Homebuyers

More singles than ever before are moving into the housing market.One-third of last year's first-time homebuyers were singles, up from 25 percent the previous year, according to a study by the National Association of Realtors.The study, which was released at the NAR's recent convention in New Orleans, found the trend reflects the overall growth in non-traditional households, caused by higher divorce rates and a growing tendency of young people to postpone marriage "while getting on with their economic lives," said the NAR's chief economist, John A. Tuccillo.

$1 million investment from one of the nation's largest homeowners insurance companies will make it easier for homebuyers with a wide range of incomes to buy homes in Baltimore.A commitment from San Antonio-based United Services Automobile Association will enable Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore Inc., a housing advocacy group, to expand its revolving mortgage-loan fund and closing-cost program to help more than 100 mostly low- to moderate-income families. NHS offers low-interest purchase, rehabilitation and closing cost loans in Patterson Park, Irvington and Coppin Heights.

The American Society of Home Inspectors has a new Internet tool to help consumers find a qualified inspector to check out a home they may buy. Searches can be run with a variety of criteria including ZIP codes or area codes, neighborhood or an inspector's last name. The site provides information on how to contact licensed inspectors. The trade group maintains that buyers should choose inspectors who have been trained and have satisfied the organization's standards and ethics code. The group said potential buyers should interview inspectors, asking questions such as what the inspection will cover, if the inspector is specifically experienced in residential inspections and whether the inspector encourages the client to attend the inspection.

Most homebuyers will have at least two opportunities to inspect their property before closing on the purchase. First, most buyers will include a contingency in the contract that allows them to have a professional home inspection done by the home inspector of their choice. This inspection typically happens right after the sales price has been agreed to, usually within a week or 10 days. If the home inspector finds anything wrong with the property, or decides further inspections (perhaps for radon, heating and air conditioning systems, or mold)

ADVERTORIAL CONTENT Park Place is a wooded enclave tucked away in a corner of Owings Mills that is quiet and serene, yet still close to everything homeowners could need. The community is close to I-795, I-695 and other easy commuter routes to Baltimore, Washington and Columbia. Park Place is also within walking distance of shopping, dining, entertainment options and Metro, so residents can maximize their free time while minimizing their carbon footprint. Ryan Homes' emphasis on building homes that save energy - and money - has recently earned them the EPA's 2011 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Acting on reports that fear of a violent, academically inferior public school system is driving prospective homebuyers away from the city, School Superintendent Peter J. Negroni has urged real estate agents to send him those voicing such concerns.The reports were confirmed by Audrey Simonds, past president of the Greater Springfield Realtors Association, who said the fears were most pervasive among buyers with school-age children.Mr. Negroni and Mayor Robert T. Markel said they believed that news stories about crime and drugs, weapons confiscated in the schools, two reported sexual assaults in a school and fights among students scared off homebuyers and businesses.

Most new-home buyers think that smaller is better - if it comes with extra features. The National Association of Home Builders' latest survey of recent homebuyers found that 63 percent prefer more amenities to more space, which could explain why the average home size has leveled off in the past three years after growing steadily since 1970. The most popular options, according to the survey, include a walk-in pantry, island work area in the kitchen and linen closet in the bathroom. Nearly 45 percent of households preferred brick to any other material on a home's front faM-gade.

Omar Perez and his fiancee, Dianna Celis, don't know what it means when a Realtor talks to them about their "PITI."The same can be said for trying to understand a qualifying ratio.Then again, many first-time homebuyers don't know that PITI stands for principle, interest, taxes and insurance.But it's even harder to understand the intricate workings of mortgage financing when English isn't your first language. This is where an agent such as Lida Wright, a Spanish-speaking agent with Re/Max-Elite in White Marsh, becomes valuable.

In an attempt to encourage homeownership in eastern Baltimore County, officials will continue to offer a program of $130,000 worth of loans to prospective homebuyers.The incentive program promotes ownership in the communities of Middlesex, Hawthorne, Fox Ridge Manor and Ballard Gardens -- neighborhoods in Middle River and Essex, a region where 43 percent of the occupants are renters."We hope homebuyers will take a second look at these solid, blue-collar communities," said Councilman Vincent J. Gardina, a Perry Hall Democrat whose district includes the area.

The Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville, with support from the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors, is launching a grass roots advertising campaign to lure Washington homebuyers to the more affordable Baltimore City neighborhoods. The initiative is designed to promote the neighborhoods of Lauraville, Beverly Hills, Arcadia, Moravia-Walther and Waltherson. According to Joseph T. "Jody" Landers III, executive vice president of the GBBR and a Lauraville resident, the homes are a good value when compared with the high price of housing in the Washington metro region.