Tufts Realty Associates

"YOU'RE MOTORING. WHAT'S YOUR PRICE FOR FLIGHT?"

2009-05-04T13:00:00.002-04:00

80's band Night Ranger's ballad "Sister Christian" perhaps describes the question some spring break travelers are asking travel agents as they reschedule plans to visit Mexico, in light of last week's sudden swine flu outbreak. And while the quickly spreading illness has made this Spring's travel season especially challenging, there are some bright spots on the horizon for the economy.

Lask week, the Fed signaled that the recession may be easing, and this news was echoed by the Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI), who also said that the recession would probably end by the time Summer is over. The ECRI, whose leading indicators have a solid track record of predicting turns in the business cycle, said that enough of its key gauges have turned upward to indicate with certainty that a recovery is coming.

The beleaguered auto industry has been big news of late, and while Chrysler struggled to find "Mr. Right" in Fiat, the price for their flight ended up to be bankruptcy, while on the other hand, it looks like Ford will be all right tonight, as their Stock is up big from just one week ago. What's more, as you can see in the chart below, Stocks in general had a great April. In fact, the S & P 500 had its best month in nine years, gaining 9.4%, led by the financial sector. This is further evidence that the changes in mark-to-market accounting were a great decision.

Chart: S & P 500

In addition, there were several good economic reports to note as Consumer Confidence for April came in at its fourth largest gain in the history of the survey, while Consumer Sentiment also came in better than expected. The improvement in the way consumers are feeling is likely influenced by the improvement in Stock prices.

But Stocks are near an important ceiling of resistance that has been difficult to break. Just like Bonds, Stocks respond to floors of support and ceilings or resistance - and a look at the above chart shows how the level of the S & P 500 between 875 and 880 has put a lid on Stock price advances eight times during the last few months. Interestingly enough, Friday's close was right at that ceiling, at 877.52. Should prices break higher next week, it could lead to another 8% rise in the overall Stock market before the next ceiling is hit. However, should the S & P 500 Index fail to advance further, prices will likely drift down to the nearest floor, about 5% below current levels. That's what makes this pivotal point so important, and worth keeping an eye on in the coming week.

Yet our economy isn't in full bloom just yet. The Advance Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Report showed that the US economy contracted more than expected in the first quarter. The combined contraction of the last two quarters is the worst in more than 60 years. Continuing unemployment claims are still a problem, coming in at a record 6.27M, while the Personal Income and Spending Report showed that consumers are still watching their wallets very carefully.

Remember: Weak economic news normally causes money to flow out of Stocks and into Bonds, helping Bonds and home loan rates to improve, while strong economic news normally has the opposite result. Bonds were buoyed in the beginning of last week due to Stocks losing ground on the swine flu news, but the variety of good economic news gave Stocks a boost later in the week at the expense of Bonds and home loan rates. As a results, Bonds and home loan rates ended the week slightly worse from where they began.

THE GOVERNMENT IS BACK IN ACTION, ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THIS SPRING A BETTER ONE FOR DISTRESSED HOMEOWNERS! CHECK OUT THIS WEEK'S MORTGAGE MARKET VIEW FOR DETAILS ON AN UPDATE TO THE MAKING HOME AFFORDABLE PROGRAM.

Forecast for the Week:

The big news to look for this week will be April's Jobs Report, coming out on Friday at 8:30am ET. The anticipation prior to and results of this report will have Stocks teetering along the aforementioend pivotal level of resistance. The direction of Stocks will no doubt influence Bond prices in the opposite direction.

March's Jobs Report had a mix of good and bad news, as the economy lost 663,000 jobs, meaning 5.1 Million jobs have been lost since the recession began in December of 2007. However, for the first time in a very long while, there were no downward revisions to a prior month's reading, as February's number came back with no change. It will be important to see if April's numbers or any revisions to March show if there is indeed some level of stabilization at hand for the labor market.

Remember that the Unemployment Rate tends to be a lagging indicator, but the number of jobs created gives us a current view of the markets. Still on the jobs theme, Thursday's Initial Jobless Claims number - although volatile - gives us a glimpse of what we can anticipate.

As you can see in the chart below, Bond prices and home loan rates worsened this week - but home loan rates are still near historic lows. If we have not talked recently about your home loan situation or future plans, please give me a call or send me an email - let's talk.

