South West Lower Michigan showed some improvement in units sold in March as volume was down only 7% while still being -21% for year to date. Benton Harbor showed the biggest gain as they were up 85% while Coloma/Watervliet (+33%) and Niles/Galien (+6%) also showed gains while Edwardsburg/Cassopolis was even with last year.
Dowagiac/Marcellus showed the largest decrease in units sold at -61%, Berrien Springs/Eau Claire -55%, Hartford/Lawrence -33%, Bridgman/New Buffalo -19%, St. Joseph/Lakeshore -12% and the South Haven area -5%.
Average sales price is still a bit of a struggle at -38% from last year. However, Berrien Springs/Eau Claire was +59%, Dowagiac/Marcellus +29% and Coloma/Watervliet was +14%. The Edwardsburg/Cassopolis are stayed consistent with last year and was even.
The largest declines in average sale price was the South Haven/Bangor/Covert area at -64%. The other declines were: Niles/Galien (-52%), Bridgman/New Buffalo (-51%), Hartfor/Lawrence (-43%), St. Joseph/Lakeshore (31%) and Benton Harbor (-6%).
Dollar volume was -43% from last year. Last year volume was at $30,764,995 while this year is at $17,642,378.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Top Economists Say Recovery Has Begun
Economic recovery is about making people feel more confident, says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Economy.com.
Zandi evidenced increasing home sales and gains in the stock market are some promising signs that the worst is over and people will start spending again.
“We’re starting to see some pent-up demand for goods,” he says.
But Zandi warns that the situation is still fragile. "Confidence is a very fickle thing. It can go from abject pessimism that pervades now to a more balanced view of the world rather quickly.”
Robert Brusca of FAO Economics is predicting strong growth in the last half of the year and a quick recovery for the labor market. "You've lost 5 million jobs. It shouldn't be hard to put 2.5 million jobs back on rather quickly after you hit bottom," he said.
Joseph Carson, chief economist at AllianceBernstein, calls improving home sales, a rising stock market, and better-than-expected retail sales in February and March good signs of a turnaround. By the time President Obama’s stimulus package takes effect, the economy will be ready, he says.
"The stimulus has a much better chance of working if trends are already turning up than if it needs to halt a decline," he said.
Source: CNNMoney, Chris Isidore (04/06/2009)
Zandi evidenced increasing home sales and gains in the stock market are some promising signs that the worst is over and people will start spending again.
“We’re starting to see some pent-up demand for goods,” he says.
But Zandi warns that the situation is still fragile. "Confidence is a very fickle thing. It can go from abject pessimism that pervades now to a more balanced view of the world rather quickly.”
Robert Brusca of FAO Economics is predicting strong growth in the last half of the year and a quick recovery for the labor market. "You've lost 5 million jobs. It shouldn't be hard to put 2.5 million jobs back on rather quickly after you hit bottom," he said.
Joseph Carson, chief economist at AllianceBernstein, calls improving home sales, a rising stock market, and better-than-expected retail sales in February and March good signs of a turnaround. By the time President Obama’s stimulus package takes effect, the economy will be ready, he says.
"The stimulus has a much better chance of working if trends are already turning up than if it needs to halt a decline," he said.
Source: CNNMoney, Chris Isidore (04/06/2009)
Friday, April 3, 2009
You Found Me
I just love well written songs! They inspire me and make me think. One of the things I love about music is that it is up to the interpretation from the person listening to it. What I may or may not get out of a song, might not be the same message you may or may not get out of it. Anyway, for the past month or two I can't get out of my mind the newest song by The Fray called You Found Me. I find this to be an incredibly well written song and thought I would share with you my interpretation of it. After looking on the internet, there seems to be a fair amount of opinion as to what this song actually means. So, here is my take/vision of this song.
