HARP Mortgage Refinancing Program Extended by Two Years
(MCT)—Underwater homeowners with Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-backed mortgages will be able to try to refinance their mortgages for another two years. The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced...
View ArticleAsk the Experts: What Should Home Sellers Do to Prepare for a Home Inspection?
We see it every day. Sellers who don’t take the time to ensure a smooth home inspection and who pay for it in the long run. The spring market is upon us. A little preparation can ensure sellers have...
View ArticleFreddie Mac CreditSmart® Online Tutorial Helps Prepare Future Borrowers for...
Freddie Mac recently announced a free, online CreditSmart(R) tutorial to provide working families and new or inexperienced borrowers with basic sound information about building savings, personal...
View ArticleReal Estate Q&A: How to Get Out of a Land Deal Gone Bad
(MCT)—QUESTION: I bought a vacant lot a few years ago on the Internet, sight unseen. Turns out, the property is unusable because it’s on the edge of a development and on a deep slope. I found out that...
View ArticlePositive Equity Is Driving Down Defaults
Homeowners with positive equity in their homes have fewer problem loans and are outperforming the national average for defaults. Their default rates are close to pre-crisis norms. The latest data from...
View ArticleSeventy-one Percent Still Say It’s a Good Time to Buy
Home prices are rising at double digit rates. Inventories are at historic lows. Two out of five applicants for a purchase mortgage are rejected. Yet nearly three quarters of Americans say it’s a good...
View ArticleAsk the Experts: How Can I Engage Consumers with Content Marketing?
Jason Doyle Vice President Homes.com www.homes.com Q: In terms of content marketing, what strategies must real estate professionals employ when it comes to engaging with today’s consumer? A: Today’s...
View ArticleAsk the Expert: How to Prepare for a Home Inspection
Today’s expert Q & A is with David R. Leopold, owner of Pillar To Post Home Inspection located in Fairfield County, Conn. Q: What can homeowners do to prevent delays, uncomfortable situations and...
View ArticleYour Facebook Friends May Affect Your Credit Score
From FICO to Facebook, some lending institutions are turning to social media to assess your credit score. If you have a tough time accessing credit or don’t have a credit score, you should take into...
View ArticleSources of New Home Sales Financing
While the sources of finance for new home sales have changed noticeably since the start of the Great Recession, cash sales remain more common for existing homes compared to new construction. According...
View ArticleFastest Growing Franchises in Home Improvement
Since the recession, many consumers are looking to increase the value of their homes and reinvest in their properties, driving up demand in a variety of industries in the home improvement sector....
View Article5 Ways Borrowers Can Land the Best Mortgage
(MCT)—After riding a swift updraft earlier this year, mortgage rates have steadied at around 4.5 percent for a 30-year fixed loan. But there’s a good chance they’ll resume their upward path. That’s one...
View ArticleHome Buyers Value Environmentally Friendly Features
Homeowners frequently see their heating bills rise as fall begins and the weather cools. For this reason, homes with energy efficient and environmentally friendly features are often a priority to...
View ArticleBenefits of Real Estate Investment vs. Stocks and Bonds
As the economic recovery continues to build, Americans are again able to consume and invest; and with recent reports from the U.S. Census Bureau noting 34 percent of American households are rental...
View ArticleHow Long Does It Take to Build a House?
Thinking about building a new home, weighing the pros and cons of building versus buying, or simply curious about the building process? The 2012 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau...
View ArticleReal estate Q&A: How the Self-Employed Can Get a Mortgage
(MCT)—Question: I am self-employed and make a good living. I want to buy a house, but it’s hard to document my income. So I’ve been getting turned down for a mortgage, even though I’m willing to make a...
View ArticleFannie Mae Extends First Look Opportunity for Homebuyers
Fannie Mae announced recently that its First Look™ period will be extended to 20 days, providing additional time for owner-occupants and public entities to submit an offer on a HomePath property...
View ArticleReport Names Top 10 Markets for First-Time Home Buyers for 2014 Home Buying...
Realtor.com®, a leader in online real estate operated by Move, Inc., has released the Top 10 Markets for First-Time Home Buyers for the upcoming home buying season. Markets that made the 2014 list by...
View ArticleShare of First-Time Buyers Falls to Lowest Point in 27 Years
Despite an improving job market and low interest rates, the share of first-time buyers fell to its lowest point in nearly three decades and is preventing a healthier housing market from reaching its...
View ArticleExisting Sales Trend Up for First-Time Buyers
Although existing home sales decreased in November, the share of sales for first-time buyers increased to the highest level since October 2012. Existing home sales decreased 6.1 percent in November,...
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