Chart: Fannie Mae 4.0% Mortgage Bond (Friday, May 01, 2009)

The Morgage Market View:

Making Home Affordable. The Saga Continues!

In an effort to fill in some of the gaps exposed in the initial Making Home Affordable (MHA) program, Washington has stepped up its efforts to assist more distressed homeowners. In a press release on April 28th, the U.S. Treasury announced an update to the program designed to assist nearly 50% of those homeowners seeking relief from the MHA program.

What's New?

By some estimates, nearly 50% of all struggling homeowners actually have two mortgages. This is because many borrowers chose to split their mortgage in two to avoid an additional Private Mortgage Insurance monthly payment. The problem is, having two mortgages complicates attempts to refinance or modify home loans.

To minimize these complications, the new legislation is intended to assist mortgage servicers with new guidelines that give incentives for participation and help decrease payments for homeowners. These incentives have also been extended to homeowners enrolled in the program to assist them in making their future payments on time.

The news announcement also addressed the Hope for Homeowners (H4H) program created last year. The biggest news relating to H4H is that participating servicers will be required to look at H4H in tandem while considering a loan modification. In order to support more investor participation, incentives will be extended to the servicer and the Treasury will continue their buying program to help rates stay attractive as well.

What Does This Mean for You?

Despite these additional guidelines, the Making Home Affordable program is still best suited for helping a specific group of struggling homeowners.

If you're interested in refinancing or looking into a modification, I'd be happy to help you examine your options. Even if a modification isn't right for you, there may be an opportunity to refinance your mortgage and take advantage of today's historic lows.

10 THINGS WE OVERPAY FOR: YOU CAN SAVE BIG BY BUYING CHEAP ALTERNATIVES INSTEAD

2009-04-27T14:43:00.003-04:00

By Joan Goldwasser, Senior Reporter, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
March 6, 2009
Reprinted with permission from www.kiplinger.com.

Does the avalance of news about layoffs, business losses and a declining stock market have you looking for ways to cut your spending so you can beef up your savings? We're here to help, with suggestions for less-expensive alternatives to ten everyday purchases (for more ideas, go to www.BillShrink.com, which tracks cell-phone plans and credit cards).

Afternoon snacks. Do you munch protein bars as a healthier alternative to a chocolate pick-me-up? You could easily be paying more than $2 per bar and consuming just as much sugar as you would with your favorite candy bar. Stock up on fruit for a fraction of the cost when you do your grocery shopping. You'll be fitter and save a bundle.

Bottled water. Yes, it's important to drink water every day. But picking up the bottled variety with your lucnh is an expensive way to stay hydrated. Rather than spend $2 a day for water, buy a pitcher and a filter for about $20 and drink as much as you want for pennies a day.

A caffeine fix. Can't get through the day without at least one cuppa Joe? Stopping at Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts can set you back as much as $1.65 per cup. Splurge on a pound of gourmet coffee for $8 to $13 and you can make 40 cups for about 20 cents to 33 cents each.

Favorite tunes. Do you rush out to buy the latest CD by your favorite group even though there are only one or two songs you really like? Instead of paying up to $18 for the CD, download those cuts you want from iTunes for 99 cents each, or from Amazon for as little as 79 cents.

A night at the movies. An evening for two at your local theater costs an average of about $20, including the popcorn - and closer to $30 in major cities. And that doesn't even count the babysitter. For just $5 a month, you can watch two movies from Netflix or pay $9 for unlimited viewing. If you're willing to wait a little longer for new releases, borrow them free from your local library. (See Cut the Cable Cord for other inexpensive entertainment options.)

Fresh flowers. A bouquet of spring blooms brightens up a room and your mood. But purchasing it from a florist at $25 and up can quickly put a dent in your budget. Check out your local grocery store, which offers a selection of seasonal bouquets for $5 to $10.

Fruits and veggies. Sure, precut vegetables and salad mixes that are washed and bagged save a little time. But you'll pay for the convenience. Broccoli florets and sliced peppers cost $6 per pound, compared with one-third to one-half the price for the uncut version. Lettuce varieties that are pre-washed and bagged sell for $5.98 a pound. But it takes just minutes to wash and spin dry enough arugula for your evening salad, and you'll pay one-third as much. Buying whole strawberries rather than sliced ones that are prepackaged cuts the price by 75%.

