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Homeowner’s Toolkit Archive
RISMEDIA, May 6, 2010—Preparing for the arrival of a new baby takes a lot of planning. Creating a healthy and safe living space will help baby grow and thrive. Recommend some of these design ideas from Lowe’s. ...
RISMEDIA, May 4, 2010—Even though I knew it would be frustrating, I just had to watch last week’s Senate testimony by Goldman Sachs’ executives and former executives.
RISMEDIA, May 3, 2010—In the first quarter of 2010, one-half of borrowers who refinanced their conventional loan lowered their mortgage interest rate by at least 16% according to Freddie Mac’s quarterly Refinance Report. The new interest rate was 0.9 percentage points or more below the old rate for one-half of ...
RISMEDIA, May 1, 2010—(MCT)—As a consumer with good credit and a 10-year history of paying his mortgage on time, Ed McLaughlin expected that his record would put him in good stead with his bank.
But when he approached his lender, Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America, about refinancing his existing mortgage or qualifying for a new loan, McLaughlin felt like a brand-new customer just off the street.
RISMEDIA, May 1, 2010—The impact of the widely publicized mortgage meltdown appears to have caused little change in borrower behavior during the past two years, according to a new Zillow Mortgage Marketplace survey
RISMEDIA, April 27, 2010—(MCT)—If you've been worried by the federal government's recent advice to homeowners to remove any problem drywall, keep this in mind: If the defective material is in your home, there's a good chance you're aware of it by now. It's detected by the corrosion of copper wiring and other metals, and signs of it pop up fairly quickly.
"A lot of these houses had air conditioner coils that needed replacement in the first six months or year," said Mark Cramer, a home inspector in Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.
RISMEDIA, April 24, 2010—(MCT)—The gap between the cost of renting a modest apartment and the wages of working families continues to widen, according to a new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
"Out of Reach 2010" paints a gloomy picture for the nation's nearly 38 million renters, who make up a third of U.S. households.
On average, a family must earn $38,355 a year, $18.44 an hour, to afford a simple two-bedroom apartment at the 2010 national average fair market rent of $959.
RISMEDIA, April 22, 2010—(MCT)—Builder Marshal Granor is hoping this will be a banner month for home sales. In fact, an eight-foot-long banner announcing Granor Price Homes' "Let's Make a Deal Weekend" will greet prospective buyers at its developments on two April weekends.
The Horsham, Pa., firm is among thousands of builders and real estate agents nationwide attempting to lasso home buyers before federal tax credits expire on April 30.
RISMEDIA, April 21, 2010—As the 40th anniversary of Earth Day approaches (Thursday, April 22), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is reminding homeowners that they can use fewer resources and save money
RISMEDIA, April 21, 2010—The Distressed Property Institute, LLC recently released a video tutorial for homeowners, explaining the new short sale and deed-in-lieu processes created by the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA). “What in the World is HAFA” incorporates the timelines, benefits, incentives and best practices outlined by the new ...
RISMEDIA, April 21, 2010—According to a national online survey released by the Ad Council, only a third of parents in the United States are very concerned that lead poses a health risk to their children. However, lead poisoning affects more than one million children in the United States. If not ...
RISMEDIA, April 20, 2010—As Congress begins to debate how to reform government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
RISMEDIA, April 20, 2010—It was with a measured amount of glee that I read Friday afternoon that the Securities and Exchange Commission had charged Goldman Sachs, (“We do Gods Work”) with fraud
RISMEDIA, April 17, 2010—BBVA Compass recently released a new survey on first-time home buyers indicating that, prior to purchase, a vast majority of first-time home buyers (88%) believe they have accounted for all expenses related to owning a home. Seemingly contradicting that notion, amongst those who had purchased a home in the past 12 months, just over half indicate the expenses were more than they had calculated, causing a change in lifestyle. These results came from the BBVA Compass First-Time Home Buyers Online Survey which polled American consumers about the thoughts, emotions and hurdles related to owning and enjoying a first home.
RISMEDIA, April 17, 2010—HouseMaster, a home inspection organization, urges homeowners to be proactive in making energy-efficient home renovations in order to receive the rebates outlined in President Obama's
