be done.”
Jeff Howard, owner of Howard Construction Co., believes some situations [concerning steep slopes] should be addressed. For example, he said clear cutting on mountains is unacceptable.
Howard said the N.C. Homebuilders Association and Appalachian Homebuilders are trying to defeat the bill before the House because the slope they are trying to use would be a small hill.
“You might be able to build on the flat top of a mountain, but nothing on the side,” he said. “We are voting to send this bill back to the drawing board and get it right.”
Howard said there needs to be some control over slopes, but he doesn’t want to see a bill approved that would eliminate most construction on mountainsides.
“I understand the public outcry,” he said. “We need to be cautious on how we do this. There is a place in Blairsville, [Ga.], that looks like they stripped the entire mountain and left only about 10 trees.
“Quite a few developers do a very good job. Others cut all the trees off the mountain and throw up a few houses.”
Buyer’s warning
Bill Eaker, environmental services manager for Land of Sky Regional Council in Asheville, said his commission hasn’t taken a stand on the bill. The commission does have a draft of a report that recommends a number of strategies proposed in the bill.
“We recommend that home buyers be officially notified if they are buying land in an area prone to landslides,” he said.
The state maps of landslide prone areas being developed are critical, Eaker said.
“We recommend developments on steep slopes over 40 percent,” he said.
A geotechnical analysis should be done in a portion of developments with 40 percent or greater slope, he said. He hopes this provision would encourage developers to leave steep slopes alone.
The draft recommendation says that future developments not be clear cut with half of the development left with trees.
“There have been impacts from steep slope development,” Eaker said. “There have been significant soil erosion and sedimentation areas. Even if sediment erosion control measures are used, it doesn’t do the job on steep slopes. We have seen impacts from streams from runoff [overwhelming streams].
“Extraordinary measures need to be taken to minimize the amount of impervious areas. There is a lot of concern among natural resource professionals about impact on headwaters of streams and the long-term impact. But we are not anti-developments or growth. We are offering regulatory and non-regulatory strategies.”
Eaker said housing and the real estate industry are a concern in this area. However, a lot more thought should go into how subdivisions are planned and developed.
“Everyone needs a lot more information about how to do it right,” Eaker said. “Preserving high-priority areas is a significant strategy also.”
Eaker added that matching grants are available for communities or government entities to purchase, for example, a mountaintop, to preserve it. Reports from the Land of Sky Advisory Committee will be on its Web site, landofsky.org, in late April.
Under the proposed Safe Artificial Slope Construction Act, the Sedimentation Control Commission will identify the jurisdictions that are required to adopt ordinances by showing them a map or drawing.
The commission will assume responsibility for safe building programs in affected areas if the local government fails to adopt an ordinance that meets the program’s requirements.
Meanwhile, environmentalists, builders, Realtors and legislators are readying for a fight when the short session of the N.C. Legislature convenes at noon on Tuesday, May 13 .
Friday, March 28, 2008
Union County Hospital in Top 100 in Nation
March 26, 2008
Union General Hospital named in Top 100 in nation
By Norman Cooper, North Georgia News Editor
Union General Hospital Administrator and CEO Rebecca T. Dyer, Director of Nursing Tonia Albright and Chief Operating Officer Mike Gowder lead the staff at the hospital named among the Top 100 in the nation and Top 20 among small rural hospitals.
Accomplishing its mission to provide high quality, cost effective health care and promote wellness throughout the Union County community with an emphasis on placing a high value on its patients, medical staff, employees, community and quality of care, Union General Hospital has earned the prestigious designation as one of the Thomson 100 Top Hospitals in the nation.
"I am honored to notify you that your hospital has been selected for the 2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospitals National Benchmarks award, based on our annual study identifying benchmarks for highest hospital-wide performance," stated Jean Chenoweth, Senior Vice President of Performance Improvement and 100 Top Programs for Thomson Healthcare. "Your hospital has achieved a national benchmark composite score for hospital-wide performance compared with your peers across the United States. All of us at Thomson Healthcare extend our congratulations on your achievement."
The award will be presented in June in Colorado Springs.
The 100 Top Hospitals: National Benchmarks for Success Award is for organizational achievement, requiring concerted effort by all levels of the organization — the board, management team, employees, and medical staff — to achieve balanced excellence.
The selection of Union General Hospital was in the Small Community Hospitals category. It is based on objective statistical performance measurement across four critical areas: Clinical process and outcomes, patient safety, operational efficiency and financial stability.
Balanced organization-wide performance reflects a hospital’s ability to provide highly reliable, efficient health care services and great value to patients, local employers, payers and the entire community.
" I feel one of the main reasons people choose Union General is the outstanding Medical Staff, " Union General Hospital Administrator and CEO Rebecca T. Dyer said. "I believe the hospital has been successful because of the working relationship between the authority board, the physicians and administration."