I feel that this is a song about a man who has lost the love of his life and is in a lot of pain. Then, one day, he finds God and he lets out his anger, frustration and hurt. He lays out his baggage to God, which is what God wants us to do. "Where were you when everything was falling apart?" "Losing her, the only one who's ever known who I am, who I'm not, and who I want to be" are a couple of the lines that I feel illustrate his venting towards God. The rest of this song, I feel, is a conversation going back and forth between this man and God. The way the singer demonstrates this to me, is by the changing of his tone and voice on different lines of the song. Some, to me, sound like it would be coming from this hurt person, while others sound like they are responses back from God. The lines "Lost and Insecure" "Lying on the Floor" are in a different, more somber tone by this hurt man. Then God saying "You Found Me, You Found Me" "Surrounded, Surrounded" in a more upbeat way. I picture those lines coming from God with a big smile on his face! Happy that this man finally found him and letting him know that he was surrounded by Gods love. The man then asks God "Why'd you have to wait?" God responds with a question of his own back to the man "Where were you, where were you?" in a way saying that he had been there all along, you just were not looking. The man replies very sadly "Just a little late" acknowledging that he had not been looking for God when God then responds again with "You found me, You found me" in a more rejoiceful tone.
Later in the song, I think, God says "I've been calling for years and years and years and years" when he is cut off by the man who says "And you never left me no messages, You never sent me no letters, You got some kind of nerve taking all I want." It then breaks back into the chorus and at the end of the song a somber God asks the man the same question the man had asked God earlier "Why'd you have to wait, To find me, to find me?" I feel that speaking to God is kind of like that. Not answering you directly, but giving you the answer by making you think, throwing it right back in your face where you have to confront the truth.
Below is the link to the video that The Fray released for this song. It doesn't indicate that my interpretation is right, at all. But I'm sticking to my interpretation, because that is what the song is saying to me. What's your interpretation?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obhdTlImFBo
I feel that this is a song about a man who has lost the love of his life and is in a lot of pain. Then, one day, he finds God and he lets out his anger, frustration and hurt. He lays out his baggage to God, which is what God wants us to do. "Where were you when everything was falling apart?" "Losing her, the only one who's ever known who I am, who I'm not, and who I want to be" are a couple of the lines that I feel illustrate his venting towards God. The rest of this song, I feel, is a conversation going back and forth between this man and God. The way the singer demonstrates this to me, is by the changing of his tone and voice on different lines of the song. Some, to me, sound like it would be coming from this hurt person, while others sound like they are responses back from God. The lines "Lost and Insecure" "Lying on the Floor" are in a different, more somber tone by this hurt man. Then God saying "You Found Me, You Found Me" "Surrounded, Surrounded" in a more upbeat way. I picture those lines coming from God with a big smile on his face! Happy that this man finally found him and letting him know that he was surrounded by Gods love. The man then asks God "Why'd you have to wait?" God responds with a question of his own back to the man "Where were you, where were you?" in a way saying that he had been there all along, you just were not looking. The man replies very sadly "Just a little late" acknowledging that he had not been looking for God when God then responds again with "You found me, You found me" in a more rejoiceful tone.
Later in the song, I think, God says "I've been calling for years and years and years and years" when he is cut off by the man who says "And you never left me no messages, You never sent me no letters, You got some kind of nerve taking all I want." It then breaks back into the chorus and at the end of the song a somber God asks the man the same question the man had asked God earlier "Why'd you have to wait, To find me, to find me?" I feel that speaking to God is kind of like that. Not answering you directly, but giving you the answer by making you think, throwing it right back in your face where you have to confront the truth.
Below is the link to the video that The Fray released for this song. It doesn't indicate that my interpretation is right, at all. But I'm sticking to my interpretation, because that is what the song is saying to me. What's your interpretation?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obhdTlImFBo
Friday, March 27, 2009
Elkhart County Foreclosures For March
There were 94 properties scheduled for Sheriff's Auction for Elkhart County in the month of March, with 46 of those properties cancelled leaving 48 that were actually taken back. Of those 48, Elkhart had 24, Goshen 13, Bristol 4, Nappanee 3, Millersburg 2, with Middlebury and NewParis with 1 each.
There were only 2 properties that had less than $50,000 owed on them. One was in Elkhart and the other was in Goshen. And, there were only 2 properties that were owed more than $200,000 on them, both were in Elkhart.
Right now, there are 169 properties scheduled for Elkhart Counties Sheriff's auction for April, and 139 scheduled for May.
