The newest version of MAC’s operating system, the Mountain Lion, is said to be released later this summer. On gizmodo.com, it goes on to say “that it will further blur the lines between iOS and OS X, bringing apps like Messages, Notes, and Reminders along with utilities such as Notification Center and—finally—AirPlay mirroring from your Mac.” Face time will be intergrated into your iMessages,  changes made to a document will show the changes on any device accessing the document, and if you have an Apple TV, you will now be able to “push” your computer screen onto you TV screen. What could be better than the Leopard (if you actually liked the leopard?), The Mountain LION!

If you live in Jackson, Mississippi, or are planning on buying a home in Jackson, Mississippi then you will be excited to learn that we are welcoming a Whole Foods Market to our neighborhood in 2013! Whole Foods announced Wednesday, February 8th, that they will build a 30,000 sq foot store in Jackson, Mississippi’s Highland Village Shopping Center. This up-scale grocery store will be the first store in the state and we could not be happier that they have chosen Jackson, Mississippi.  A spokesperson for Whole Foods told WLBT that the store will bring 80-120 jobs to the area. This is incredible news for those living in the Jackson, Fondren, Belhaven metro-area. If you are looking to buy a home in Jackson, Mississippi, or would like more information on all the great shopping, dining, and local events that our city has to offer, visit nixtann.com and contact us by phone or email. We look forward to working with you!

Negotiating

Last night I was watching the previews to the
new movie “Man on a Ledge” and it got me thinking about negotiators and how
important it is to have a good one. Buying a home has as much to do with
“taking a leap” as it does with “having a safety net” and negotiations are a
large part of what we as REALTORS are educated to do. Most buyers express
feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious. They want us to tell them everything
is going to be okay. They want to be assured that we are there for them,
negotiating for their needs, during one of the biggest decisions of their
lives. They want us to be their “safety net”.
Negotiations are complex and all transactions are different-there is
always so give and take, and both sides—buyers and sellers—want to feel that the
outcome favors them, or at least represents a fair balance of interests. We as
REALTORS possess the skill set to negotiate it’s what we do. So the next time
you are thinking about taking that leap, whether it’s buying or selling your
home, let us be your safety net- let us negotiate for you.

Well…the office in Madison,MS is almost up and running. It has been long long hours of hard work but we know it will all pay off. If you are ever at the Township and want to drop by please do so. We are located directly above the Viking Culinary School and Everyday Gourmet. We will post some pics of the new office soon!

Nix-Tann & Associates is excited to announce the opening of our second location in the Township on Highland Colony. We will be located directly above the Viking School and will open our doors on January 1st, 2012. We will be having a party to celebrate the New Opening– details to follow!!!! We appreciate your business, support, and friendship and look forward to continuing to help you with all your Real Estate needs.

A n upward trending of home sales is expected through 2012. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said existing-home sales have been underperforming by historical standards and will rise gradually but unevenly.  With a rise to an average of 6% in 2012, mortgage interest rates will continue to remain affordable by historic standards.

“The problem isn’t with interest rates, but with the continuation of unnecessarily tight credit standards that are keeping many creditworthy buyers from getting a loan despite extraordinarily low default rates over the past two years, ” said Yun. Yun said that if credit requirements returned to normal, safe standards, home sales would be 15 to 20 percent higher.

“A recovery in new homes will be slow because of the extra price discount in the existing home market,” Yun noted.

“Twice as many renters had enough income to buy a home in 2010 in comparison with 2005, so we have a much larger pool of financially qualified renters,” Yun said. “Rising rents and excellent housing affordability conditions will encourage potential buyers who’ve been on the sidelines.”
Information obtained and cited from Realty Times.

The results of a biannual survey, released this week by real estate search and marketing portal Trulia, found that 80 percent of homeowners plan to buy another home, and that most survey participants view homeownership, and placing money in a 401(k) or other retirement account, as the best long-term investments. Market research firm Harris Interactive conducted the survey, which drew responses from 1,392 homeowners and 758 renters, from Aug. 30, 2011, to Sept. 1, 2011.

Article Curtousy of Inman_News

According to the New York Times, one in three cell phone users would rather be texted than called. With growing technology, people have become more connected and rely less traditional means of communication such as Email, texting, blogging,  Facebook, Google+, WordPress, and Twitter; to name a few.  This is happening often enough that people are starting to say that they would rather be texted than called.  Cellphone owners between the ages of 18 and 24 send or receive an average of 109.5 messages daily. The rest of us on average exchange 41.5 messages daily. How would you prefer to be contacted??

Foremost, homeownership allows for social and financial benefits—the ability to grow wealth slowly thru equity and to bring about a collective stability. If you intend to remain in a home for 5+ years, then buying becomes an investment in your future that brings about a real stability thru price appreciation. Once your mortgage is paid off, your home becomes an asset.

Among these benefits, Five haven’t changed… even in the face of a down economy:
1. Equity: When you rent, you’re basically putting your money down the drain. When you pay on a mortgage, you are paying towards owning a piece of something.

2. Savings: Long-term homeownership is still a way to earn big savings.

3. Tax Breaks: No, they are not obsolete as of yet. There’s the mortgage interest deduction that some homeowners are still able to qualify for each year, along with great rebates and credits associated with upgrades made to your home.

4. Budgeting: Did you know that most lease’s are not “rent controlled” and could mean an increase in prices? A fixed-rate mortgage, however, means your payment is the same amount for the existence of the loan.

5. Security: When you own it, it’s yours! You can paint it, decorate it, landscape it, remodel it, renovate it, etc…And more importantly, you build relationships and friendships with neighbors.

Home affordability is at near record highs. Call your banker, lender, mortgage broker and see if buying a home made good financial sense for you.

Mortgage rates are at historical lows and will not be this low for very long. Act now and lock in a rate and take advantage of these low rates. Call Nix-Tann and Associates today and we can help you get started in the home buying process and help point you in the right direction in order to take advantage of these rates.