Aug 07
Stigmatized Properties Can Offer Big Bargains. Home buyers who can stomach some misfortune in a home’s past may be able to find big discounts. For example, buyers can expect to pay 10 percent to 25 percent off the regular market home price for Stigmatized Properties, according to real estate consultant Randall Bell of Bell Anderson & …
Aug 06
Mortgage Rates Inch Up After Record Streak. Following a 13-week record-low streak, 30-year Mortgage Rates—the most popular choice among home buyers—started moving back up this week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage market survey. The average 30-year mortgage had dropped or matched record lows in 13 of the last 14 weeks. But this week, mixed …
Aug 06
Home Ownership Unswayed. Eighty-five percent of Americans say they prefer home ownership over renting, according to a newly released Fannie Mae national housing survey of more than 12,000 interviews from 2011. The study finds that the housing and financial crisis has not been a big factor in Americans’ decisions to rent or buy. “The non …
Aug 03
First Time Home Buyers Make Up Smaller Share of Buyers. The share of First Time Home Buyers on the market is falling to historical lows, despite record levels of housing affordability. With record low mortgage rates and falling home values, many would expect First Time Home Buyers to be flooding the market for their chance to …
Aug 02
Mortgages, Home Improvement Top Consumer Gripes. When it comes to mortgages and home improvement, many consumers have some complaints, according to a new survey by the Consumer Federation of America, which reveals the top consumer complaints of last year. Among its list of 2011 top “worst” consumer gripes: mortgage-related problems, home improvement, timeshare sales and …
Aug 02
Housing Market Lifts Off From the ‘Bottom’. Recent Housing Market indexes have shown single-family home prices are on the rise, providing more evidence that the “bottom” of the market is already behind. “We’re wiping out just about all of the decline,” Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors, told NBC.com about recent Housing Market data showing …
Aug 01
Short Sale Rush Is On… Housing experts are predicting a drastic rise in short sale of homes, with an all-time high expected to be reached this year. The number of short sale on homes has already risen 25 percent during the first quarter year-over-year, according to RealtyTrac data. Banks are realizing that short sale of …
Aug 01
Home Ownership Rates Are Highest… The national home ownership rate has held mostly steady this year, standing at 65.5 percent for the second quarter, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau data. The rate is 0.4 percentage points lower than the second quarter of 2011, but 0.1 percentage point higher than the first quarter of this …
Jul 31
Set the Stage Early for Multiple Offers on your home. Bidding wars on homes are an indicator of a rebounding market, but they also can become a stress-or for agents that have not had to juggle multiple offers in many years. They will find it easier to manage this kind of buying and selling …
Jul 31
Eminent Domain to Seize Mortgages? Chicago is the latest city to join a growing list of cities and counties across the country that are considering using Eminent Domain in order to seize underwater mortgages. The controversial idea of using Eminent Domain first surfaced in San Bernardino County, Calif. A west coast capital firm, Mortgage Resolution Partners, is …
Jul 30
How to Get More Accurate Home Appraisals. Low Home Appraisals have been blamed on delaying—or even canceling—many real estate transactions over the last few years. While real estate professionals are limited in how much involvement they can have in the Home Appraisals process, they can do a few important things to help ensure their sellers receive a …
Jul 30
Home Owners Torn on mortgage obligations: Right or Wrong? Forty-five percent of Nevada home owners recently surveyed say “there is nothing wrong” with walking away on your mortgage obligations, according to a new report, “Face of Foreclosure,” released by the Nevada Association of REALTORS®. On the other hand, an equal number of home owners say …
