A new bill submitted to Congress last week would require banks to give prompt answers to short sale approvals. The short sale process is frustrating to many home buyers and sellers because lenders often take upwards of 90 days to approve the price and terms at which they will allow the property to be sold [...]
Archive of posts tagged Realty Times
Maintaining Rain Gutters
Here’s a great article from Realty Times that talks about proper maintenance of rain gutters and whether or not it’s a smart “do-it-yourself” home improvment/maintenance task for those that aren’t experienced. Article from Realty Times
Hardwoods Or Carpet? The Advantages and Disadvantages
Many home owners and perspective home buyers are curious about the benefits of having carpet or hardwood floors. What are the advantages and disadvantages? How will they affect the resale value? Which would be best for their individual situation? From my experience as a buyer’s agent, hardwood floors are one of the most popular items [...]
30 Year Mortgage Rate Ties Record, 15 Year Sets New Low
Freddie Mac announced the results of their weekly mortgage market survey yesterday. 30 year fixed rate mortgages tied the record low of 4.32% and 15 year mortgages set a new record low of 3.75%. The survey, which is released weekly by Freddie Mac, is an average of mortgage lenders nationwide. Many factors, including loan-to-value ratio, credit score, [...]
Rural Home Loan Incentives for Americans
Despite the trend of urban living that’s escalated from 39% in 1900 to over 79% in the year 2000, there are definitely some advantages of rural living in the United States. And there are also some great loan programs available for those looking to live in rural areas. Article from Realty Times
Many Agents Walk A Fine Line With Short Sales
Short sale transactions carry with them significant liabilities to real estate brokers and agents in many situations. The problem of undisclosed dual-agency can be an issue, as well as the threat of a federal charge of bank fraud if the agent attemps to influence the BPOs to a level below market value. Furthermore, the liability [...]
Rules Have Changed For Getting Many Types of Home Loans
Here’s an article from the Realty Times that talks about some of the recent changes that have occured in mortgage lending. Aside from increases in the minimum credit scores required to obtain a mortgage, the article states that self-employed borrowers “may” be required to show proof of income and that may be checked against their [...]
New Home Sales Drop by 33% from April to May of 2010…but WHY?
Some great commentary from Kenneth Harney on why it’s no surprise that new home sales were reported to have dropped by 33% between April and May of 2010. With the tax credits expiring, many homebuyers that would have closed later in the year have already decided to purchase homes to secure their share of the [...]
