Homebuilder Confidence is on the rise once again.

After a brief dip in April, the National Association of Homebuilders reports that the Housing Market Index rose 5 points in May to 29. The increase marks the sharpest climb in homebuilder confidence on a month-to-month basis in 10 years, and raises the index to a 5-year high.

The Housing Market Index is scored from 1-100. Readings above 50 indicate favorable conditions in the single-family new home market overall. Readings below 50 indicate poor conditions.

The HMI has not been above 50 since April 2006.

The Housing Market Index itself is a composite reading as opposed to a straight-up homebuilder survey. The published HMI figure is a compilation of the results of three specific questionnaires sent to NAHB members monthly.

The survey questions are basic :

1. How are market conditions for the sale of new homes today?
2. How are market conditions for the sale of new homes in 6 months?

Dirty shower doors can ruin an otherwise sparkling-clean bathroom. If you have your home on the market, dirty shower doors can be distracting to prospective buyers. The soap scum that accumulates isn’t just unsightly, it contains body oils and skin particles that provide for a perfect bacteria breeding ground.

Supermarket shelves in Colorado are filled with bathroom cleaners that promise to cut through soap scum, but the cleansers don’t always work and those that do often contain harsh chemicals that can irritate your skin.

Cleaning shower doors can be more safe and more pleasant when you use chemical-free household products, many of which you likely have in your kitchen already.  White vinegar makes an excellent soap scum remover, for example.

To remove soap scum from your shower doors using white vinegar, pour non-diluted white vinegar into a spray bottle, and then spray your shower doors until the soap-scummy sections are completely saturated. Let the vinegar sit for several minutes. This allows the white vinegar time begin breaking down the soap scum.  Spritz the surface again, if necessary, to keep the surface wet.

Despite an improving U.S. economy, the nation’s banks remain cautious about what they will lend, and to whom.  Last quarter, by a margin of 3-to-2, more banks tightened residential mortgage lending standards for “prime borrowers” than did loosen them.

A “prime borrower” is defined as one with a well-documented credit history, high credit scores, and a low debt-to-income ratio.  The insight comes from the Federal Reserve’s quarterly survey of its member banks.

Last quarter, of the 54 responding banks :

• 0 banks tightened mortgage guidelines considerably
• 3 banks tightened mortgage guidelines somewhat
• 49 banks left guidelines basically unchanged
• 2 banks eased mortgage guidelines somewhat
• 0 banks eased mortgage guidelines considerably

By contrast, in the quarter prior, not a single surveyed bank reported tighter residential mortgage guidelines.  The period from January-March was a step backwards, therefore, for the fledgling U.S. housing market.  Overall, getting approved for a mortgage is tougher than it used to be. Banks enforce higher minimum credit score standards; ask for larger downpayment/equity positions; and require higher monthly income relative to monthly debt obligations.  It’s one reason why the homeownership rate is at its lowest point since 1997.

As the weather turns warmer and the days grow longer, it’s time to pack away your winter clothes to make room for spring and summer things — just make sure to store your cold-weather clothes properly.  They’ll look better, wear longer, and will be ready to go when winter rolls around again next year.

Here’s what to do.

First, you’ll want to launder your winter clothes before you pack them up — even if they were never worn and/or don’t appear to be soiled. Clothes can sometimes have spots or stains that aren’t readily visible. Use unscented detergents, and skip fabric softeners and other additives that could attract insects.

Take items that can’t be washed to the dry cleaner.  Next, you’ll put your clothes into storage containers. Ideally, use bags or boxes that won’t degrade and will seal out dirt, dust, insects and moisture.  Fold clothing neatly before adding it to the container and pack “loosely”, allowing air to circulate.  Tuck a lavender or cedar sachet into each container to help repel bugs.  Both lavender and cedar are safer for use than mothballs and they smell much better.

Did you remember to handle the most basic safety precaution for your new home?

When people buy homes , there’s a tendency to think “Big Picture” on home improvements.  Flooring, painting and furniture are common “just-moved-in” purchases, as are cable television and utilities packages.

The most important move-in purchase, though, may also be the least expensive — deadbolts for your doors.  Every home has at least one — and sometimes up to dozen — keyed points of entry.   And, until you change those locks, there’s no telling just how many people may have access to your home.

For example, your home’s prior owners may have shared house keys with any/all of the following people :

• Real estate agents
• Neighbors and friends
• Parents, brothers and sisters
• Home cleaning service
• Dog walkers and pet sitters

Tuesday, the government released its March 2012 New Residential Construction report.  The report is made up of three sections, each related to a phase of the “new home” market.  The report’s first part is Building Permits; the second is Housing Starts; the third is Housing Completions.

Of the three sections, it’s Housing Starts that gets the most attention from the press — mostly because, of the triad, it’s the simplest for a layperson to understand.  However, the manner in which Housing Starts data is reported can be misleading.

Today’s newspapers offer up an excellent example.

According to the Census Bureau, total Housing Starts fell by 6% in March as compared to the month prior.  654,000 units were started on a seasonally-adjusted annualized basis.  For Housing Starts, it’s the lowest reading in 5 months, a statistic suggesting that the housing market may have lost some momentum.  Much of the press covered the story from a “housing is slowing” angle.

According to the EPA, during summer months, lawn and garden watering account for roughly 40% of a typical home’s water use.  It’s a statistic that reminds us how “green lawns” can be wasteful to both the environment and household budgets  – especially with drought conditions expected and water costs rising in many U.S. municipalities.

As a homeowner in Lakewood , to help Mother Nature and your wallet, consider added a rain barrel to your home.  A rain barrel is a rain-capturing system that collects and stores water runoff from your roof. Often attached to a home’s gutter system, a standard rain barrel collects and holds 55 gallons of water which can then be reused to water plants, wash cars, and clean driveways among other uses. Because the water is natural (i.e. not treated with chlorine or lime), it’s also ideal for window washing.    

Rain barrels can be purchases at most hardware or garden stores, or online via Amazon.com, for example. Or, they can be hand-built.

The housing market took a step back in February, but remains near post-recession highs.

According to data from the National Association of REALTORS®, February’s Pending Home Sale Index slipped .5% from the month prior, to 96.5.  The Pending Home Sales Index is a monthly report which measures the number of homes under contract to sell, but not yet sold, nationwide.

The index is benchmarked to a value of 100, the average level of home contract activity in 2001,  the first year that pending home sales data was analyzed.  It also happened to be a year of historically-high levels of home contract activity. Therefore, a Pending Home Sales Index reading of 100 suggests a strong housing market nationwide.  The index has read north of 90 since October 2011.

On a regional basis, February’s Pending Home Sales Index varied :

• Northeast Region: -0.5 percent from January 2012
• Midwest Region : +5.7 percent from January 2012
• South Region : -3.3 percent from January 2012

The new, revamped HARP program is now available in Colorado and nationwide. It was officially released Saturday, March 17, 2012 by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  HARP is an acronym.  It stands for Home Affordable Refinance Program.  HARP is the conforming mortgage loan product meant for “underwater homeowners”. Under the HARP program, homeowners in Evergreen can get access to today’s low mortgage rates despite having little or no equity whatsoever.  HARP is expected to reach up to 6 million U.S. homeowners who would otherwise be unable to refinance.

HARP is not a new program. It was originally launched in 2009.  However, the program’s first iteration reached fewer than 1 million U.S. households because loan risks were high for banks, and loan costs were high for consumers.  With HARP’s re-release — dubbed HARP 2.0 — the government removed many of HARP’s hurdles.

In order to qualify for HARP, homeowners must first meet 3 qualifying criteria.

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