The latest reported released by the S&P/Case-Shiller national index shows that home prices have increased an average of 10.2-percent in the first quarter of this year. This excellent news indicates that the housing market may be on the brink of recovery, as the market is reporting the strongest house price gains since 2006. The first…
With mortgage rates decreasing steadily for a number of years, May saw a turnaround, with mortgage rates increasing. Mortgage rates saw an all time low in November 2012, making homebuyers scurry to quickly take advantage of rates that were hovering near 3.31-percent. Thirty-year mortgage rates were 3.35-percent at the beginning of May, surging to 3.81-percent…
In 2006, when the U.S. real estate bubble burst, home sellers suffered from distraught worry and anxiety. Within months, homeowners went from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market, which meant that buyers were in control of pricing and contract considerations. As the economy starts to recover, homebuyers are finding themselves in the backseat, not…
Even though March saw a slight increase in foreclosures, the downward foreclosure trend is still expected to dominate this year’s real estate market. Statistics nationwide show that foreclosures have decreased 52-percent since their peak in 2010. In fact, nationwide the U.S. saw 55,000 foreclosures in March 2013 and 52,000 in February, down from an all…
2013 marks a year where home price appreciation is accelerating at a rate that hasn’t been seen in the last six years. Helping to give hope to real estate owners across the U.S., this is the single largest turn around reported since the fallout in 2006. In January 2013, the average median house growth was…
With the mortgage debate being front and center in today’s economy and political environment, experts point their fingers at government regulators being unable to agree to a minimum down payment on mortgaged properties. Most experts unanimously agree that the days where 100-percent financing was a mere loan application and phone call away are long gone,…
Debt consolidation companies are often compared to politicians – overpromising and never delivering. While most debt consolidation companies guarantee lower loan payments, single payment options and decreased interest rates, often these payments have higher interest rates, which compounds into more debt. Many debtors enter into consolidation agreements simply hoping to improve their credit scores in…
Once upon a time, before the mortgage crisis riveted the very roots of our volatile economy, homeowner’s found themselves piggybacking two loans. Instead of applying for a single jumbo mortgage, which would cost higher percentage rates, they would obtain two conventional loans, likely from different lenders, rendering their home as an 80-20 loan. What defines…
Experts agree that the housing market is beginning to once again pick up. Investors are plunging head first, purchasing foreclosures and fixer-uppers in anticipation of the housing market coming back to life. Rentals can be exceptionally profitable for investors, but it’s important to remember they are not maintenance free and require hard work and long-term…
Every year, thousands of homebuyers buy former meth labs, unaware that the homes they purchased are contaminated with poisonous substances that permeate the insulation, flooring and surfaces. With many buyers in today’s market looking at foreclosures and short sales, it is not uncommon for banks to be unaware of properties’ conditions. In fact, some states…