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Home Buying 101 Archive
RISMEDIA, April 1, 2011—Located on Venice Island in Venice, Fla., this beautiful three bedroom home being listed by RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN) Member Prudential Palms Realty. This three story home offers hardwood floors, formal dining, three full
RISMEDIA, March 31, 2011—According to DIY shopping and support website Trades Supermarket, the improved spring weather means more than giving the lawn a trim for homeowners; it signifies the time to undertake necessary repair and maintenance checks, not only to make sure
RISMEDIA, March 28, 2011—It's that time of year again, and some of you should be expecting your property tax bill for the first half of 2011. If that's the case, then you'll probably be wondering just how the government calculates property tax rates and why your bill seems to change every year.
RISMEDIA, March 25, 2011—If your home was built before 1978 and you still have the original windows, it's time to seriously consider replacing them—especially if members of your household include young children or someone who is pregnant.
RISMEDIA, March 21, 2011—Despite the uptick in sales of homes worth one million dollars or more last year (up 18.6% in 2010 according to DataQuick) the average American homebuyer is still proceeding with a large degree of caution. Below are six reasons why even qualified homebuyers are holding out on ...
RISMEDIA, January 27, 2011—This unprecedented housing crisis has a flip side—the investment opportunity of a generation. One in four real estate transactions in 2011 will be purchases by investors. Learn how to capture this opportunity: The gold rush is on. ...
RISMEDIA, January 3, 2011—Pending home sales rose again in November 2010, with the broad trend over the past five months indicating a gradual recovery into 2011, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator, rose 3.5% to 92.2 based on contracts signed in November from a downwardly revised 89.1 in October. The index is 5.0% below a reading of 97.0 in November 2009. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which normally occur with a lag time of one or two months.
RISMEDIA, December 28, 2010—Improvements in consumer spending and consumer confidence, increased demand for goods and services, and falling unemployment claims are all positive factors for a brighter outlook as we move into 2011, according to the December 2010 Economic Outlook released today by Fannie Mae's (OTC Bulletin Board: FNMA) Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group.
RISMEDIA, December 28, 2010—(MCT)—A Bank of America freeze on foreclosure sales spread Friday to the Inland Empire in California after the biggest bank in the U.S. announced it was broadening an investigation into its foreclosure practices to all 50 states.
The halt, which took effect yesterday, adds to growing concerns that lenders have been repossessing homes without following proper protocol.
RISMEDIA, December 28, 2010—(MCT)—In response to the recent crimes against real-estate agents in the Youngstown and Kent, Ohio, areas, local real-estate brokers are reviewing safety precautions for their agents. These incidents remind all agents nationwide to review safety procedures when showing vacant homes. ...
RISMEDIA, December 28, 2010—Default risk on home loans in Ann Arbor, Mich., fell once again this quarter to its lowest level in more than five years, says a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. ...
RISMEDIA, December 23, 2010—Existing-home sales got back on an upward path in November 2010, resuming a growth trend since bottoming in July, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 5.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.68 million in November from 4.43 million in October, but are 27.9% below the cyclical peak of 6.49 million in November 2009, which was the initial deadline for the first-time buyer tax credit.
RISMEDIA, December 20, 2010—(MCT)—Last spring, in the waning days of the first-time home buyer tax credit, Stephen Ploski made an offer on a foreclosed home in Farmington Hills, Mich. He said the 1,400-square-foot home was livable, but needed serious updates. He was willing to do the work, and take the risk. In exchange, he got a deal. The three-bedroom, one-bathroom home was his for $49,000. He lives in the home with his wife, Ashley and their daughter Lana.
RISMEDIA, December 17, 2010—(MCT)—The majority of the nation's sparsely populated rural counties lost even more residents in the last decade, though some rural counties—particularly those in the mountain West—saw population gains that may be the result of retirees striking out
RISMEDIA, December 10, 2010—(MCT)—Kristy Paul grew up on a quiet suburban cul-de-sac where on warm summer nights the kids could stay out late while the parents grilled in their back yards and kept watch. Now she's a mom with two kids, a husband and a townhouse they built five years ago in a massive Woodbury, Minn., development where she is surrounded by people but is tired of all the traffic, anonymity and competition to use some of the neighborhood amenities.
