Detroit’s automakers were the big winners in April sales as a recovering housing market and easy credit sparked a surge in demand for new pickups and allowed all three domestic manufacturers to gain share.

Their success in April makes the first four months of 2013 the best year-opener since the start of the sport utility vehicle craze two decades ago. Year-to-date, Detroit’s automakers have sold 10.5 percent more cars and trucks than they had by the end of April last year, and their combined share of the market has increased from 44.7 percent to 46.2 percent.

Overall industry sales were up 8.5 percent as automakers sold 1,285,338 cars and trucks, up from 1,184,509 last April. But full-size pickup sales were up a whopping 27 percent on volume of 153,356 vehicles.

“The housing sector recovery is in full swing,” said Jenny Lin, Ford Motor Co.’s senior U.S. economist, in a conference call Wednesday. “We’re seeing continued strength of full-size pickup sales, particularly supported by the housing recovery and also the boom in the energy sector.”

Ford’s F-Series remains the best-selling vehicle in the United States, with sales up 24.4 percent. That helped the Dearborn automaker post the biggest gain among the domestic manufacturers. Ford’s sales were up 18 percent on volume of 211,984 vehicles. Ford’s share of the U.S. market grew to 16.5 percent from 15.2 percent in April 2012.

And Ford sales analyst Erich Merkle said much of that overall gain came in highly competitive parts of the country, such as California and Florida.

“The growth came predominately from the West and the Southeast,” he said. “The Western market was up 35 percent, and the Southeast was up about 28 percent.”

General Motors Co.’s sales increased 11.4 percent in April as the automaker sold 237,646 cars and trucks. GM’s market share increased to 18.5 percent from 18 percent a year ago.

“When credit is available and favorable, the job market is stable, incomes and household wealth are increasing, good things happen in the auto sector,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president of U.S. sales operations, in a call with analysts and reporters.

GM’s trucks did well in April, as did new vehicles such as the Cadillac ATS and XTS sedans.

Led by surging demand for its Ram pickups, Chrysler Group LLC reported its 37th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains, selling 156,698 vehicles — 11 percent more than in April 2012. Chrysler’s share of the market increased to 12.2 percent from 11.9 percent.

“Chrysler Group’s best April sales in six years helped to maintain our sales momentum,” said Chrysler’s head of U.S. sales, Reid Bigland. “Our sales last month were solid across the board with seven Chrysler Group vehicles recording their best April sales ever.”

They included the Jeep Wrangler and Compass, the Dodge Challenger and Journey, the Ram Cargo Van and Fiat 500. The Dodge Dart, which launched last June, had its best month yet.

The situation was less rosy for foreign automakers. Toyota Motor Corp. saw its sales slip 1.1 percent in April to 176,160 vehicles, while its market share slid to 13.7 percent from 15 percent a year ago.

The company said the decline was due to a conscious decision by Toyota to cut back on less desirable fleet sales.

“Retail sales continue to grow,” said Bill Fay, head of the Toyota division in the United States, during a conference call. “Toyota division was the No. 1 retail brand in April and remains the No. 1 retail brand year-to-date.”

Honda Motor Co.’s sales were up, but not as much as the market as a whole. Though Honda sold 7.4 percent more cars and trucks last month than it did a year ago, its share of the market dropped from 10.3 percent to 10.2 percent.

Nissan Motor Co. bucked the trend in a big way. Its sales were up 23.2 percent last month, and its share of the market grew from 6 percent to 6.8 percent.

Analysts cautioned against counting the Japanese out.

“The weakening yen is giving the Japanese a lot of room to boost incentives, cut prices, pack vehicles with more content at lower prices, and increase marketing,” said Edmunds.com analyst Michelle Krebs in a report released Wednesday.

“This will challenge Korean automakers the most, since it cuts into the Korean strategy to provide value with lower prices and higher content. It will affect the Detroit Three as well — but at least they have some profit buffer to respond, and they have the advantage of dominating a truck market that’s flourishing more and more every month this year.”

In fact, Nissan announced that it is cutting pricing on most of its models.

“Nissan’s incentive spend has historically run far higher than Toyota’s and Honda’s,” noted Citigroup analyst Itay Michaeli in a report Wednesday.

“This may have created a situation where Nissan’s vehicles were disadvantaged on Internet searches due to higher MSRPs … Reports do suggest that Nissan plans on reducing rebates to offset some of these announced price cuts, so this move may not necessarily amount to a price-war deceleration but rather an adjustment to the go-to market strategy.”

By Bryce G. Hoffman, Melissa Burden and Karl Henkel The Detroit News

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130502/AUTO01/305020324#ixzz2SAQQ6Qj2

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | TUESDAY, APRIL 02, 2013

The National Association of Home Builders says its new study shows that home buyers can buy a more expensive, newer house and still have the same operating costs as owning an older existing home.

