Our Blog
Case-Shiller Home Prices: Price Growth Slows in September
According to the Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, annual home price growth slipped to a seasonally-adjusted rate of 4.80 percent in September. This was 0.30 percent lower than August’s year-over-year reading of 5.10 percent.
You Ask, We Answer: Should I Consider a Warranty when Buying a New Home?
In today’s blog post we’ll briefly explore home warranties including some of the pros and cons of buying one and how they differ from homeowner’s insurance.
What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 24, 2014
Last week’s scheduled economic news included the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, Housing Starts and Existing Home Sales. FOMC meeting minutes were released along with weekly Freddie Mac mortgage rates and weekly jobless claims.
The 3 Minute Guide to Real Estate "Flipping" and How to Get Moving Today
If you’ve been thinking about investing in a real estate project you may have considered buying a distressed house or two at a steep discount in order to fix them up and sell them at a higher price. This is known as “flipping”, and in today’s post we’ll share a quick guide to flipping homes and how to get started with this type of real estate investing.
FOMC Minutes: Economy Growing, Housing Lags
Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting held October 28 and 29 were released Wednesday. The report suggests that the U.S. economy continues to improve, although the annual inflation rate remains near 1.50 percent and short of the committee’s goal of 2.00 percent.
Failed Negotiations: What to Do when the Seller is an Immovable Object
Once you’ve found the perfect new home and delivered your first offer to the seller, you may find that they return with a counteroffer or a flat out refusal. In this blog post we’ll share a few ways to manage an unreasonable or stubborn home seller so you can get the deal closed.
Selling Your Home? Give Your Bathrooms a Facelift with These Three Quick Tips
In today’s blog post we’ll share three quick tips for renovating or upgrading your bathrooms to freshen up their look before potential buyers start viewing your home.
What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 17, 2014
Last week’s housing related news was lean, with no scheduled reports released other than Freddie Mac’s primary mortgage market survey. We’ll start with some good news…
How to Use a Mortgage Calculator to Determine Your Monthly Payments, Interest and More
Are you thinking about using a mortgage to buy a new home? In this blog post we’ll discuss mortgage calculators and how to use one of these tools to determine your monthly mortgage payments, interest charges, amortization periods and more.
Save Money on Your Home Energy Costs This Winter in Just Three Easy Steps
It doesn’t matter if you heat your home with electricity, natural gas or some other energy source; prices continue to rise and that means increased heating costs. In today’s blog post we’ll share three easy ways that you can save money on your home energy costs this winter.