Sure, home loan rates are lower than they've been in 30 years. But now you need to navigate a maze of credit standards and conditions
By Christopher Palmeri
Washington is doing all it can to get money flowing again in the housing sector. At around 5%, 30-year mortgage rates are at levels that haven't been seen in, well, 30 years.
If you want to buy a home or refinance your existing loan, money is there. But would-be borrowers face new challenges they didn't have during the hous... Read Full Story
While catching a water taxi you get the opportunity to see Ft. Lauderdale's magnificent inland waterways, stately mansions, mega yachts, homes of the rich and famous and Port Everglades. This house was used in the movie 'Cape Fear'. Originally uploaded by cliff1066
To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser andinstall the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player. Read Full Story
Understand first of all that there IS a difference between price and value. Price is the amount you are asking for the property. Value is buyer perceived, and this perception of value is influenced by many factors such as location, features, condition, comparison to other purchase option, etc. By attending to details that can have a positive impact on the value, sellers can significantly increase their chance of attracting qualified buyers willing to pay the asking price.
Some tips to achieve... Read Full Story
EMILY C. DOOLEY TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERPublished: January 13, 2009
Stabilizing the real estate market is key to ending this financial crisis, a banking executive told the World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond.
John A. Allison IV, chairman of BB&T Corp., spoke to about 200 people at the Omni Richmond Hotel last night.
Allison, 60, spoke about the financial crisis, its causes and possible cures.
"Nothing is as important as stabilizing residential real estate," Allison said... Read Full Story
El presidente electo de Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, no sabe cuándo empezará el país a recuperarse de la grave crisis que padece y advierte que a pesar de las medidas que pueda adoptar en sus primeros meses de mandato 2009 será un año "muy difícil". Además, menciona por primera vez algunas estimaciones que apuntan a que la salida de la crisis podría costar hasta 1,3 billones de dólares.
En una entrevista al diario 'The Washington Post', el presidente electo aseguró que no t... Read Full Story
A Conventional wisdom says that you need to stay in a home a minimum of five years to ensure that you recoup your purchasing costs. But with some markets soaring, this advice doesn't always apply.
It's All About the Market
Market conditions play a huge part in any decision about when to buy. Housing market values have varied widely from region to region in recent years. While the Florida market has seen meteoric rises in home values, Ohio has seen its real estate prices go into negati... Read Full Story
Not only do you have to understand what type of mortgage you should choose, you have to understand the costs associated with your mortgage. All of these costs will be paid upon closing your mortgage.
Purchase Points
Purchase points, also known as a "buy-down" or "discount points," are an up-front fee paid to the lender at closing to buy-down or lower your interest rate over the life of the loan. Each point is equal to one percent of your total loan amount. If you have a $1... Read Full Story
A Conventional wisdom says that you need to stay in a home a minimum of five years to ensure that you recoup your purchasing costs. But with some markets soaring, this advice doesn't always apply.
It's All About the Market
Market conditions play a huge part in any decision about when to buy. Housing market values have varied widely from region to region in recent years. While the Florida market has seen meteoric rises in home values, Ohio has seen its real estate prices go into negati... Read Full Story
If you've ever made an informal bet with a friend, you may have asked a third person to hold the money until the wager was resolved. When you take out a mortgage to buy a home, you're doing something similar by opening an escrow account.
How it works
When you put money in escrow it is held by a neutral third party (called an escrow agent) who works for both the lender and the borrower. The agent's role is to carry out the instructions agreed upon by both parties. The money is re... Read Full Story
