Howard Hanna Holt, Habit For Humanity Team up

MAYVILLE (NY) – Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate and Habitat for Humanity have teamed-up to help provide home ownership opportunities for Chautauqua County residents.

Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate is one of the county’s premier real estate agencies.

Habitat for Humanity works to help people in need by building and renovating homes. The non-profit organization, since the local chapter’s founding in the county, has helped 22 families become homeowners.

“We are proud to contribute to help our community,” said company president George W. “Pete” Holt. “We are a family-owned, locally-owned business.”

Nick Holt, who joined the firm last year, has been coordinating its relationship with Habitat.

Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate this year donated $1,500 to the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity International from the sale of a house he negotiated.

“The organization offers a hand up, not a hand out,” he explained, noting that recipient families devote an average of 500 hours of “sweat equity” into each rehabilitation project.

Partner families are selected after an application process based on their need for decent housing, ability to pay on a no-interest mortgage and willingness to work with Habitat volunteers.

“Seeing the amount of work the volunteers put into helping a family achieve their dream of home ownership, and seeing the families work along side them is an incredible experience,” Nick Holt said.

Howard Hanna Holt’s donation is being used toward a current home improvement project that the Chautauqua Area Habitat for Humanity is working on, according to vice president Ted First.
He said the project will result in a fully-renovated “green” home.

“We’re always working to get greener in the projects we do,” First said. “We’ll use the existing structure to reduce consumption of new materials and solar energy will be incorporated into the rehabilitation. We strive to make all of our projects affordable and energy efficient.”

Volunteers are critical to Habitat for Humanity’s success noted construction committee co-chair Marsha Butler. “We welcome people who want to help, whether it’s for two hours or the whole day, whenever they have the time.”

The local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, www.habitatchaut.org, was founded in 1989 and undertakes projects throughout Chautauqua County. Anyone interested in volunteering to assist the organization can call 716-269-7772 or send an email to build@habitatchaut.org.

Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate, www.howardhannaholt.com, offers comprehensive residential and commercial real estate sales, leasing and related services including real property appraisals, property management, development services, vacation property rentals and traditional rentals. The Chautauqua County-headquartered affiliate of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has offices in Fredonia, Mayville and Westfield, on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution, at the Bemus Bay condominiums and at Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa.

Pittsburgh-headquartered Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is the 3rd largest independent real estate company in the United States and the country’s 4th largest full service real estate company. The firm serves the Western New York, Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and West Virginia real estate markets.

Holt Real Estate, Habitat for Humanity Team-Up

MAYVILLE (NY) – Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate and Habitat for Humanity have teamed-up to help provide home ownership opportunities for residents of Chautauqua County that may not be able to own their own home otherwise.

Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate is one of the county’s premier real estate agencies.

Habitat for Humanity works to help people in need by building and renovating homes. The non-profit organization, since its founding in Chautauqua County, has helped 22 families become homeowners.

“We are proud to contribute to help our community,” said company president George W. “Pete” Holt. “We are a family-owned, locally-owned business.”

Nick Holt, who joined the firm last year, has been coordinating its relationship with Habitat.

Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate this year donated $1,500 to the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity International from the sale of a house he negotiated.

“The organization offers a hand up, not a hand out,” he explained, noting that recipient families devote an average of 500 hours of “sweat equity” into each rehabilitation project.

Partner families are selected after an application process based on their need for decent housing, ability to pay on a no-interest mortgage and willingness to work with Habitat volunteers.

“Seeing the amount of work the volunteers put into helping a family achieve their dream of home ownership, and seeing the families work along side them is an incredible experience,” Nick Holt said.

Howard Hanna Holt’s donation is being used toward a current home improvement project that the Chautauqua Area Habitat for Humanity is working on, according to vice president Ted First.

He said the project will result in a fully-renovated “green” home.

“We’re always working to get greener in the projects we do,” First said. “We’ll use the existing structure to reduce consumption of new materials and solar energy will be incorporated into the rehabilitation. We strive to make all of our projects affordable and energy efficient.”

Volunteers are critical to Habitat for Humanity’s success noted construction committee co-chair Marsha Butler. “We welcome people who want to help, whether it’s for two hours or the whole day, whenever they have the time.”

