Mortgage Rates Amazingly Low, Continue to Fall

Mortgage Rates Amazingly Low, Continue to Fall
30-year fixed mortgage rates are now at 4% for well-qualified borrowers who pay .07 to 1 point origination shows FreeRateUpdate.com research of wholesale lenders' interest rate sheets. 15-year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.5%. Both fixed mortgage rates, which continue to decline, are at all time record low levels
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20100825_rateupdate.htm

Vacation Rental Owners' Hard Lesson

Vacation Rental Owners' Hard Lesson from the Gulf Oil Disaster
Some vacation property owners in the Gulf area, suffering lost income due to the disaster, discovered the hard way why sound record-keeping is a must.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20100819_lesson.htm

Report: June Home Sales Up 7.2%

The RE/MAX Monthly Housing Report shows that U.S. home sales rose 7.2 percent in June over May. The U.S. Homebuyer Tax Credit brought a lot of buyers out last fall and again this spring, which stimulated sales during that time period.

While that heightened volume cannot be sustained, home sales and prices still remain higher than last year due to historically low interest rates and the lowest home prices seen in years. The monthly survey of 54 metropolitan areas also reveals that closed transactions in June were 5.6 percent higher and that prices rose 3.5 percent when compared to June 2009.

“There’s no question, the tax credit has had a significant impact on this market,” says RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly. “No one can predict the future, and we may still see a slight pull back, but for right now it appears that housing is holding its own, hopefully on the road to a sustainable recovery.”

Responding to demand, home prices appear to be stabilizing and slowly inching higher. The weighted average of all median sales prices for June was $211, 530.

Mortgage Basics

Points, fees, and adjustable rates. If you are brand new to the home buying arena, then mortgage terminology can be as foreign as reading Greek.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20100719_mortgage.htm

Choosing Your Agent

It is recommended that you have a real estate agent help you with your transactions. But how do you know which agent to select? The choice can be difficult, but here are some questions to ask during potential agent interviews.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20100517_agent.htm

All About Home Inspections

If you are in the market to buy a home, then it is time to understand the basics of home inspections.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20100405_inspections.htm

Is It the Beginning of the End for Housing Crisis?

RISMEDIA, March 8, 2010—(MCT)—A smaller percentage of mortgages were delinquent and the rate of those entering the foreclosure process slowed in the fourth quarter of 2009, possible signs that the foreclosure crisis that has gripped many of the nation's housing markets is finally starting to ease, a trade group has reported."We are likely seeing the beginning of the end of the unprecedented wave of mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures Continued

Market Conditions

The National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index shows that there has been a market swing, driven by response to the home buyer tax credit.
Full Story: CLICK HERE.

How to Repair Your Home Without Damaging Your Wallet

Some homeowners have a long laundry list of to-do repairs and, interestingly enough, many of those items don't get addressed until (or if at all) it's time to sell the house. In hot real estate markets, repairs are sometimes not done before the sale. Remember bidding wars over properties that needed work? Well, today sellers are looking for the advantage that makes their home stand out. Even though housing inventory declined toward the end of last year, it's expected to rise as more foreclosures tumble into the marketplace this year.
Read the Full Story:

Real Estate Outlook: 2010 Stark Contrast to 2009

Even the grumpiest, grinchiest economist would have to admit that New Year's 2010 looks a whole lot more positive for real estate and housing than things did last year at the same time.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20100105_realestateoutlook.htm