Is Finishing Your Basement Worth It? How This Change Could Help Sell Your Home!
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You've fantasized about a mancave. Okay, maybe one of you has fantasized about a mancave and maybe one of you has some other ideas like having an in-home workout space, an office or a playroom for the kids. No matter what you need the extra space for, a finished basement can almost always benefit you in the future when you decide to sell your home. Surprised? It's commonly said that putting money into finishing a basement isn't Read more
Home Equity Delinquencies Hit New Record High
It’s not just mortgage rates that are setting records; delinquencies are also climbing to levels never seen before.
The latest bad news comes from the American Bankers Association’s Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin, which revealed that delinquencies increased in nearly all consumer loan categories.
Home equity loan delinquencies, largely second mortgages, rose 40 basis points to 3.03 percent Read more
Austin Home Appraisers
You’ve completed your loan application and submitted it to your mortgage broker. Now you’re anxiously awaiting the home appraisal. What is an appraisal anyway and what does the appraiser mean to you and that mountain of paperwork you just completed?
Early in the loan process, your personal/financial approval is accomplished fairly early and commitment by the lender hinges on a satisfactory appraisal. In Read more
New Home Sales Rise in Latest Report
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The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that sales of new, single-family homes rose in the month of February, increasing 4.7 percent from January’s numbers.
“New home sales rebounded nicely following January’s report of record-low activity. The number of existing homes on the market at astonishing prices has led many builders to scale back on construction while Read more
Home Prices Rise in January: FHFA
That’s right, home prices rose in January, it’s not a typo.
U.S. home prices climbed 1.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from December to January, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s monthly House Price Index.
However, for the 12 months ending in January, home prices fell 6.3 percent, and the home price index is 9.6 percent below its April 2007 peak.
Before you get Read more
Bay Area Median Home Price Slips Below $300,000
The median price paid for a San Francisco Bay area home last month slipped to just $295,000, its lowest point since 1999, according to DataQuick.
That’s down 1.7 percent from January and a record 46.2 percent below the $548,000 median seen a year earlier (55.6 percent below $665,000 peak set in summer 2007).
During the month, just over 5,000 new and resale homes and condos sold across nine area counties, Read more
Existing Home Sales Increase Fueled By First-Time Home Buyers, Low Mortgage Rates
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The National Association of Realtors announced today that existing home sales in February increased 5.1 percent as compared to January 2009. While home sales were up, the inventory of unsold homes also rose 5.2 percent to 3.80 million units, representing a 9.7 month supply.
“February’s uptick in existing home sales is encouraging because it follows the significant drop in sales that occurred in January. I suspect Read more
Making Home Affordable Website Launched
Curious if you’re eligible for assistance via the new Making Home Affordable program? Wonder no more.
The government launched a new website, conveniently named MakingHomeAffordable.gov, which allows borrowers to determine if they can take advantage of the refinance and loan modification programs currently on offer.
To find out if you’re eligible, you just need to answer a few basic questions such Read more
Selling in Today’s Market? Use An Austin Home Stager!
When it comes to the housing market, Austin is faring better than most of the country. Nevertheless, with home sales sagging, you want your home to be the standout that makes the best first impression! That first impression can mean the difference between receiving serious offers or being subjected to months of potential buyers who walk away without neither an offer nor a good impression. How can you ensure your home will Read more
Foreclosure Notice Posted on Wrong Home
This was inevitable, right? With all the foreclosure notices floating around, this just had to happen.
A Woodland, Washington man was shocked to find a notice of default posted on his home when he returned to his residence Friday, which said he needed to come up with $290,000 to avoid foreclosure.
The homeowner, Kraig Neet, told affiliate Fox 12 Oregon he knew he hadn’t missed a payment or even been Read more