The local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, www.habitatchaut.org, was founded in 1989 and undertakes projects throughout Chautauqua County. To get involved please call 716-269-7772 or email to build@habitatchaut.org.

Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate, www.howardhannaholt.com, offers comprehensive residential and commercial real estate sales, leasing and related services including real property appraisals, property management, development services, vacation property rentals and traditional rentals. The Chautauqua County-headquartered affiliate of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has offices in Fredonia, Mayville and Westfield, on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution, at the Bemus Bay condominiums and at Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa.

Pittsburgh-headquartered Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is the 3^rd largest independent real estate company in the United States and the country’s 4^th largest full service real estate company. The firm serves the Western New York, Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and West Virginia real estate markets.

Local Market Strong

In this weeks' Westfield Republican, Alex Gerould wrote a piece on the local market. Below is an excerpt. To read the complete article please visit the Republican's site.

Looks Can Be Deceiving as Local Real Estate Market is Strong
By S. Alex Gerould
WESTFIELD – James Woodruff isn’t a real estate expert.


A member of the U.S. Army, Woodruff, a 2002 Westfield Academy and Central School graduate, has seen two tours of duty in Iraq while stationed in Hawaii. Shortly, he will be heading to Texas for additional training before moving to an Army base in North Carolina.
He’s seen a lot of things and been to a lot of places. He’s also someone who can tell you how Westfield has changed during the time he has been gone.
While driving with this reporter down South Portage Street on the way to Jamestown, Woodruff remarked on something which has affected most of the country recently – real estate.
“It seems every house is for sale in Westfield,” he said, as we passed a house with a Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate sign propped up in the front lawn.
Woodruff may be right to some extent. While not every house in Westfield is for a sale, during a quick, 10 minute drive through the streets of the village, more than 10 houses and properties, along with several businesses, had “for sale” signs in their front yard.

However, looks can be deceiving, at least according to some real estate experts.
“I think what you’re seeing right now is that there are some properties for sale on the major streets,” said Steve Holt. A broker associate with Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate. “I think it’s just been the location where they are that they stand out a little more.”
Helen Baran, a real estate agent for ERA Real Estate, said, even if a house has a “for sale” sign in its front yard, it doesn’t necessarily mean a house is for sale. She said real estate agents may keep signs up until the sale is definite in an effort to not scare other potential buyers away.
“At any time you have a house that has a ‘for sale’ sign on it, it might also be under contract,” Mrs. Baran said. “There are a lot of them (houses) on the market, but there’s also quite a few that are under contract right now.”
While it may seem there are many houses for sale in Westfield, Nick Holt, Steve Holt’s son and also a real estate agent, was quick to point out that 2009 was a really good year for his company.
“Despite what everyone has termed a down year, Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate had our best year ever in 2009, posting record sales with double digit growth,” Nick said. “The truth is that, with the proper marketing, pricing and expectations, now is as good a time as any to sell or buy in this area, particularly when you consider how low interest rates are.”

THE ECONOMY’S IMPACT
While other parts of the country have faced real estate meltdowns recently, Westfield and Chautauqua County has remained stable, and, in some cases, fairly robust.
“Prices in this market were never really artificially inflated, and local lenders were very good about avoiding predatory practices,” Nick Holt said. “So, when the bubble burst, we didn’t take the hit that other areas did.”
“The smaller communities … fared very well,” Steve Holt added. “We really didn’t see what the rest of the country was seeing. Even the vacation home market was pretty strong. We didn’t have the bubble. We didn’t have the big up, and we didn’t have the big down.”
While local real estate experts have said Westfield and Chautauqua County were not hit as hard by the real estate meltdown as other areas, Rawlin said any impact on what the WDC considers its number one asset – the quality of the community’s housing stock – can have some implications.
“We have, like the rest of the country, been hit by the downturn, but not really as bad as many locations,” Rawlinson said. “In fact, Western New York faired very well in the overall housing market debacle.”


