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Foreclosure Filings Fall To 49-Month Low especially in California, Nevada, Michigan and Arizona

January 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Foreclosure filings are fewer these days, according to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac.

Related posts:

  1. Foreclosure Filings Fall To 40-Month Low
  2. For The 9th Straight Month, Foreclosure Filings Fall
  3. Annual Foreclosure Filings Down For 11th Straight Month
Filed Under: Real Estate Market Updates & Reports Tagged With: , , ,

Is An FHA Mortgage Better Than A Conforming One?

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The FHA is insuring a greater percentage of loans than during any time in recent history. In 2006, it insured roughly 5 percent of the purchase mortgage market. Today, it insures one-quarter. “Going FHA” is more common than ever before — but is it better?

Related posts:

  1. 2011 Conforming Loan Limits : No Change From 2010
  2. Why Now’s A Good Time To Consider An Adjustable Rate Mortgage
  3. Mortgage Rates Are Going Up — But Not For The Reason You’d Expect
Filed Under: Buyer Resources, Mortgage Updates Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

What Is Annual Percentage Rate (APR)?

July 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

More commonly called APR, Annual Percentage Rate is a government-mandated mortgage comparison tool. It measures the total cost of borrowing over the life of a loan into dollars-and-cents.

Related posts:

  1. Simple Real Estate Definitions: Discount Points
  2. Conforming Loan Costs Are Rising, Says Freddie Mac
  3. Like The Fed Funds Rate, The Fed’s Discount Rate Does Not Control Mortgage Rates
Filed Under: Buyer/Seller/Renter Resources, Mortgage Updates Tagged With: , , ,

What To Know Before You Move To A New Neighborhood

July 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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In this 5-minute piece from NBC’s The Today Show, you’ll learn a dozen complementary home-shopping techniques to help you review and evaluate a home for purchase. Each is focused on findings you won’t see listed on a website.

Related posts:

  1. Monthly Reiteration: Real Estate Is Not A National News Story
  2. All Real Estate Is Local, Or Why National News Programs Are Misleading
  3. The Half-Truth Of The Headline “1 In 8 U.S. Homes Are Late Paying Or In Foreclosure”
Filed Under: Buyer Resources, Buyer/Seller/Renter Resources Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Foreclosures And Short Sales Distorting “Home Price Trackers”

May 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Federal Home Finance Agency data had home values down 1.6 percent nationwide in February, on average, marking the fourth straight month in which prices fell.

Related posts:

  1. Home Price Index Rises 0.3% in March 2010
  2. The Home Price Index Shows Home Values Lower Broadly, But Not Specifically
  3. New Home Sales Fall To All-Time, Recorded Low. Maybe.
Filed Under: Real Estate Market Updates & Reports Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Difference between pre-approval and pre-qualification

May 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For many new homebuyers, the terms pre-qualification and pre-approval seem interchangeable. But they are not — and the distinction is an important one.

When you get pre-qualified, I perform a quick check to determine generally how large a home loan you can afford. Essentially, when a buyer is pre-qualified, the lender is saying it would most [...]

Related posts:

  1. It’s Time To Re-Approve Your Pre-Approval
  2. Why is pre-approval important? Do I have to go back to the same lender that originally approved me?
  3. 6 Things To Avoid While Waiting For A Mortgage Approval
Filed Under: Buyer Resources Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

How To Screen For A Good Home Contractor

May 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In this 4-minute piece from NBC’s The Today Show, you learn tips for picking a good home contractor. The advice is mostly common sense, but definitely worth heeding.

Related posts:

  1. FHA Streamline Refi Changes : No Income, No Job Required
  2. Appraisals are as much art as science
  3. The Most Common Defects That Prevent a Home from Passing a Home Inspection.
Filed Under: Buyer/Seller/Renter Resources, Eco-friendly Tagged With: , , , , ,

Get Your Applications In : FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Rising 0.25 Percent April 18, 2011

April 16, 2011 By 1 Comment

Beginning with FHA Case Numbers assigned April 18, 2011, mortgage insurance premiums will be higher by 25 basis points per year, or 0.25%.