NAHB examined data from the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2011 American Housing Survey to determine how utility, maintenance, property tax, and insurance costs vary depending on the age of a home.

Houses built prior to 1960 have average maintenance costs of $564 per year. On the other hand, homes built after 2008 have average maintenance costs less than half that — $241, according to the study.

For homes built prior to 1960, operating costs average nearly 5 percent of the home’s value while the average was less than 3 percent for homes built after 2008, the NAHB study found.

The study also took into account the first year after-tax cost of owning a home by its age, examining the purchase price, mortgage payments, annual operating costs, and income tax savings. “A buyer can afford to pay 23 percent more for a new house than for one built prior to 1960 and still maintain the same amount of first-year annual costs,” according to NAHB.

New houses tend to cost more than existing homes, so the mortgage payments will likely be higher — but the lower operating costs of a newer home will give buyers annual costs that could be about equal if they purchase a lower priced, older home with a smaller mortgage payment but higher operating costs, NAHB says.

“Home buyers need to look beyond the initial sales price when considering whether to buy new construction or an existing home,” says NAHB Chairman Rick Judson. “They will find that with the higher costs of operating an older home, they can often afford to spend more to buy a new home and still have annual operating costs that fit their budget.”

Source: National Association of Home Builders

NEW HOLLAND, PA. – “Who wants a wet, damp, cold, stinky basement when you can have a Superior basement?” That’s the question that people at Sable Homes ask their home buyer customers on a regular basis.
“We’ve constructed more than 200 homes with precast concrete foundation systems from Superior Walls® and our home buyers love them,” says John Bitely, president of Sable Homes. “These dry, energy-efficient and comfortable basements are an asset for any homeowner.
“Eighty percent of the homes we build in western Michigan each year have Superior Walls foundations. They give our buyers more living space, a stronger value for their home investment and better energy efficiency ratings.”
The team at Sable Homes have tapped into a popular trend for their marketplace. According to the National Association of Home Builders™ (NAHB™) “What Home Buyers Really Want” 2012 survey of new and potential home buyers, 87 percent of respondents in the East North Central area of the United States (including Michigan) would prefer to have a basement in their homes.
“Basements are extremely popular in our area,” says Bitely. “So far in 2013 we’ve included more than 30 Superior Walls basements in our new home construction projects. And, we encourage all of our home prospects to make sure that whomever they buy a home from — even if it’s not us — that they make sure it has a Superior Walls basement. No one should settle for less.”
For Sable Homes, there are four distinct features that keep their company using Superior Walls products year-after-year. “First, we don’t get call backs on these foundation systems,” says Bitely. “Second, we achieve customer comfort by providing a warm, dry and ready-to-finish basement for our customers. Third, these foundations help the entire home achieve better energy efficiency ratings. And fourth, the Superior Walls products provide better value for our customers, which truly help us sell more homes.”
The original R-5® Superior Walls foundations that Sable Homes uses for their homes are constructed with one-inch of continuous DOW® insulation for year-round comfort and energy efficiency. The special high-strength, low-water concrete mix used to create the walls ensures that the basement remains dry. The wall panels are reinforced with steel rebar and polypropylene fibers for added strength.
Superior Walls insulated precast concrete wall systems have earned the Green Approved Product designation by the NAHB Research Center. For homeowners, the benefits of Superior Walls foundations systems are substantial. The energy-efficient walls help lower energy costs and reduce energy leakage while providing increased living space in a comfortable setting.
For details on Sable Homes, visit www.sablehomes.com, and for information on Superior Walls products, visit www.superiorwalls.com.

