If you are thinking about refinancing your existing mortgage, you may be wondering what refinancing questions to ask your mortgage lender. While there are a number of questions to ask when refinancing, there are a few points you will want to be perfectly clear on before committing to a refinance. Knowing what to ask when… Continue reading Questions to Ask on Refinancing a Mortgage
Category: Credit
Tax Credit Cut Proposal Old Effort
By Kim Olson It’s been the rule for decades that if you’ve got a home, you can get a tax deduction on your mortgage interest no matter who you are. But now, the Obama administration wants to eliminate it so as to help reduce the deficit — right? Wrong It’s actually not what you think.… Continue reading Tax Credit Cut Proposal Old Effort
New U.S. Mortgage System Lost in Wasteland
By Mike Colpitts The new home builders association released a proposal to redesign the U.S. housing finance system, which would eventually wipe-out Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the nation’s giant mortgage lenders. The National Association of Home Builders proposal is similar to others that have been offered by industry groups lost in a wasteland for… Continue reading New U.S. Mortgage System Lost in Wasteland
Cash Home Sales Hit Record as Sales Decline
By Mike Colpitts Cash home sales hit a new record high in February as sales declined following three consecutive months of rising sales, according to the National Association of Realtors. Existing home sales dropped 9.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.88-million units from 5.4 million in January. Home buyers paying cash made up… Continue reading Cash Home Sales Hit Record as Sales Decline
Being Frugal Buying a Home
By Kim Olson Can you really be frugal buying a home? Especially when it comes to being a little tight in order to make a profit these days? Turns out you can, but you have to have a plan before you sign the dotted line. When it comes to buying a home if you want… Continue reading Being Frugal Buying a Home
Neither Best nor Worst in California
By Mike Colpitts Long viewed as the national leader in real estate and hundreds of other dizzying trends and fads, California neither made the annual Best or Worst 25 Housing Predictor market lists for 2011. It was the first time in the index’s six year history that a Golden State market failed to make the… Continue reading Neither Best nor Worst in California
Pent Up Real Estate Demand Waits
By Kevin Chiu Pent up demand among consumers waiting on the sidelines to buy a home is something that real estate analysts aren’t counting on much these days as consumer confidence over the U.S. economy wanes. The housing sector of the real estate market was artificially sent to new heights by a concoction of mixtures… Continue reading Pent Up Real Estate Demand Waits
Don’t Burn Down Your House on Thanksgiving
Deep fried turkey fires will cause more than $15 million in property damage to homes and other dwellings from deep fryers that get wildly out of control across the U.S. this Thanksgiving, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The fires, ignited by deep fried turkey cookers of hot oil that quickly get out of… Continue reading Don’t Burn Down Your House on Thanksgiving
Poll: Prices Won’t Go As High Again
Home prices are doomed, according to nearly 2 out of 3 people surveyed for the latest Housing Predictor poll. Some 60% said that housing prices won’t ever reach as high as they did during the boom or not at least “in my lifetime.” The survey is disappointing news for homeowners who are anxious to see… Continue reading Poll: Prices Won’t Go As High Again
Housing Affordability Best in Years
By Mike Colpitts Housing affordability is at its best level for the seventh straight quarter in decades, according to the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo index. The lowest mortgage rates since 1951 triggered an increase in home sales. The index showed that 71.1% of all homes sold in the third quarter of the year… Continue reading Housing Affordability Best in Years