Union General Hospital named in Top 100 in nation
By Norman Cooper, North Georgia News Editor
Union General Hospital Administrator and CEO Rebecca T. Dyer, Director of Nursing Tonia Albright and Chief Operating Officer Mike Gowder lead the staff at the hospital named among the Top 100 in the nation and Top 20 among small rural hospitals.
Accomplishing its mission to provide high quality, cost effective health care and promote wellness throughout the Union County community with an emphasis on placing a high value on its patients, medical staff, employees, community and quality of care, Union General Hospital has earned the prestigious designation as one of the Thomson 100 Top Hospitals in the nation.
"I am honored to notify you that your hospital has been selected for the 2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospitals National Benchmarks award, based on our annual study identifying benchmarks for highest hospital-wide performance," stated Jean Chenoweth, Senior Vice President of Performance Improvement and 100 Top Programs for Thomson Healthcare. "Your hospital has achieved a national benchmark composite score for hospital-wide performance compared with your peers across the United States. All of us at Thomson Healthcare extend our congratulations on your achievement."
The award will be presented in June in Colorado Springs.
The 100 Top Hospitals: National Benchmarks for Success Award is for organizational achievement, requiring concerted effort by all levels of the organization — the board, management team, employees, and medical staff — to achieve balanced excellence.
The selection of Union General Hospital was in the Small Community Hospitals category. It is based on objective statistical performance measurement across four critical areas: Clinical process and outcomes, patient safety, operational efficiency and financial stability.
Balanced organization-wide performance reflects a hospital’s ability to provide highly reliable, efficient health care services and great value to patients, local employers, payers and the entire community.
" I feel one of the main reasons people choose Union General is the outstanding Medical Staff, " Union General Hospital Administrator and CEO Rebecca T. Dyer said. "I believe the hospital has been successful because of the working relationship between the authority board, the physicians and administration."
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Real Estate Market is Starting a Recovery
Existing Home Sales Rise In February
WASHINGTON, March 24, 2008 - Sales of existing homes increased in February and remain within a fairly stable range, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 2.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (1) of 5.03 million units in February from a pace of 4.89 million in January, but remain 23.8 percent below the 6.60 million-unit level in February 2007. The sales pace has been in a fairly narrow range since last September.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the gain is encouraging. “We’re not expecting a notable gain in existing-home sales until the second half of this year, but the improvement is another sign that the market is stabilizing,” he said. “Buyers taking advantage of higher loan limits for both FHA and conventional mortgages will unleash some pent-up demand. As inventories are drawn down, prices in many markets should go positive later this year.”
The national median existing-home price (2) for all housing types was $195,900 in February, down 8.2 percent from a year earlier when the median was $213,500. Because the slowdown in sales from a year ago is greater in high-cost areas, there is a downward pull to the national median with relatively fewer sales in higher priced markets.
Home prices within metropolitan areas are more telling. The most recent data shows roughly half of the metro areas in the U.S. with price increases, with healthy gains in markets such as Oklahoma City and Trenton, N.J. “In other areas such as Sacramento, a rapid price decline has induced buyers to come into the market and sales are now rising,” Yun said. “The relationship between home prices, interest rates and income has improved to the point where buyers are more serious about making offers.”
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 5.92 percent in February from 5.76 percent in January; the rate was 6.29 percent in February 2007.
NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, Calif., said that negotiation and knowledge are even more important in the current market. “Consumers need to be aware of local market conditions and comparable sales prices to have a clear picture of a home’s value,” he said. “Realtors® understanding of local markets, negotiating expertise, and transaction experience are invaluable to both buyers and sellers, today as much as ever.”
Total housing inventory fell 3.0 percent at the end of February to 4.03 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.6-month supply (3) at the current sales pace, down from a 10.2-month supply in January.
Single-family home sales increased 2.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.47 million in February from an upwardly revised 4.35 million in January, but are 22.9 percent below 5.80 million-unit level a year ago. The median existing single-family home price was $193,900 in February, down 8.7 percent from February 2007.
Existing condominium and co-op sales rose 3.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 560,000 units in February from a downwardly revised 540,000 in January, and are 29.7 percent below the 797,000-unit pace in February 2007. The median existing condo price (4) was $211,700 in February, which is 4.9 percent lower than a year ago.
Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast jumped 11.3 percent to an annual pace of 890,000 in February, but are 26.4 percent below February 2007. The median price in the Northeast was $264,800, up 0.4 percent from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the Midwest rose 2.5 percent in February to a level of 1.24 million but are 19.5 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $143,900, which is 7.1 percent lower than February 2007.
