Tag: Real Estate

Foreclosure Rates Near a ‘Significant Milestone’   Foreclosures continue to fall across the country and the return to normal levels may be on the horizon for many places, according to a new report. Foreclosure filings fell 4 percent in February, reaching the lowest level since July 2006, according to RealtyTrac’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. Foreclosure …

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Mortgage Lenders Say Credit Is Easing   More lenders expect mortgage demand and profit margins to increase over the next three months, according to Fannie Mae’s first quarter 2015 Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey. More lenders say the credit tightening is softening, according to the survey. Seventy-one percent of lenders surveyed about government-sponsored enterprise purchase loans …

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U.S. Homes Ended 2014 With Equity   Eighty-nine percent of all U.S. properties with a mortgage — or about 44.5 million — had equity by the end of the fourth quarter of 2014, according to CoreLogic. If home prices rise by 5 percent, an additional 1 million home owners currently in negative equity could come …

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Why Renters May Be in Trouble The gap between rental costs and household income is widening to unsustainable levels across the country. As more renters face steeper costs, it may put them even further away from home ownership, according to a new study released by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR evaluated income growth, housing …

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Home Improvement Spending Is Booming The home improvement industry could see record-breaking spending in 2015, according to a newly released report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Since the recession, the home improvement industry has outpaced the broader housing market’s recovery. There are several factors behind the increase, such as the …

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The Social Media Networks Businesses Hate Small business owners have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. The social network can be great for staying connected to clients and prospects, but it’s difficult for small business owners to maintain their business pages, according to a recent survey from Manta.com, a network to find local businesses. Manta.com recently …

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