31 January 2007 17:45
Appreciate fact that prices don't always rise
Q: We bought our house in 1996 for the same price as the sellers who bought it in 1990. We'd like to buy another house, but are hesitating… (Read More) Source: The Seattle Times: Real Estate
Some Buyers Regret Not Asking: Anyone Die Here?
It can be upsetting to discover that an apartment was the site of a murder or suicide. Others see it as a chance for a bargain. (Read More) Source: NY Times
Loss is less likely on homes held many years
Anybody thinking about buying or selling a house this spring probably is asking the same questions: In terms of historical real estate cycles, is this a smart time for me to be in the market? (Read More) Source: Baltimore Sun
Advice for 'Do-It-Yourself' Home Sellers
Q: DEAR BOB: Twelve years ago, we successfully sold our home by ourselves and saved the real estate sales commission. Now we are trying to sell our townhouse without an agent and are encountering nothing but problems. (Read More) Source: Washingto...
Staying Upbeat In a Down Cycle
Anybody thinking about buying or selling a house this spring probably is asking the same questions: In terms of historical real estate cycles, is this a smart time for me to be in the market? (Read More) Source: Washington Post
30-Year Mortgages Climb to 6.43%
Rates on 30-year mortgages rose this week to the highest level in 2 1/2 years as financial markets began to worry more about inflation. (Read More) Source: Washington Post
Realtor Study Says Market May Be Cooling, but Slowly
The housing market is not slowing as fast as economists expected, but some say the data suggest a more pronounced contraction in the next few months. (Read More) Source: NY Times
One woman's sinkhole disaster could be a harbinger of things to come in California
What lurks beneath the surface? Does it lurk for you? Real estate nightmares often resemble modern Edgar Allan Poe stories. A private nuisance engulfs a life and erodes the quietude of even the gentlest existence. In this case though, the shortsighte...
March housing starts, permits decline
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pace of U.S. housing construction slowed more than expected in March as both the rate of starts and permits declined to their lowest levels in a year, the government said on Tuesday in a report suggesting further cooling i...
Experts keep eye on housing market
Statistics support predictions of leveling off at 'high plateau' Al Fernandez moved from Tampa to Miami two years ago, and acquaintances kept telling him to take advantage of the booming housing market before prices became too high. But he...
31 January 2007 17:30
Selling in a buyers' market
Pete Montero listed his Ann Arbor, Mich., home nearly a year ago at $379,000. The 2,600-square-foot home didn't attract buyers, so Montero dropped the price in $10,000 increments — he's down to $329,900 — and has considered remodeling ...
Bending Starker Exchange Rules Can Be Risky Business
Q: What can you do with the investment property you have obtained by way of a Starker exchange? No one I know who has done an exchange has, in my opinion, kept the property as investment.   Three examples: ? A person buys a house as a second ho...
Upset Before Settlement
It's the No. 1 complaint that real estate agents make about the home mortgage lending process. And it bugs their home buyer clients as well: The failure of settlement or escrow officials to provide a copy of the final settlement sheet before t...
30-year mortgages hit 6.53%
Rates on 30-year mortgages reached their highest point in nearly four years, a factor that is taking some oomph out of the housing market. (Read More) Source: Baltimore Sun
Hot homes face cooling markets
In some cities, dropoff in sales, rising supply could cause prices to fall Todd Linsley, a 37-year-old investor, bought a three-bedroom house in Stuart, Fla., for about $318,000 in late 2005. His original plan was to quickly flip the property —...
The best way to build wealth is to become a homeowner
Few spending choices in life are as smart as buying a home. That fact has been on full display in the United States as the housing market has boomed, rapidly increasing the wealth of homeowners. Unfortunately for renters, it has been a wealth wave th...
Closing process brings together variety of parties
The closing process, which in different parts of the country is also known as "settlement" or "escrow," is increasingly computerized and automated. In many cases, buyers and sellers don't need to attend a specific event; sig...
Brokers Who Represent Buyers
Most agents in New York work for home sellers ? they list the homes and try to attract buyers to make an offer, then collect a commission on the sale price. Often a listing agent shares the commission with another seller's agent who brings in a...
Report Brings An Ugly Practice To Light
Do real estate agents treat minority home buyers differently than whites? Ask that question of most agents, and you will almost certainly get indignant denials. But a recent two-year study funded in part by the federal government suggests that at ...
Mortgage Rate Lock-In Can Shelter You From a Surprise at Settlement – But Get It in Writing
Q: We signed a contract to purchase our first home last week, and settlement is scheduled for mid-May. Before the contract was signed, we shopped around for the best mortgage. After the real estate contract was signed, we immediately contacted the l...
30-year mortgage rate hits 6.49%
Rates on 30-year mortgages climbed this week to their highest point in nearly four years, a development that could put a further crimp in housing activity. (Read More) Source: Baltimore Sun
Google, Craigslist join real estate fray
Popular Web sites offer users easy access to listings of homes for sale Craigslist.com and Google.com, two Web sites that have fundamentally altered the way consumers buy a broad range of products, are emerging as places to shop for residential real...
Carefully examine terms of purchase
While much attention is spent on offering prices, a proposal to buy includes both the price and terms. In some cases, terms can represent thousands of dollars in additional value for buyers — or additional costs. Terms are extremely important and ...
Payment-option mortgages: Do you know all the facts?
An important debate is raging inside the home-mortgage market, though well beyond the earshot of most consumers. The issue: Wildly popular "payment-option," interest-only and piggyback loans and the financial risks they pose to homebuyers ...
Foreclosure Auctions: Bidder Beware
Buying real estate at foreclosure auctions is an alluring idea, particularly in New York where nearly everyone is scrambling for a deal. Nationwide interest has spawned an industry of foreclosure mavens as well as countless Web sites, infomercials, ...