Related posts:

  1. FHA : Monthly Mortgage Insurance Premiums To Rise April 18, 2011
  2. FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Approved To Triple In Cost
  3. Higher (And Lower) FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Start October 4, 2010
Filed Under: Real Estate Market Updates & Reports Tagged With: , , , ,

How Does Your Real Estate Tax Bill Compare To Other Parts Of The Country?

April 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

Compiling data from the 2009 American Community Survey, the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan educational organization in Washington D.C., published property taxes paid by owner-occupied households, county-by-county.

Related posts:

  1. Fight Your Real Estate Property Tax Bill Without A Lawyer
  2. How Does Your Work Commute Compare To Other Cities?
  3. Real Estate: What is it for?
Filed Under: Buyer/Seller/Renter Resources Tagged With: , , , , , ,

How Does Your Work Commute Compare To Other Cities?

April 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Whether you live in a “long commute” town like Richmond, NY (40 minutes), or a “short commute” town like King, TX (3.4 minutes), rising gas prices have made commute times and distances relevant to everyone. See commute times for every county in the country.

Related posts:

  1. How Does Your Real Estate Tax Bill Compare To Other Parts Of The Country?
  2. The Best And Worst Cities For Commuters (2010 Edition)
  3. Why Driving Extra Miles For Cheaper Gas May Be A Waste Of Money
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Buying a Short Sale — The Need for Speed

March 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Short sales offer not just a lifeline to homeowners in over their heads, but an opportunity for homebuyers seeking an amazing deal. Better yet, thanks to new regulations, the once lengthy process has recently become considerably more streamlined.

In a short sale, a homeowner that cannot afford to pay the mortgage and the lender that loaned [...]

Related posts:

  1. Simple Real Estate Definitions : Short Sale
  2. What You Should Know About Making an Offer on a Short Sale
  3. How “Repair Credits” To The Buyer Can Sabotage Your Home Sale
Filed Under: Buyer/Seller/Renter Resources Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

FHA : Monthly Mortgage Insurance Premiums To Rise April 18, 2011

March 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Effective for all FHA case numbers assigned on, or after, April 18, 2011, annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) will increase 25 basis points.

Related posts:

  1. FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Approved To Triple In Cost
  2. Higher (And Lower) FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Start October 4, 2010
  3. Separating FHA Fact From Fiction : Mortgage Insurance Premiums
Filed Under: Mortgage Updates, Real Estate Market Updates & Reports Tagged With: , , , , ,

Cost of Living Reaches An All-Time High, Pressures Mortgage Rates Higher

February 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Inflation fears are harming home buyers. The Cost of Living has reached a record level, surpassing the former peak set in July 2008. Mortgage rates would be rising more right now if not for the Middle East unrest.

Related posts:

  1. Mortgage Rates Buck Conventional Wisdom And Rise Despite The Plunging Cost Of Living Index
  2. The Cost Of Living Includes The Cost Of Gas And Food (And May Get More Expensive Through The Winter)
  3. Mortgage Rates Spike On Highest Cost Of Living Index Since 1991
Filed Under: Real Estate Market Updates & Reports Tagged With: , , , ,

Practical Advice : How To Help Your S.F. Bay Area Home Sell Faster

February 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Home sellers that want to sell quickly should take a listen to this 3-minute interview from NBC’s The Today Show. It’s loaded with practical advice.

Related posts:

  1. Making Your Home Sell Faster With Psychology
  2. How To Sell Your Home For 17% More, 40% Faster This Spring
  3. Builders May Be Figuring Out The Market Faster Than Home Sellers
Filed Under: Buyer/Seller/Renter Resources, Seller Resources Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

FHA Loans: Opening Your Doorway to Homeownership in the S.F. Bay Area

January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

During the Great Depression, the federal government sought to create a stable platform for economic growth, and that platform was homeownership. Through bolstering the rate of homeownership, the feds felt citizens would be in a better position to give back to the economy.
With that in mind, in 1934, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) was established. [...]

Related posts:

  1. FHA Home Loans Emerge As A Cheap Alternative For Low-Credit Score Homeowners
  2. An Appetite For Jumbo Loans Returns
  3. How The Recasting of Interest Only Loans Helps With Financial Planning
Filed Under: Mortgage Updates, Real Estate Market Updates & Reports Tagged With: , , , ,
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