Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and wishing a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year to all!  … [Read more...]

It is essential to include a closing date as part of any offer. By doing this, both you and the seller can make plans for moving, and the seller can make plans for buying his or her next homes. While most transactions actually close on the chosen date, do not be so inflexible that a delay in closing … [Read more...]

According to the most recent Realtors® Confidence Index, 39 percent of recent buyers purchased a home with a Federal Housing Administration-insured loan. Realtors® who took part in the November survey also reported that the number of first-time home buyers continued to climb to 51 percent. "FHA … [Read more...]

Despite a slow market and a slight decrease in the resale value of most remodeling projects, Realtors® report that the smartest home improvement investments may also be some of the least expensive. Results from the 2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report show that small-scale exterior projects are … [Read more...]

A simple homeowner's insurance policy protects owners against property damage that results from things like fire, lightning, wind or hail storms. It may also provide for motel and food costs if you are forced out of your home while such damages are under repair. A standard policy, however, does … [Read more...]

Purchasing a home with a View? A home with a nice view often sells at premiums above similar homes without views. However, if a view is important to you, buy it mostly for your own pleasure and not as an investment. Although you may place a considerable dollar value on a view, future buyers may … [Read more...]

The Neighborhood  When looking to buy within your residential neighborhood, you will want nearby homes to be fairly homogeneous, such as alike in style, size, and structure. This does not mean they should all be exactly the same; but for example, a double-wide manufactured home in a residential … [Read more...]

Employer-assisted housing benefits, in the form of forgivable loans, grants, matched savings plans, financial counseling or home buyer education, have proven to be effective at helping working individuals purchase and keep their homes. That was one of the messages delivered at the Bring Workers … [Read more...]

The Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance program is a critical part of the American housing fabric and has never been more important than it is in today's market, Testifying before the House Committee on Financial Services, NAR's President Vicki Golder said that the FHA program is … [Read more...]

A good reason for including financing information in your offer is to protect yourself. If interest rates suddenly become volatile and rise quickly, as sometimes happens, you could be looking at a mortgage payment much higher than you anticipated. By putting a maximum acceptable interest rate in the … [Read more...]