And the Good News Is...

November 20, 2008

It's getting to be more and more difficult to find good news on TV. Reporters seem to be reveling in stirring up as much "doom and gloom" news as they can – after all it's been proven that bad news sells better than good. Our addiction to news tickers and 24 hour coverage was solidified during horrific news events of the last decade. But there IS positive news to be found if you dig hard enough.

28 Metropolitan areas showed increases in median existing single-family home prices from the same quarter in 2007. Areas such as Elmira NY, Tulsa OK, Wichita KS and Urbana IL.

But even in areas where average home sales have dropped drastically, there is good news. Buyers who have been shut out of the home ownership market, are now finding that they can afford to buy. And they ARE buying. Three states where the ‘housing bubble' has burst are seeing some of the highest increases in sales. The largest sales gain during the third quarter was in Arizona, up 28.3 percent from the second quarter, followed by California which rose 28.1 percent and Nevada, up 26.2 percent. These areas have seen some of the strongest sales gains with some reports of multiple bidding.

And there's also good news for sellers. The typical seller purchased their home six years ago and is still experiencing net equity gains, even in today's depressed markets. The national increase in value since the third quarter of 2002 is 18.3 percent, which is a median gain of $31,000. Even with the current downward price distortion, 90 percent of metro areas are showing six-year price gains.

So while we are definitely in turbulent economic times, there is GOOD NEWS to be found if you look for it. Hopefully, some home buying incentives will be passed soon to stimulate even more home ownership. Lawrence Yun, the chief economist at the National Association of Realtors, said that, "A pattern of sharply higher sales in areas with large price declines is well established," Yun said. "Affordability conditions have consistently been a major factor in driving sales. Historically during recessions, buyers have responded to incentives and it's important for government to keep that in the forefront of stimulus decisions."

As of 12/01/09 the Stephen Anderson RePage is ranked at 3,406 with 65 points.
The monthly top RePage owner will receive a cash prize. Help this agent by bookmarking this site and posting it to blogs and other Web pages and encourage others to visit.

Local Information for Ames, IA

Latitude: 42.027335 -- Longitude: -93.631586

Other Area Cities: Nevada Ames Boone

Enter our Photo Sweepstakes and Win $200 for your Ames photos!

To see random photos for other cities Click Here.

Submit your photos of Ames and become eligible to win $200. Click Here for details.

Ames is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Story County, Iowa and which, when combined with the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', comprises the larger 'Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area'. It is also the home of the legendary James Honzatko. As of the 2000 Census, the city population was 50,731. The city was named after 19th century U.S. congressman Oakes Ames of Massachusetts, who was influential in the building of the transcontinental railroad. Ames was founded near a location that was deemed favorable for a railroad crossing of the Skunk River. It is located roughly 30 miles (48 km) north of the state capital Des Moines. Two small rivers run through the town: the Skunk River and Squaw Creek. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

Iowa 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Ames	Iowa	United States
Population	50,731	2,926,324	281,421,906
Median age	23.6	36.6	35.3
Median age for Male	23.3	35.2	34
Median age for Female	24.1	38	36.5
Households	18,085	1,149,276	105,480,101
Household population	41,609	2,822,155	273,643,273
Average household size	2.3	2.46	2.59
Families	8,969	769,684	71,787,347
Average family size	2.85	3	3.14
Housing units	18,757	1,232,511	115,904,641
Occupied units	18,085	1,149,276	105,480,101
Vacant units	672	83,235	10,424,540

Visit US Census