Five Reasons To Buy Now Instead Of Spring

Why you can't afford to wait until SpringWith housing prices and mortgage rates on the decline, now may be the best time to consider purchasing your new home. It may seem like a hassle to consider a major purchase and a move, especially during this year’s exceptionally brutal winter, however there are several reasons why waiting it out might not be in your best interest.

Rising Interest Rates

According to Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the National Association of Realtors, and the Mortgage Bankers Association, 30-year mortgage interest rates are projected to be over 5% by February 2015. This increase brings interest rates almost an entire percentage point higher than current market rates.

Dwindling Supply

Inventory in many regions is on the decline. Buyers in markets nationwide are beginning to find that their choices are becoming ever smaller, as the once large assortment of homes continues to decrease.

An Increase in Prices

Homebuyers will find that they are going to pay both a higher price and incur a higher interest rate if they wait until spring. In the long run, higher sales prices and interest rates could mean hundreds of dollars more in a monthly mortgage payment.

Home Ownership Creates Wealth

In a recent study, it was found that the net worth of an average homeowner was 30 times greater than the net worth of a renter. Whether you rent or own, you pay a mortgage. Would you rather pay down your own mortgage or your landlord’s?

Mel Foster Co. Nominated for Performance Awards

Mel Foster Co Relocation Nominated for Leading RE AwardsLynsey Engels, President, Real Estate Brokerage at Mel Foster Co. Inc. is pleased to announce that their Relocation Division, lead by Deb Boland, has been nominated by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® for five  2013 Awards.  Mel Foster Co. is one of five real estate companies nominated for these awards in their size category. The five Awards of Excellence nominations include:

  • Equivalent Closing Sales Production – determined by the number of closings with the average sales price for 2013
  • Outgoing Sales Production – determined by the number of outgoing closings
  • Outgoing Referral Production – determined by the number of outgoing referrals
  • Incoming Conversion Rate – determined by the number of incoming closings with the number of incoming referrals
  • Crown of Excellence – awarded to the member with the highest points total earned from performance ranking within their company-sized categoryThe awards will be presented during the Annual Performance Awards Dinner and Ceremony in Las Vegas later this month. For the past 19 years, Mel Foster Co.’s Relocation Division has been nominated for an award from Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a global network of over 500 premier real estate firms.  Leading RE is comprised of select independent real estate companies who set the standard of quality service, while generating a highest volume of referral, relocation, and real estate business opportunities for its members.  Mel Foster Co. has been with the prestigious affiliation for 20 years.

Mel Foster Co. Receives Website Quality Certification

Mel Foster Earns WQC CertificationMel Foster Co. has been awarded the Website Quality Certification (WQC) from Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, a global network of 500+ real estate firms which presents the certification to member companies that demonstrate best practices in website design and Internet communications.

Mel Foster Co.’s website, www.melfosterco.com , earned the certification after achieving high marks on a range of criteria, including usability and performance, design and content, interactivity, customer service and Internet lead management, search engine optimization and mobile.

Created by LeadingRE in 2009 to recognize member websites that combine high standards for design, technology and service, the criteria for the WQC are updated annually to reflect the latest in internet marketing strategies. The WQC is an optional program available only to firms affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and requires re-certification every two years.

“We are pleased to present the WQC to 124 members this year and commend these firms for creating websites that effectively engage today’s home buyers and sellers by providing relevant information in a compelling way, with the perspective only a local firm can offer,” said Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® President/CEO Pam O’Connor.

“We have received this certification since its inception and it just confirms that we continue to be a real estate leader in using “best practices” in website design and internet communications.  Our new site was rolled out in the fall.  Our website users are experiencing superior results and an excellent customer service experience on our site,” said Mel Foster Co. Lynsey Engels, President Mel Foster Co. Brokerage.

For more information about Mel Foster Co., please visit www.melfosterco.com.

Mel Foster Co. Launches New & Enhanced Mobile Application

Mel Foster Co. launched a new, enhanced property search app for iPad, iPhone®, and Android smartphones. The app is free and available from the Apple App Store and Google Play Market.

The new app offers a premium user experience with best-in-class mapping and augmented reality. See large photos, detailed property information on the map and search faster with auto refresh when you select a new location. Users can share properties via text message and email.

The Mel Foster Co. app is the first in the area to feature a homespotter function that Mel Foster Co. calls “Foster Finder.” Foster Finder shows results for Mel Foster and all listing companies.

Foster Finder uses a technology called augmented reality that is coupled with a smartphone or tablet’s GPS and compass to overlay property information on a device’s live camera feed. Simply use your smartphone or tablet to find all homes for sale on the street where you are standing. With a quick tap, a view of the entire street and all homes for sale pop up. There is also a radar display that shows the direction and proximity of nearby properties for sale.

The new app is integrated with the recently redesigned www.melfosterco.com. Saved properties from the smartphone app, tablet app and website are automatically synced so users always have access to their most recently saved properties.

Mel Foster Co. partnered with Mobile Realty Apps, a Minneapolis based company that specializes in real estate applications.

About Mel Foster Co.

Founded in 1921, Mel Foster Co. is a Real Estate Leader of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois serving Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island and the surrounding Quad City area, and it is one of Iowa’s largest independently owned real estate companies. The company specializes in residential and commercial sales and offers services in insurance, farm and land sales, land development, relocation, career development, and new construction. Visit their website at www.melfosterco.com for more information.

About Mobile Realty Apps

Founded in 2009 and based in Minneapolis, Mobile Realty Apps specializes in custom mobile apps for the nation’s top real estate brokers and MLSs, featuring apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Blackberry, QR codes, text and voice response solutions. Mobile Realty Apps is perhaps best known for its industry-leading HomeSpotter, an augmented reality technology that is a feature of its white-labeled smartphone and tablet apps.

Find homes with the Foster Finder
Mel Foster App


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