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Home Value News Archive
RISMEDIA, July 16, 2010—The screaming and cursing you hear in unit 404 isn’t coming from Mr. Armbrister’s television—Armbrister has just learned that another potential sale of his condominium unit fell through due to the buyer’s inability to obtain financing. In this case, the buyer wanted to purchase Armbrister’s condo unit with an FHA loan—Armbrister’s homeowners association, however, had neglected to obtain FHA approval.
RISMEDIA, July 15, 2010—(MCT)—Some homeowners chase down high-tech solar panels and efficient appliances to make their homes environmentally friendly. Others eschew the latest technology in favor of something far more basic: caves.
Geothermal heating and cooling systems work just as caves do: The temperature underground is more moderate than the air above. If it's 85 degrees outside, it's cool in the cave. If it's 25 degrees outside, the cave is still 50-60 degrees.
RISMEDIA, July 14, 2010—(MCT)—Courtney Zinter doesn't have a big house with rooms full of stuff, a fancy car or a manicure habit. But she still has it all. Just not how the Joneses next door would define it. With a well-paying job, Zinter had no problem paying the mortgage on her 1,600-square-foot townhouse in Chaska, outside Minneapolis. But at 29, she sold it and moved to a $590-a-month studio apartment that overlooks a freeway on the outskirts of downtown Minneapolis.
RISMEDIA, July 13, 2010—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new initiative that gives state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations participating in HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) preference
RISMEDIA, July 13, 2010—Street level appraisers have been getting a lot of heat for their role in the rise and collapse of real estate values and most of it is unfair. Without exception, every appraiser I have ever met was professional, direct, and considered the facts
RISMEDIA, July 12, 2010—(MCT)—Timm Freeman's Santa Monica apartment has 17-foot ceilings, granite countertops and collector guitars hanging on the wall. He's got a built-in microwave, dishwasher and central air conditioning.
All in 350 square feet.
Freeman's coffee table is also his dining table. His desk is three steps from his sitting room and three paces from his stove. "Everything is within three steps of the next thing," said Freeman, a graphic designer.
RISMEDIA, July 10, 2010—(MCT)—The explosion of remodeling shows on TV and makeover spreads in magazines has whetted America's appetite for glamorous rooms brimming with the latest furnishings, appliances and color schemes. Kitchen remodels are among the most popular, according to a report in the August issue of Consumer Reports and online at consumerreports.org. And the economic slowdown means there are outstanding deals on everything from cooktops to countertops. It also means kitchen designers and building contractors are eager for work and willing to negotiate.
RISMEDIA, July 10, 2010—(MCT)—A few years ago, Jim Camasto thought about investing $20,000 in the stock market. But instead, Camasto, of Naperville, Ill., spent that money on a ‘greener’ investment—solar power.
RISMEDIA, July 9, 2010—International home buyers are increasingly attracted to property in the U.S., according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2010 Profile of International Home Buying Activity. Several factors, including the strength of the dollar, the value and desirability of U.S. real estate, and the emerging economic recovery, continue to drive international interest in owning a home in this country.
RISMEDIA, July 9, 2010—(MCT)—On paper, it's the chance of a lifetime—a golden opportunity not to be missed.
Mortgage interest rates are at their lowest since 1971 and home prices have reached their lowest point since 2002, says IHS Global Insight Inc. economist Patrick Newport, and appear to be stabilizing.
Veteran real estate agents are hard-pressed to remember a time when rock-bottom rates and affordable prices converged this way. So where are all the buyers now that the tax credit is gone?
RISMEDIA, July 9, 2010—Clear Capital, a provider of data and solutions for real estate asset valuation, investment and risk assessment, has released its Home Data Index (HDI) Market Report.
RISMEDIA, July 8, 2010—A home inspection report is an important document that a potential buyer will have that accurately describes the conditions that exist in the house they are considering buying. It is crucial that your client receive a well written and detailed home inspection report and working with your client to interpret the inspection report can help eliminate confusion and indecision. This article will attempt to give you some guidance to assist your buyers with interpreting a home inspection report.
RISMEDIA, July 7, 2010—(MCT)—President Barack Obama recently signed into aw a three-month extension on the deadline for home buyers to obtain a federal home buyer tax credit of up to $8,000.
RISMEDIA, July 6, 2010—Following a surge driven by the home buyer tax credit, pending home sales fell with the expiration of the deadline for qualified buyers to sign a purchase contract, according to the National Association of Realtors.
The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator, dropped 30% to 77.6 based on contracts signed in May 2010 from a reading of 110.9 in April, and is 15.9% below May 2009 when it was 92.3. The falloff comes on the heels of three strong monthly gains as home buyers rushed to take advantage of the tax credit.
RISMEDIA, July 6, 2010—The House of Representatives recently passed the
FHA Reform Act (H.R. 5072). The bill, sponsored by Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), would give authority to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to increase premiums
