Good News for Builders...National Homebuilders report that building permits were up 7.5 % in March and up 34% over March 2009. This was the largest jump in permits since 1992. New Housing starts were up 2%. Surely not big numbers but encouraging nonetheless.

As reported on CNNmoney.com, existing home sales jumped 6.8 % in March
as Buyers tried to get under-contract before the deadline for the
tax-credit credit expires eight days from now at the end of April. Homes
must close by the end of June. Many Buyers are asking for, and getting,
Sellers to match the Buyer credit here in the last few days of the
month, resulting in a swing of up to $16,000 in the Buyer's favor. The
feds are not expected to extend the credit again.





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Just 2 weeks left for the Housing Tax Credit...$8,000 for 1st Time Buyers or $6,500 for Homeowners moving up that have owned for more than 3 years....the home must close by the end of June. If you are on the fence...get off and grab that credit!

8th seed Colorado Avalanche win 2-1 over the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of the NHL West Coast Conference Finals! Galliardi scores with 50 seconds left to put the Avs in the lead. AND...the Red Wings lost! Cheers gentleman.

Despite horrible weather nationally in the early part of the year, it
appears March was a good month for real estate in our slowly recovering
economy. Nationally, home sales in March went up 8.2 % over February and
were up 17.6 % over this time in 2009. Good signs. There was growth in
all areas except here in the Western Region (including Colorado), which
fell just over 5% from February but nonetheless, still accounted for a
15% increase over March of 2009. Nationally, unemployment shrank
slightly to 9.7 % and consumer confidence continues to inched upward
hopefully signaling a continued economic recovery.





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