WHY WESTFIELD?
Thanks to a larger Internet presence, Nick Holt said Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate has had inquires on homes in the area from as far away as California, Colorado and Florida. People, he said, come from all over looking for a small, quaint town to call home.
“I am always amazed at the interest people have in moving to Westfield,” Nick Holt said. “There are very few old fashioned small towns anymore, with a downtown strip and good neighborhoods within the village. We find people all the time who stop in and fall in love.”
Steve Holt agreed, adding many people looking to relocate are looking for a change to their lifestyle.
“When they come to areas like here, number one they get a great buy for their money, and they’re more apt here to truly pick the community they want to pick,” he said. “Communities like Westfield are the ones that a lot of people are picking. It’s because of the quality of the lifestyle. There are things going on, and it’s that small town atmosphere where people want to raise kids and retire.”

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Chautauqua County-headquartered Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate, offers comprehensive residential and commercial real estate sales, leasing and related services including real property appraisals, property management, development services, vacation property rentals and traditional rentals. The locally-owned affiliate of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has offices in Fredonia, Mayville and Westfield, on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution, at the BemusBay condominiums and at Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa.

Pittsburgh-headquartered Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is the 3rd largest independent real estate company in the United States, the country’s 4th largest full service real estate company and the 6th largest mortgage banking company in the nation. The company serves the Western New York, Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and West Virginia real estate markets.

Slopes running at the Peak!

Ski Season is in full swing at our office at Peek n' Peak Resort.

The Resort has been packed but many vacationers have still found the time to stop in and take a look at some of our great condos.

To view some of our listings and learn more about what the Peak has to offer visit our site.

To find out more about or Ski for Free Promotion, rent a unit, or even check the slope conditions, please call Nick @ (716) 581-1347, or email him @ nickholt@howardhanna.com

Howard Hanna Comments on Homebuyer Stimulus

The following is taken from this article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Business Forum: Why I like the 2009 federal stimulus plan

Saturday, December 26, 2009

By Howard W. Hanna Jr.

My name is Howard W. Hanna and I was born in February 1920. I had an ordinary childhood. However in 1934-1935, when I was old enough to go to Boy Scout camp, I could not afford to go.

Instead, my friends and I discovered that Camp Umbstetter (behind Sewickley) was closed due to the Depression but that the pool was kept open. We were able to sleep in empty barracks and cook our own food over an open fire. This was our version of Boy Scout camp.

Eventually, I got a job at the camp digging holes for the Works Progress Administration, a government works program created by Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, building new outhouses. I was then paid $5 a week plus room and board. With the new outhouses, the camp reopened in 1936 and I had a good job every summer while in high school, thanks to the government's WPA program.

My parents and the high school principal insisted that I go to college, which I did from 1938 to 1942. To keep colleges from going broke, the Pennsylvania government allotted bond money for half scholarships to Pennsylvania schools -- $150 per year. This was the only way I could go to college, so I went to the University of Pittsburgh, which allowed me to get a job and live at home for free. Full tuition was $300 a year.

In 1942, I was drafted into the military. After serving several years in India as an American liaison officer with the British and Indian armies, I was discharged as a captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1946.

From 1946 to 1949, I got a master's degree in business from Pitt by attending night school. This was paid for by the Veteran's Administration and included books, pencils, etc. The VA also paid for three years of "on the job" training, which subsidized my job pay with $150 per month.

In 1950, and again thanks to the VA, I was able to buy my first home in Mt. Lebanon for $15,750, with nothing down. I parlayed the profit from the sale of this home into the downpayment on a house in Shadyside, as my wife was from Point Breeze and wanted to move closer to her family. Years later, we parlayed the profit from the sale of the Shadyside home into a condo in North Oakland, for which we paid cash -- all thanks to the original G.I. bill.

I probably paid back in taxes everything I had received from the government stimulus programs in one year in the 1950s. If the stimulus had not been possible, the company I founded in 1957 -- with more than 4,700 sales associates and staff today -- would not be in existence.

My two good friends from college went to Pitt same way. After WWII, one went to law school on the G.I. bill, then was on the White House staff and eventually became a prominent Washington attorney. The other owned over 50 lumberbyards in the Midwest.

This is why I like the federal stimulus program.

Howard W. Hanna Jr., is the retired founder of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, based in O'Hara.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09360/1023709-432.stm#ixzz0b6yzL4BH

Tax Credit Info

After posting the last story on how the tax credit has helped, I realized I didn't post anything after it was passed so, here goes.