Credit-card fees. Every month, millions of credit-card customers pay their bills late, and they're assessed as much as $39 each time. Set up an automatic debit and you'll never incur another late fee.

Fax and mail services. Instead of paying FedEx $.149 to fax one page, sign up to send free faxes from a provider such a faxZero or K7.net. Save on shipping with the U.S. Postal Service's priority mail service. You'll pay just $4.95 to mail an envelope or small box anywhere in the US, and your parcel is likely to arrive within two days. Larger packages cost $10.35. That saves at least 50% compared with UPS's two-day service, the cost of which varies by weight and distance.

AN OPTIMIST WILL TELL YOU THE GLASS IS HALF FULL; THE PESSIMIST, HALF EMPTY; AND THE ANALYST WILL TELL YOU THE GLASS IS TWICE THE SIZE IT NEEDS TO BE

2009-04-27T10:44:00.002-04:00

And indeed - last week certainly contained news that could cause you to view the economy in an optimistic or pessimistic light - let's take a closer look.

Good earnings reports from financial companies continued as Bank of America reported earnings that were ten times greater than expectations - that's right, TEN times better. The company also said it earned more in the first quarter of 2009 than through all of 2008, largely a result of enormous refinancing activity. In addition, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said that most banks are well capitalized, and there are signs that credit market conditions are improving, which is definitely something to be optimistic about. However, as earnings season marched on, there were also some weak reports, including clinkers from The Bank of New York, Caterpillar, Dupont, Coca-Cola, Merck and United Technologies.

On the housing front, New Home Sales came out slightly better than expected, and it was especially good to see that the inventory number continues to fall - now at a 10.7 month supply, compared with February 11.2 months. Existing Home Sales came in slightly below market estimates - and while the report showed that Existing Home inventory in March fell by a modest 1.6% at the current sales pace it would take an estimated 9.8 months to sell that inventory of properties, slightly longer than February's 9.7 month reading. The path back to economic recovery will go through housing, and these reports will be important to watch in the months ahead.

In other news, Initial Jobless Claims were reported in-line with expectations. Initial Jobless Claims area leading indicator and last week's number does not yet suggest that the employment market is starting to improve. And March's Durable Goods Orders marked the 7th negative reading in the last 8 months, as tighter credit and lack of business investment is continuing to fuel these negative numbers. However, it will be interesting to see how these numbers change with lending abilities now freed up following the recent relaxation of mark-to-market accounting rules, which will in turn make it easier for businesses and consumers to buy and spend.

Remember: Weak economic news normally causes money to flow out of Stocks and into Bonds, helping Bonds and home loan rates improve, while strong economic news normally has the opposite result. And last week's mix of news saw money flowing back and forth from Stocks to Bonds, with Bonds and home loan rates ultimately ending the week very close to where they began.

WHETHER YOU'RE EXPECTING TO GET A JUICY TAX REFUND OR NOT, MAKING WISE CHOICES WITH YOUR MONEY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER! CHECK OUT THIS WEEK'S MORTGAGE MARKET VIEW FOR SOME GREAT DOLLAR SMART TIPS.

Forecast for the Week:

There are several important reports and events to look for this week, and whether they will lean towards optimism or pessimism remains to be seen. On Tuesday the Consumer Confidence Report will show us if consumers are feeling their own glass is half full or half empty, while on Wednesday we will get a read on the economy with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Report, which is the broadest measure of economic activity.

Also this week, we have the Fed's next regularly scheduled Federal Open Market Committee meeting, followed by their Policy Statement and Interest Rate Decision coming on Wednesday afternoon. It will be important to see if the Fed has a positive or negative read on the economy, and if they comment on any of the recent whispers of inflation. And speaking of the Fed and inflation, the Fed's favorite gauge of inflation, the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) index found within the Personal Income Report, will be released on Thursday.

As you can in the chart below, Bonds were unable to break through a strong overhead ceiling of technical resistance, which is preventing any improvements in home loan rates. Remember: home loan rates are still near historic lows, but the market is volatile. If we have not yet discussed your own situation, give me a call or quick email so that we can ensure you are positioned properly. And if you have any friends, family members, neighbors or coworkers who might need a word of advice, please remember I'd be honored to hear from them as well.

Chart: Fannie Mae 4.0% Mortgage Bond (Friday, Apr 24, 2009)

THE FACT THAT AN OPINION HAS BEEN WIDELY HELD DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT UTTERLY ABSURD

2009-04-20T15:47:00.003-04:00

True words - and last week was one that was full of opinions that moved the financial markets - here are some highlights.

