Home Staging Works!!!

I just thought I would share with you all a wonderful testimonial regarding staging your home for sale. Recently, The Millennium Team had a listing of a vacant home which had previously been on the market with another agent for months and had expired. The sellers relisted through The Millennium Team and we recommended home staging. We called on professional home stager Nickie Rothwell, accredited staging professional. She came up with a relatively inexpensive staging option for our sellers. The home was on the market only ONE WEEK, before we received a full price offer. Nickie is amazing and I encourage all of my sellers to have a professional stager come in and look over your home prior to listing, it makes all the difference in the world. Visit Nickie's website online for tips and tricks and contact information as well as before and after photos, if you aren't considering selling at least you will get some tips to maximize your home that you can use the next time you are hosting a get together or dinner party.

http://www.getstaged2sell.com

Best Wishes,

Anthony Vulin

January Market Conditions Report

Happy New Year! Wow, what I great year this is going to be for real estate in Los Angeles I just returned from Brazil and I'm very excited with what I see going on in our market. First off, interest rates are lower then they were the last few months. For a 30 year fixed rate, paying one point, the rate is 6.125. That's great news for buyers. We thought that January might have brought higher rates, but it didn't. More listing are starting to come on the market, which is always good news for buyers. This is typical, after the holidays people are in a better position to list their property. There are still plenty of homes on the market that were listed last quarter. These sellers are eager to sell, and this leaves room for a buyer to negotiate the price slightly. Great news for sellers who are listing in January in LA, if the property is priced right, it should sell in less then 30 days. My team had 3 listings that sold in one week this month. It was all because we priced the property correctly and made the property presentable. Making the property presentable, or staging, is huge! I always recommend staging your property when you are selling. It always sells quicker and for a higher price. I work with great stagers and would love to refer them to you if you need them. California Association of Realtors says that home prices in Southern California will rise about 5% this year. In Los Angeles I believe the increase will be about 5-10%. This is a lot less of an increase then we've seen in the last 3 years, but none the less, it is still a healthy increase. In conclusion, I believe the market is still transitioning into a normal market, where buyer and sellers will be happy and find fair deals, where homes will sit on the market for about 90 days, and where interest rates are low. I was asked to speak on the CBS Evening National News a couple weeks ago with my take on the housing market for the LA area, and I told them just what I have told you. Bill Whitaker interviewed me and agreed with the points I made. I hope you allow me and my team the opportunity to consult you through a real estate transaction one day soon! Feel free to E mail me at Anthony@TheMillenniumTeam.com and check out our web site at www.TheMillenniumTeam.com and www.LARealtorToTheStars.com

NEW LISTING - 2170 Coldwater Canyon Drive

2170 Coldwater Canyon Drive

BEVERLY HILLS

Listed at $1,699,000

STUNNING 4 BEDROOM, 2.5 BATH NEWLY REMODELED SPANISH STYLE HOME WITH GORGEOUS FINISHES. DEEP RICH WALNUT FLOORS, BEAMED CEILINGS & WOOD-BURNING FIREPLACE. BRAND NEW KITCHEN W/TOP-OF-THE-LINE APPLIANCES, LRG MSTR SUITE W/STUNNING NEW MASTER BATH & AMPLE CLOSET SPACE. FRENCH DOORS THAT LEAD TO LARGE OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING AREAS WITH MATURE LANDSCAPING. A ONE-OF-A-KIND PROPERTY LOCATED MINUTES FROM THE HEART OF BEVERLY HILLS AND THE VALLEY.

For more information call Anthony: (310) 623-1384

NEW LISTING - 6331 Grape Place

6331 Grape Place

1ST OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 1/15/05 FROM 2 -5 PM

Hollywood Hills Charmer! 2 Bedrom and 2 Bath 2-story with a Contemporary touch on quiet cul-de-sac. Close to Lake Hollywood. Tranquil canyon views. Main floor has livingroom with fireplace, renovated kitchen, dining area, bedroom and bath. Lower level has familyroom with fireplace, bath and bedroom with french doors that open to a deck. Spacious Brick terrace and grassy area perfect for entertaining. Beamed ceilings, hardwood floors, new carpet, new paint, carport, and copper piping.

FOR DETAILS CONTACT ANTHONY VULIN 310-623-1384

Yields Finally Flip -- Officially

It's official, folks. The yield curve officially flipped on December 27th, when the yield on the two-year treasury bill edged up to 4.35 percent while the yield on the ten-year treasury bill fell to 4.34 percent.

Such an occurrence is unusual and counterintuitive. Logically, investors demand a higher return for a longer commitment. This is why, for example, 30 year fixed rate mortgages will carry a higher interest rate than one year ARMs. The Federal Reserve Board has considerable control over short-term rates, but very little control over long term rates, which are largely controlled by market forces.

Here's what's happening: The Fed and the market are butting heads. The Fed has raised short-term rates 13 times in the last 19 months, in an effort to balance economic growth and inflationary pressures. Long term rates have barely budged. Apparently the market doesn't feel the same inflationary pressure that's felt by Chairman Greenspan and his "Merry Band of Policymakers."

Over the last year or so there have been many short-term rates carrying a higher yield than their longer-term counterparts. Take the prime rate for example. The prime rate affects many consumer loans and most home equity lines of credit. It can be considered a short-term rate because it is directly affected by the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve Board. In fact, the Fed's latest credit tightening campaign over the last 18 months has pushed the prime rate up from four percent to the current rate of 7.25 percent. Meanwhile, 30 year fixed rate mortgages are hovering around six percent.

While this is just one example of a short-term rate exceeding a long term rate, the media didn't focus on the phenomenon until December 27, when the two year treasury bill surpassed the ten year note.

Suddenly the inverted yield curve became big news.

Now, how does all this affect real estate and mortgages? First, adjustable rate mortgages are no longer the bargain they once were. In fact, you'll probably discover that the rate on a three-year ARM, which carries a fixed rate for the first three years, is higher than the rate on seven-year ARM, which carries a fixed rate for the first seven years.

Let's look at the big picture. The stock market fell sharply on December 27th because an inverted yield curve has historically been followed by a recession. Some economic talking heads have publicly insisted that it won't happen this time. Others are siding with history and predicting slower growth by mid-2006.

For homeowners and future homeowners, I can tell you that a weaker economy, whether or not it's called a recession, tends to keep inflationary pressures in check. When inflation is kept at bay, interest rates often fall across the board.

If we are indeed headed for an economic slowdown in 2006, homeownership may become more affordable, not just a result of the cooling housing market, but lower mortgage rates. Stay tuned.
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