In the South, existing-home sales increased 2.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.99 million in February but are 22.0 percent below February 2007. The median price in the South was $163,400, down 8.6 percent from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the West slipped 1.1 percent to an annual rate of 920,000 in February, and are 29.2 percent below a year ago. The median price in the West was $290,400, down 13.4 percent from February 2007.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
WASHINGTON, March 24, 2008 - Sales of existing homes increased in February and remain within a fairly stable range, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 2.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (1) of 5.03 million units in February from a pace of 4.89 million in January, but remain 23.8 percent below the 6.60 million-unit level in February 2007. The sales pace has been in a fairly narrow range since last September.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the gain is encouraging. “We’re not expecting a notable gain in existing-home sales until the second half of this year, but the improvement is another sign that the market is stabilizing,” he said. “Buyers taking advantage of higher loan limits for both FHA and conventional mortgages will unleash some pent-up demand. As inventories are drawn down, prices in many markets should go positive later this year.”
The national median existing-home price (2) for all housing types was $195,900 in February, down 8.2 percent from a year earlier when the median was $213,500. Because the slowdown in sales from a year ago is greater in high-cost areas, there is a downward pull to the national median with relatively fewer sales in higher priced markets.
Home prices within metropolitan areas are more telling. The most recent data shows roughly half of the metro areas in the U.S. with price increases, with healthy gains in markets such as Oklahoma City and Trenton, N.J. “In other areas such as Sacramento, a rapid price decline has induced buyers to come into the market and sales are now rising,” Yun said. “The relationship between home prices, interest rates and income has improved to the point where buyers are more serious about making offers.”
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 5.92 percent in February from 5.76 percent in January; the rate was 6.29 percent in February 2007.
NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, Calif., said that negotiation and knowledge are even more important in the current market. “Consumers need to be aware of local market conditions and comparable sales prices to have a clear picture of a home’s value,” he said. “Realtors® understanding of local markets, negotiating expertise, and transaction experience are invaluable to both buyers and sellers, today as much as ever.”
Total housing inventory fell 3.0 percent at the end of February to 4.03 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.6-month supply (3) at the current sales pace, down from a 10.2-month supply in January.
Single-family home sales increased 2.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.47 million in February from an upwardly revised 4.35 million in January, but are 22.9 percent below 5.80 million-unit level a year ago. The median existing single-family home price was $193,900 in February, down 8.7 percent from February 2007.
Existing condominium and co-op sales rose 3.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 560,000 units in February from a downwardly revised 540,000 in January, and are 29.7 percent below the 797,000-unit pace in February 2007. The median existing condo price (4) was $211,700 in February, which is 4.9 percent lower than a year ago.
Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast jumped 11.3 percent to an annual pace of 890,000 in February, but are 26.4 percent below February 2007. The median price in the Northeast was $264,800, up 0.4 percent from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the Midwest rose 2.5 percent in February to a level of 1.24 million but are 19.5 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $143,900, which is 7.1 percent lower than February 2007.
In the South, existing-home sales increased 2.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.99 million in February but are 22.0 percent below February 2007. The median price in the South was $163,400, down 8.6 percent from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the West slipped 1.1 percent to an annual rate of 920,000 in February, and are 29.2 percent below a year ago. The median price in the West was $290,400, down 13.4 percent from February 2007.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Tom Nickolson Real Estate
View from my back deck
Tom Nickolson Real Estate3591 Murphy Highway
Blairsville, Georgia
30512
Office: 706-745-2107
Cell: 828-361-5817
Toll Free: 877-353-2054
Same view, only a sunrise in the winter
I add listings and Virtual Tours on a as needed basis, therefor you should mark this site as a "Favorite" and visit it often. The listings on the right side of the opening page on my web site is updated twice a day and is always current. Look for a category the closely matches your desires and just click on it. The listing are listed by lowest price and go to the highest in each category. You can also do your own search by clicking the "Search Properties" just above my picture and search the entire MLS system. Another way of searching is, if you have the Northeast Georgia Board of Realtors (usually a 6 digit number) listing number you can also enter the number and see the listing. These MLS numbers are found in a lot of Real Estate for sale magazines.In 2001, my wife and I moved to this area from South Florida with the goal of settling into a quiet retirement after a successful career in business. But the sweet mountain air, picturesque surroundings and genuine people I found here inspired me to to do more. Wanting to share this slice of heaven with everyone, I decided in 2002 to stay active by going into the real estate business.
Since that time, I have gained a deep knowledge of area real estate and have been truly blessed with the opportunity to serve many wonderful clients. I hold brokers licenses in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee and have earned accreditation as a Buyers Representative (ABR) and Real Estate Internet Professional (e-pro). My professional recognition includes Million Dollar Salesman status in 2003, Two Million Dollar Salesman status in 2004 and 2005 and the Lifetime Million Dollar Salesman Award.
What is most important, however, is the relationship I build with every client—a relationship founded on personal attention, courteous service and a strong dedication to helping people find the right real estate for their unique needs. I welcome you to my Blog and Web site and sincerely hope to help you find your own inspiring property.
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