Jul 15
Underwater Home Owners Not Being Held Back, Study Says Underwater home owners are willing to move, despite losing money on their homes, new research shows. In fact, home owners who owe more on their mortgage than their home is currently worth are more willing to move away if a job opportunity arises than even home …
Jul 15
Mortgage Rates Continue to Rise, Fed Eases Fears Mortgage rates moved higher again this week as speculation continued about whether the Federal Reserve will end its future bond purchases, which have kept rates at historical lows, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. But remarks by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday …
Jul 15
Foreclosures at Lowest Level in 7 Years In June, lenders initiated 57,286 foreclosures — the lowest level for any month in 7.5 years, RealtyTrac Inc. reported Thursday. Foreclosure starts are at an 800,000 pace for this year, down from 1.1 million last year. The housing market continues to pick up nationwide, and the drop in …
Jun 27
New-Home Sales Rise to Fastest Pace Since 2008. For the third consecutive month, sales of new single-family homes posted gains, rising 2.1 percent in May, according to housing data released Tuesday by HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau. “Builders are reporting increased demand for new homes as buyers seek to take advantage of historically low …
Jun 27
Fastest-Growing Suburbs for home sales. By: Daily Real Estate News Not everyone is moving to the city. Suburbs remain popular among home buyers. Coldwell Banker recently released its list of the top booming American suburbs. The brokerage evaluated 1,500 suburbs to find the ones that offered the most employment growth, community safety, proximity to good …
Jun 26
First Impressions Matter More Than Ever. BY: Daily Real Estate News A good first impression is important in real estate. Online appeal gets buyers to view the home in person, and curb appeal gets them in the door. With 90 percent of buyers looking for homes online, listing photos are crucial and should not be …
Jun 26
Good News for High-End Home Buyers? Jumbo loans are reportedly becoming easier to obtain, which may be welcome news for high-end home buyers. Jumbo loans are mortgages larger than $417,000 in most parts of the nation and $625,000 in high-cost areas. In the first quarter of 2013, lenders originated $54 billion in jumbo loans, up …
Jun 25
Building Material Shortages Raise Concern. Shortages of key building materials—such as lumber and wall board—are a major barrier to a more robust recovery for the new-home industry, says David Crowe, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders. Recent surveys by NAHB and the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association show supply constraints …
Jun 25
Are Appraisals Finally Playing Catch-Up? Many real estate professionals have been blaming low appraisals for derailing transactions over the last few years. But now home prices are heating up across the country. Are appraisals still coming in lower than the agreed-upon sales price? Even with prices rising and the number of foreclosures falling, some appraisers …
Jun 21
Don’t Let Your Clients Get Scammed by Movers. Complaints are rising over a scam that involves moving companies providing low-ball estimates to customers and then later inflating fees once the truck is loaded, and holding customers’ possessions hostage until they pay more. The scammers threaten to auction off the person’s belongings unless they come up …
Jun 21
10 Best Cities for the Young, Broke and Single. Yes, there are perfect cities for the “young, broke and single” too, according to a new survey by advice web site MoneyUnder30. The site conducted a national survey to reveal the top cities that offer young professionals the best employment opportunities, lowest cost of living, and …
Jun 20
Home Ownership Makes Happier, Healthier Families, Survey Shows. Owning a home can make families healthier, happier, and more financially secure, according to new research by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. on the benefits of home ownership. Researchers worked with Habitat for Humanity families to evaluate how their lives changed after moving into their homes. Eighty-nine …