The week began with bank analyst Mike Mayo spewing out a negative forecast, which included his thoughts that loan losses by financial institutions would ultimately exceed levels from the Great Depression. This was followed by word from hedge fund giant George Soros that the US banking system is insolvent and that the economy won't recover in 2009.

However, as mentioned in many previous newsletters, the recent changes in the mark-to-market should prove to have a positive impact on the economics and overall operations of financial institutions. Why? Because the recent ruling to look at mark-to-market accounting in a more relaxed light will free up the banks' capital ratios and allow them to do more lending, which will help their profitability, as well as ultimately help the economy unlock as businesses and consumers are once again able to borrow and use credit in a more normal fashion.

Lo and behold . . . as earnings season began last week, there was already evidence of this playing out as true, when Wells Fargo said Thursday that it expects record 1st quarter earnings and that their Wachovia acquisition was exceeding their expectations. In addition, the New York Times said Thursday that the US banking system overall may be in better shape than most people think.

"LET'S GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT..."

2009-04-07T13:07:00.003-04:00

Better believe that last week's news gave us plenty to talk about, and even a few things to smile about.

What's Coming at the End of the Month:

By the end of the month Countrywide Home Loans and Bank of America Mortgage will be Bank of America Home Loans. The pending combination of these two leading lenders has been a catalyst for researching ways to improve the way we do business. During our research, we heard consumers say that they would be extremely likely to consider Bank of America for their mortgage if they were offered "clear, simple terms using a one-page summary of what my payment will be and I'll never be surprised." From that response, the Clarity Commitment was born. This one page document will provide consumers a summary of their loan written in plain language. When shown a sample document, here's what two respondents had to say:

"People are intimidated by mortgages - this plain language Clarity Commitment is what everyone wants"

"The Clarity Commitment is good, easy - I love it"

This is just one of the many positive changes your client's will experience beginning the end of the month when you refer them to me. I look forward to serving your clients as we strive to find ways to improve our industry.

Information provided by:
Michael McCollum
770-904-7251 office
770-309-4923 cell

Important Market Update

2009-04-02T14:58:00.003-04:00

MMG Update - Thursday, April 2, 2009
Current Trend Direction: Sideways
Risks favor: Cautiously Floating
Current Price of FNMA 4.0% Bond: $100.31, -19bp

Congratulations to all of us for getting the word out... changes to Mark to Market are coming. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) voted favorably to relax mark-to-market and help financial institutions. The big change is to allow financial companies to use alternate models, like cash flow analysis, in marking assets. This enormous change will significantly reduce the writedowns banks have been taking on investments like mortgage-backed securities. You can revisit the article and videos we have put together on mark to market to better understand how destructive it has been to our financial system. This change to mark to market is effective for the second quarter, but can be applied to first quarter earnings. Rumors are swirling that this change will boost earnings of banks by 20% or more in the first quarter. It is too bad that it has taken so long for this enormous issue to be fixed, but finally Congress stepped in and common sense prevailed.

Once again, it's crazy to watch TV and see people talk adversely about removing mark to market. We and many smart people, like former FDIC Chair Bill Issac, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, Steve Forbes and others just wanted to see a relaxing of mark to market like we got today - not a complete removal of mark to market, which would bring us back to the accounting standards of the Enron days.

Back on March 11th, you can see in our Daily Update, we called the bottom of the Stock market when the Dow was at 6552. A few things made us feel a bottom was in place - one, the front page of the Wall Street Journal said "Dow 5,000?" - but the other big factor was the upcoming Congressional hearing on mark to market on March 12th - the very next day. Since this time back on March 11th, Stocks, as evidenced by the Dow, have risen 23%! Be sure to share with your clients what today's FASB ruling means for our financial system and how it has affected the markets.

Also helping Stocks is optimism that the G20 meeting underway in London will agree on ways to pull global economies out of the current recession. And Bank of America's CEO Ken Lewis also said this morning that the company has a huge capital cushion even if the economic woes linger.

First-time claims for unemployment benefits were 669,000, higher than the 650,000 estimated and up 72% from the same period in the prior year. The number of people collecting state unemployment benefits reached yet another new record, jumping 161,000 to 5.73 million - a level that is 96% greater than in the prior year.