http://superiorwalls.com/articles/Article_20March13

Prospective home buyers have the choice of two types of houses on the market: resale or new.
Home buyers planning to buy a brand-new house or condominium often cite energy-efficiency, open layout, a warranty, and being able to select appliances, flooring, paint colors and other design elements as factors driving their choice.
But builders say that buyers can be drawn to a new house for reasons that aren’t so obvious. Below are a few more benefits of a brand-new home that you may not see in the sales brochure.
Building a Community Together
A brand-new community is one of the built-in benefits of many new homes. When families move in to a subdivision at the same time, often lasting bonds of friendship and neighborliness are formed right away. Nobody is the “new kid on the block,” and many home builders host community block parties in new developments to help owners meet and connect.
Popular amenities like pools, walking trails and courts for tennis and basketball offer additional opportunities for interaction among neighbors of all ages. Often new communities are comprised of home owners in the same stage of life, such as young families or active retirees, so neighbors can get to know each other through carpools, PTA meetings, tennis matches or golf games.
Entertaining
Throwing a party in an older home can be a challenge because smaller, distinct rooms make it difficult to entertain guests in one large space. Builders are responding to today’s home buyer preferences with layouts featuring more open spaces and rooms that flow into each other more easily, like the popular great room. While you are in the kitchen preparing dinner, you can still interact with guests enjoying conversation in the family room without feeling closed off. The feeling of spaciousness in today’s new-home layouts often is enhanced the higher ceilings and additional windows that bringing in more light than you would find in an older home.
A Clean Slate
For some buyers, parking the car in a sparkling-clean garage or being the first to cook a dinner in a brand-new kitchen is part of the appeal of new construction. In addition, you won’t have to spend time stripping dated wallpaper or repainting to suit your own sense of style. You can create your own home décor from the get-go!
The advantages of being the first owner of a home extend to the outdoors. Instead of inheriting inconveniently or precariously placed trees, or having to tear up overgrown shrubs, you can design and plant the lawn and garden you want.
Outlets, Outlets Everywhere
Homes built in the 1960’s and earlier were wired much differently than houses today. Builders had no way of anticipating the invention of high-definition televisions, DVRs and computers that we enjoy today — and the very different electrical requirements they would introduce. New homes can accommodate advanced technologies like structured wiring, security systems and sophisticated lighting plans, and can be tailored to meet the individual home owner’s needs.
Anyone who has ever lived in an older home can also attest to the fact that there are never enough outlets, inside or out! New-home builders plan for the increased number and type of electronics and appliances used by today’s families, so you can safely operate a wine cooler, Christmas lights or your computer.

For more information about this item, please contact Gwyn Donohue at 800-368-5242 x8447 or via email at gdonohue@nahb.org.

Patti Henner
Greenridge Realty:

“Being a Realtor for 10 years, I can happily tell all my buyers that Sable Homes are a pleasure to work with. First off, the phone is usually answered by a real live person, ready to quickly give you a code on a weekend. Then if it’s not answered you actually get a call back within the hour. Sable has many floor plans, locations and stylish homes that my buyer likes. In the past, Sable has also been very flexible in meeting my buyer’s needs and working through financing problems that have come up. I don’t hesitate to suggest Sable Homes.”

Scott Myhre – Leading Edge Realty

“Sable Homes did a great job throughout the transaction with my buyer client. Questions were quickly answered, issues were quickly resolved, and ultimately we had a smooth transaction and closing. The buyer, a builder himself, was very satisfied with the quality of build and all finished areas met or exceeded his expectations. I will not hesitate to show a Sable Home in the future!”

We are so glad to have been able to help you in the process of finding your new home Dan! Thanks for the great testimonial as well.

My wife and I are thrilled with the home we just purchased. We began the process of looking for a home back in December 2012. My wife had come across the home on Anvil Lane and fell in love. The layout, location, pricing structure, and quality of the home is what eventually led us to purchasing the home in March. The home buying process can be tense at times when negotiating a deal between two parties. Ron Austin and his team put forth a great effort to aid us in coming to a purchase agreement. Throughout several addendum’s, and other negotiations, Ron was extremely professional and made the process proceed very smoothly. All people involved were quick to respond to questions and concerns. Everyone at Sable homes including the building superintendents were very professional and kind when we asked to meet with them and discuss various structure questions and other items about the house.

Thank you again Ron and everyone involved with the purchase of our Sable Home.

GRAND RAPIDS AREA REMAINS ONE OF THE TOP IMPROVING HOUSING
MARKETS IN THE NATION
Sable Homes president offers optimistic outlook for 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 6, 2013 – Today the National Association of Home Builder(NAHB)/First American Improving Market Index for January was released. (http://www.nahb.org/reference_list.aspx?sectionID=2223). The IMI index tracks housing markets throughout the country that are showing signs of improving economic health. The index uses three sets of independent monthly data – employment growth, price growth and single-family housing growth to identify the top improving markets. The Grand Rapids area market continues to be on the list of top improving markets.

In the Grand Rapids market, the largest gain has been in home prices which have increased by more than 12% since Feb. 2011. The market has also had increases in the number of housing permits and employment.

“The lack of quality existing housing in the $100,000-$200,000 has created demand for new housing in this price range,” said John Bitely, president, Sable Homes. “The west Michigan housing markets are not back to pre-2007 yet, but we are going in the right direction; some markets are getting close and could be there by the end of the year. Individuals wishing to sell their existing homes are finding buyers are out there, meaning now is a good time to buy if you want to get a home at a bargain prices while interest rates are low.”

Bitely also noted, “Another trend in Michigan is that tight lending is keeping most builders from building inventory homes, but the governor recently signed a bill that is helping with costs incurred by builders for inventory homes.”

If you are interested in speaking someone about the health of the west Michigan housing market please feel free to contact me.

About Sable Homes
Combining affordability with craftsmanship, Sable Homes has been building high-quality, energy-efficient homes for West Michigan families since 1996. For more information about our communities, visit our web page, www.sablehomes.com, or follow us on Facebook.