Alicia Garatoni

Further support that now is a great time to buy a home . . .

Alicia Garatoni — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:02:00 GMT

In a December 30, 2011 New York Times article, Karl Case, the co-founder of the prestigious Case-Shiller Index, presents his perspective. The following is an excerpt from the Times article and is reprinted in its entirety. Karl Case: ‘It’s...(read more)

The media isn't always the best resource . . .

Alicia Garatoni — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:33:00 GMT

You've heard this time and time again yet just last week there was another example of poor reporting. First, an admission - I came in on the tail end of a news segment so I didn't catch the entire conversation nor do I have the financial consultants...(read more)

Twin Cities ranks 4th for businesses

Alicia Garatoni — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:16:00 GMT

MarketWatch, a division of the Wall Street Journal ranks the Twin Cities 4th in the nation for its business community topped only by Washington D.C., Boston and Des Moines. The study looks at the concentration of businesses and their economic strength....(read more)

Changes to the Minnesota property tax formula

Alicia Garatoni — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:10:00 GMT

The Minnesota Association of Realtors just issued a great summary of the 2011 changes to how are property taxes are calculated. The complete article is attached. Please call me if you have any questions....(read more)

Rent vs. Buy - What's right for you?

Alicia Garatoni — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:25:00 GMT

I just received the following study presented by Ken H. Johnson, Ph.D. - Florida International University (FIU) and Editor of the Journal of Housing at the National Association of Realtors national conference in Anaheim, CA . The analysis should be useful...(read more)

Just out from the National Association of Realtors

Alicia Garatoni — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:17:00 GMT

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Not a good catagory in which to lead.

Alicia Garatoni — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:34:00 GMT

Out yesterday (9/12/11) is a report in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal that Minnesota is one of the leading nations for mortgage fraud. In a report released by the Mortgage Daily website, Minnesota had over $184 million in reported mortgage...(read more)

Just when you thought they couldn't go lower . . .

Alicia Garatoni — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:24:00 GMT

According to Forthebestrate.com, a mortgage interest rate research firm, interest rates today (9/13/11) dropped to the lowest point ever as reported by Rismedia, a leading real estate information systems company. For a 30 year fixed mortgage, this means...(read more)

Condos and town homes to see a resurgence?

Alicia Garatoni — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:25:00 GMT

Except for a brief period in the early 2000's, single family homes have generally seen greater demand than condos and town homes. As the first of the baby boomers hit retirement age last year, that may be changing. There are approximately 77 million...(read more)

What conclusions can be drawn from May 2011 housing statistics?

Alicia Garatoni — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:36:00 GMT

It continues to be difficult to compare year over year statistics as the post tax credit slump adversely impacted May 2010 sales figures. When compared to May 2011 statistics, pending sales increased dramatically by 13.2%, new homes on the market jumped...(read more)

Deliquencies down but foreclosures up???

Alicia Garatoni — Tue, 03 May 2011 02:20:00 GMT

Have you been reading that the number of homeowners more than 90+ days delinquent on their mortgage is down? It's true, for many people the employment situation is getting brighter and families are learning to adapt to a more stringent household budget...(read more)

More reasons to love Minnesota!

Alicia Garatoni — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:03:00 GMT

I'm late getting the memo - in September, the Twin Cities was recognized as one of the least stressful metros in the U.S. by Portfolio.com. Ranking 3rd, we were beat out by Salt Lake City and Virginia Beach/Norfolk. Criteria included unemployment,...(read more)

Twin Cities ranks 12th for small business creation

Alicia Garatoni — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:47:00 GMT

This ranking by a recent Business Journal study of 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas is up substantially from 2010 when the Twin Cities was at 39th and at 40th in 2009. The study considered population growth, small business openings and employment rates...(read more)

Keller Williams Giving Back

Alicia Garatoni — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:57:00 GMT

One of the basic tenets you’ll find on the Keller Williams website is: “finding and serving the higher purpose of business through charitable giving in the Market Centers and communities where Keller Williams associates live and work.”...(read more)

Why do people buy a home?

Alicia Garatoni — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:45:00 GMT

I’ve heard much discussion in the last two years that real estate is no longer a sound investment decision; that the stock market makes better financial sense. One of these people is Jack C. Francis , a former Federal Reserve economist and professor...(read more)