The European Central Bank cut its benchmark interest rate by .25% to a record low of 1.25%, but less than the .50% that was expected.

Jobs Report Strategy

This morning's Initial Jobless Claims were worse than expected, but the recent round of numbers suggest some stabilization in the labor market. Tomorrow's Jobs Report may not garner much of a reaction in Mortgage Bonds, so we are going to advise carefully floating into the report and here's why - If the number is a stinky one, and it is very likely to be, the pricing gains may be somewhat muted because lenders only have so much pricing to give due to capacity issues. On the other hand, should the Jobs Report come in better than expected, the reaction in Mortgage Bonds may be somewhat muted as well on the downside because of the Fed buying program. We think floating carefully with prices trading in this sideways range is prudent - but we will lean to a locking stance once this ceiling of resistance is retested.

Caution: Bold Decisions Just Ahead

2009-04-01T10:42:00.006-04:00

"IT REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL OF BOLDNESS AND A GREAT DEAL OF CAUTION TO MAKE A GREAT FOTUNE." Ralph Waldo Emerson. And last week's headlines contained a mix of items to inspire both boldness and caution. Here are the highlights.

Friday's news showed that consumers are being understandably cautious with their finances, as the Personal Savings rate remained above 4% once again in February and among the highest savings levels seen in a decade. The last five years can be seen in the chart. And notice it wasn't that long ago that the US had a negative savings rate - that's right, as a nation, we regularly spent more than we made.

Meanwhile, the government continues to make bold moves to help our economy. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Geithner unveiled a plan to remove toxic assets from financial institutions by using money from the $700 Billion TARP fund. The government will help mitigate the risk by offering private investors Billions of dollars in low-interest to help finance the purchases. Indeed, it's a bold strategy - let's see if it pays off!

And... there's room for cautious optimism on the economy, as good news was noted on several fronts last week. The housing market received good news when both Existing Home Sales and New Home Sales came in stronger than expected. Additionally, Durable Goods Orders for February came in better than expected, showing the first increase in six months, and the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure Index (Core PCE) showed inflation is presently at tolerable levels. Plus, the US Dollar received a boost when China said it will continue to purchase US Treasuries.

Bonds were jostled around mid-week, but home loan rates ultimately ended the week very close to where they begin... near historic lows. Give me a call or email me if you want to discuss whether now may be the perfect time for you to add a bit to your own fortune through a smart purchase or refi.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK:

A very important week is in store, with two important announcements due at the end of the week. As you know, the "mark-to-market" accounting issue has been discussed in this newsletter many times, and this Thursday should be a big day on that front. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is set to announce their ruling on whether to modify mark-to-market, and perhaps allow cash flow analysis to determine valuation of financial assets. Not a coincidence, the strength we have seen in Stocks over the past couple of weeks has been fueled by speculation that mark-t0-market will be modified, thereby helping reinvigorate the financial system of our country. I will be watching very closely to see what happens and how the markets respond.

On Friday, the Labor Department will release their Jobs Report for March. Last month's report showed that 651,000 US jobs were lost in February, while revisions for the prior two months showed that an additional 161,000 jobs were lost between December and January. Given that last week's Initial Jobless Claims report showed that the number of people collecting state unemployment benefits has reached a record high - jumping to a seasonally adjusted 5.56 million - it will be important to see what Friday's report reveals.

As you can see in the chart below, Bonds are currently trading between key technical levels, with a ceiling of resistance overhead, and a floor of support underfoot. But remember: Strong economic news - such as a positive change in the "mark-to-market" situation - will likely cause Stocks to rally, and Bonds and home loan rates may worsen in response. Please call me to discuss how the current rate situation may benefit or impact you.

Chart: Fannie Mae 4.5% Mortgage Bond (Friday Mar 27, 2009)

Mortgage Rates on the Move

2009-03-23T10:47:00.011-04:00

In today's rapidly changing environment, we are constantly working to keep our thumb on the pulse of the market. Our preferred lenders offer us a big hand in this by sending us frequent updates on changes in their market. The following article was provided for us by Chris Tanner & Associates, detailing last week's activity.

