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According to the National Association of Home Builders and in the article below published yesterday in the Daily Real Estate News, housing affordability is at a 20 year high.  With interest rates low and housing prices affordable for most home buyers, now is the time to get your piece of the American Dream.

In an earlier post today I outlined the current mortgage rates from Homestate Mortgage (Lic. #189191).  Begin your quest for a home by meeting with a LOCAL mortgage originator.  My favorite is Lisa Falon (Lic.# 198601).  She can be reached at 907-762-7546 or via e-mail at Lfalon@homestatemtg.com.

I represent Spinell Homes, which has the BEST new construction values in all of Alaska at West Park in Anchorage.  Homes start at $300,700 for a 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car ranch on lots up to 12,284 sf.

Have a great Memorial Day....the freedoms you enjoy today have been paid by the sacrifices of our men and women who serve in the Armed Forces.  Give them their proper respect and thanks on this weekend.

Remember my business is built on referral.  If you or someone you know needs professional real estate services, please consider me.  I can be reached as follows:

Michael J. Droege 907-230-3372  mjdroege@gci.net  www.MichaelDroege.com  mjdroege@wordpress.com

Affordability Reaches Highest Level in 20 Years
Homes are more affordable to more families, according to the latest index for the first quarter of 2011 that shows affordability reaching its highest level in more than 20 years.

Nearly 75 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the first quarter of 2011 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,400, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index. The previous high was set in the fourth quarter of 2010 with 73.9 percent.

"With interest rates remaining at historically low levels, today's report indicates that home ownership is within reach of more households than it has been for more than two decades," says Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders.

The most affordable metro housing market in the nation? Syracuse, N.Y., in which 94.5 percent of all homes sold were affordable to households earning the area's median family income of $64,300.

Other metro cities ranking high on the affordability index were Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pa.; Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.; Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich.; and Toledo, Ohio.

Meanwhile, the least affordable major housing market for the first quarter of 2011 was New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J.

Source: “Housing Affordability Rises to Record Level, Tight Financing Continues to Constrain Sales,” National Association of Home Builders (May