The following excerpt is from this story on CNNMoney.com. As always this is a complicated piece of legistlation that can be difficult to understand. For example the move up credit does not require that you in fact, move up. So please visit http://www.howardhannaholt.com and contact one of our REALTORS to learn more.

$8,000 homebuyers tax credit extended

President Obama reups popular tax credit through June 2010 and expands it to include people with higher incomes and some who want to trade up into new homes.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- President Obama signed an extension and expansion of the first-time homebuyers tax credit on Friday.

The $8,000 credit was scheduled to lapse on Dec. 1 but will now be in effect through the end of June. Homebuyers must sign a contract before April 30 and close by June 30. The income limits were also raised: Single buyers can now earn up to $125,000 and still get the full credit while a married couple can earn $225,000.

The bill also made more homeowners eligible to claim the credit on their taxes. First-time buyers -- those who have not owned a home in the past three years -- still qualify for an $8,000 rebate. But now people who want to trade up can also qualify. Those who have owned and occupied a residence for at least five years out of the past eight can claim a $6,500 tax credit if they close on a purchase by the end of June.

"The new version of the tax credit has the potential to stimulate the housing market even more than the old version due to the fact that more people will qualify under the new rules," said Gibran Nicholas, chairman of the CMPS Institute, an organization that certifies mortgage bankers and brokers.

Who qualifies?

Nicholas provided four scenarios illustrating how the tax credit rules for existing homebuyers will apply:

• Harry owned a home in 2001 and 2002 but sold it to relocate for a job. He would qualify for the $8,000 first-time-buyer credit because he has not owned a home in the past three years.

• Sue purchased a home in 2004 and has lived there since. If she decides to buy a new home, she would qualify for the $6,500 tax credit because she has lived in the same residence for five consecutive years in the past eight.

• Jane purchased her home in 2002, lived there for five consecutive years before she rented it out in 2007. She would qualify because she was an owner/occupier for at least five consecutive years in the past eight.

• Mark purchased a home in 2006 and lived there for the past three years. He would not qualify because he is neither a first-time homebuyer nor someone who lived in the same primary residence for five consecutive years out of the past eight.

Chautauqua County Homes

More info, from an article in the LA Times

But the new law adds a $6,500 credit for "longtime residents of the same home," making it a boon for retirees and those nearing retirement who want to trade down to smaller homes or perhaps move to a sunnier locale.
Both the $8,000 and $6,500 versions of the credit are refundable--meaning if you don't owe that
much in taxes, you get a check back from Uncle Sam.
"It's a windfall for those already set on downsizing," marvels Timothy W. Wyman, a financial
planner with the Center for Financial Planning in Southfield, Mich.
Even if you're not set on downsizing, it's something to consider if you're nearing retirement.
Recent research suggests that the happiest retirees are those who move to new homes while
remaining in their longtime communities.
To claim either the $8,000 or $6,500 version of the credit, you must close on a new home, or be
locked into a contract to close on one, before May 1, 2010. The closing itself must occur before
July 1, 2010.
The new law still gives first-time home buyers a more generous credit: 10% of the purchase price of the new home up to $8,000. But taxpayers who have lived in their olds home for five out of the eight years prior to closing on a new one, can claim 10% of the purchase price on a new home,
up to $6,500.
That could help downsizers on both ends--their new smaller digs will snag them the $6,500 credit and prospective buyers of their old homes are more likely to qualify for a credit too. After all, if an older couple is downsizing, they're probably not selling a starter home. So prospective buyers are likely to be trading up from an existing residence themselves. Congress did put some limits on this.

Home Sales Soar in October

This CNN Story details how home sales improved in October, with a 32% improvement over last October. The PHSI is also at it's highest level since March of '06. The National Association of REALTORS' (NAR) chief economist Lawrence Yun gave much of the credit to the First-Time Home Owners tax credit and the the newly passed credit for existing homeowners.

"The tax credit is helping unleash a pent-up demand from a large pool of financially qualified renters, much more than borrowing sales from the future," said Yun.

In a related story new construction sales rose by a whopping 6.2 percent.

To search for homes for sale in Chautauqua County or to find out more about the tax credit and the stat of the market please contact a Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate Agent today.

Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate
(716) 753-7880
sales@howardhannaholt.com
http://www.howardhannaholt.com