"Rates on the Move"
Thursday, March 19th, 2009

Current Price of FNMA 4.5% Bond: $102.47

Big news hit the wires yesterday afternoon, as the Fed made a blockbuster announcement that sent Mortgage Bonds into rally mode. The Federal Reserve announced that over the course of 2009, they will purchase an additional $750B of Mortgage Backed Securities in an effort to help short up the housing market and keep home loan rates low. On the announcement, Mortgage Bonds exploded higher, leaving prices within whiskers of the best levels ever.

However, as we stated in yesterday's Alert to Float, be sure to share with your clients that based on which coupons the Fed purchases, their actions may keep a lid on rates, but not necesarily push them dramatically lower. And due to the issue we've also discussed of lenders still not working at max capacity, they are very likely not going to pass all the gains through to our rate sheets, as we are already hearing this morning. The good news is that perhaps this will help lenders feel more comfortable staffing up a bit, as this purchase program will certainly keep rates from moving significantly higher any time soon - and this will also give time for the new 105% refinance plan to work as well. Bottom line - although the media is already spinning it differently, this is still not a time for clients to stay on the fence, hoping and waiting for lower rates. Home loans rates remain within inches of all-time historic lows, but may not necessarily move significantly lower based on this purchasing plan - waiting is a very risky move.

The Fed also said they will purchase $300B in long term Treasuries... wo why Treasuries? The Fed wants to keep the spread between Treasuries and Mortgage Bonds from widening, because as Mortgage Bond prices move higher, the yield or return on them may not be as attractice as those available in Treasuries. So, if the Fed buys Treasuries, the yield on those instruments will also be driven lower, thereby keeping a normal spread between Treasuries and Mortgage Bonds. And the Fed only has to buy $300B in Treasuries to have the desired impact, as the Treasury market is much smaller in size when compared to the enormous Mortgage Bond market. The Fed also said that the buyer of 2-year and 10-year Notes will help push down rates on business and consumer loans - good news there to help incent business and consumer purchasing. Both Stocks and Bonds sure liked what they heard from the Fed, and financial stocks have continued their recent tear higher.

Now... something else worth paying attention to - since yesterday's Fed Meeting, the US Dollar has gotten clocked, as the aggressive Fed moves appear quite inflationary. In turn, this has pushed Oil up to $51 per barrel, nearly $5 higher since yesterday afternoon. Gold, which is purchased as a hedge against inflation, is up near $950 an ounce - moving up $60 on the day! While we know there is no inflation at the present time, the chatter of future inflation could have a negative effect on Mortgage Bond prices ahead, or at least stifle their moves higher - yet another reason to get your clients lined up to take advantage of present historically low rates.

Initial Claims data took a back seat today with all of the fireworks from yesterday. 646,000 people filed for jobless benefits, lower than expectations of 655,000. The number of people collecting state unemployment benefits jumped by 185,000 to a record seasonally adjusted 5.47 million.

The all-time closing high for the FNMA 4.5% Coupon is $102.56, and a look at the Bond page shows how close we are to that level. We can continue to Float, but very carefully, especially as we watch how lenders pass on the pricing improvements. Should Bond prices start to back off further from these levels,we would like to protect the recent gains.

Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended for 2009

2009-03-18T14:32:00.003-04:00

As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the 2008 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit has been increased and extended. The maximum credit was extended from $7,500 to $8,000 and no longer has to be repaid. First-time homebuyers are defined as anyone who has not owned a home in the past 3 years. This credit applies to purchases made between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009. For more details, click on the title of this post, visit our website at http://www.tuftsassociates.com/ or give us a call at (678) 597-5870!

Wecome to our new real estate blog!

2009-03-18T12:54:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Tufts Realty Associates! We are a Keller Williams Realty Mega-Agent team based in Duluth, Georgia. Historically, we have specialized in luxury and country club homes, specifically Sugarloaf Country Club and The River Club, both in Gwinnett County. However, we have extensive experience representing both buyers and sellers at all price points. We pride ourselves in offering the same high level of service to our one hundred thousand dollar clients as we do our million dollar clients. In the recent economic climate, we have also become experts in handling short sale properties as well.

There is so much contradictory information our there right now, that you often don't know what to believe. We have created this blog as a way to collect the best and most accurate information for quick access by our clients. Please let us know if there is any specific topic that you would like us to include here and check back often for new information!

Thanks for visiting and don't forget to give us a call whenever we can help you with your real estate needs!

Sincerely,
The Tufts Associates Team
(678) 597-5870
www.TuftsAssociates.com