There were only 2 properties that had less than $50,000 owed on them. One was in Elkhart and the other was in Goshen. And, there were only 2 properties that were owed more than $200,000 on them, both were in Elkhart.
Right now, there are 169 properties scheduled for Elkhart Counties Sheriff's auction for April, and 139 scheduled for May.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
My Morning Drive
This morning, I had an appointment all the way over in Warsaw. Sometimes, when I make a trip like this, I have the radio off or down low-relax, and let the thoughts flow about whatever comes to mind. You can call it alone time, God time, my good friend and pastor Mark would probably call it a form of meditation. Anyway, I thought that I would share some of those thoughts from today.
*What do you think would happen if everyone turned off the news for a week? No CNN, no MSNBC or Fox news or local news. How do you think that would effect every ones attitude right now?
*What if Christians ACTUALLY prayed, instead of just saying they are going to do so?
*What if I actually prayed for the people I disagree with? Better still, what if I prayed to help me better understand the person I disagree with instead of praying that the other person change their view?
*What if I only complained about something if I had a solution to that complaint?
*What if everyone started praying for our leaders to succeed rather than to hope that they fail. What kind of impact would that have?
*What kind of impact would it have, if I truly appreciated all of the time I get to spend with the people that I love? How would that effect everyone around me?
And then my mind started wandering to Tiger baseball and the season at hand, but that will be a post for another time.
*What do you think would happen if everyone turned off the news for a week? No CNN, no MSNBC or Fox news or local news. How do you think that would effect every ones attitude right now?
*What if Christians ACTUALLY prayed, instead of just saying they are going to do so?
*What if I actually prayed for the people I disagree with? Better still, what if I prayed to help me better understand the person I disagree with instead of praying that the other person change their view?
*What if I only complained about something if I had a solution to that complaint?
*What if everyone started praying for our leaders to succeed rather than to hope that they fail. What kind of impact would that have?
*What kind of impact would it have, if I truly appreciated all of the time I get to spend with the people that I love? How would that effect everyone around me?
And then my mind started wandering to Tiger baseball and the season at hand, but that will be a post for another time.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
St. Joseph County Foreclosures 3/26
In St. Joseph county Indiana, 49 homes were scheduled for sheriff's auction with 6 being canceled at last count for a total of 43 going to the sale. Of the remaining 43, 3 had more than $200,000 owed on them with two of those three being businesses in Walkerton and Mishawaka. The remaining property is out in New Carlisle.
There were 7 properties listed for the auction that had less than $50,000 owed, all of which were in South Bend.
In all, 31 properties are from South Bend, 7 from Mishawaka, 2 from Lakeville, and 1 from New Carlisle, Walkerton and Granger.
There were 7 properties listed for the auction that had less than $50,000 owed, all of which were in South Bend.
In all, 31 properties are from South Bend, 7 from Mishawaka, 2 from Lakeville, and 1 from New Carlisle, Walkerton and Granger.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Scammers Target Troubled Borrowers
This article is from the Wall Street Journal, James R. Hagerty (3/11/09)
Scam artists are proliferating, attempting to make money off troubled borrowers interested in taking advantage of President Barack Obama's foreclosure-prevention plan.
The firms charge fee for what they tell borrowers will be quick and effective negotiations with banks. In most cases, the firms take the home owners' money-often more than $1,000-and do nothing.
The Federal Reserve recently issued this advice for people seeking to modify their mortgages:
*Work only with HUD-approved nonprofit counselors. (see www.hud.gov)
*Don't agree to pay a fee before you are provided with the promised service.
*Beware of people offering "guaranteed" results.
*Don't sign blank forms or documents you have not read.
Scam artists are proliferating, attempting to make money off troubled borrowers interested in taking advantage of President Barack Obama's foreclosure-prevention plan.
The firms charge fee for what they tell borrowers will be quick and effective negotiations with banks. In most cases, the firms take the home owners' money-often more than $1,000-and do nothing.
The Federal Reserve recently issued this advice for people seeking to modify their mortgages:
*Work only with HUD-approved nonprofit counselors. (see www.hud.gov)
*Don't agree to pay a fee before you are provided with the promised service.
*Beware of people offering "guaranteed" results.
*Don't sign blank forms or documents you have not read.
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