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Homeowner’s Toolkit Archive
RISMEDIA, February 16, 2011—Most home buyers who claimed the federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for buying their first home in 2008 are required to start repaying the credit in 15 annual installments, beginning with their 2010 tax returns.
RISMEDIA, February 14, 2011—(MCT)—More than 100,000 struggling homeowners could get help from a $2 billion program that California is launching, including about 25,000 borrowers who owe more than their properties are worth and could see their mortgages shrink.
RISMEDIA, February 12, 2011—(MCT)—With the economy starting to recover, consumers feel better about spending again—and that spare cash is going back into their homes. Home remodeling is on an upswing after the industry's worst slump since at least the early 1960s.
RISMEDIA, February 11, 2011—With school vacations approaching, many lucky families are planning trips to cure their winter blues. Here are some important things to remember if you leave your home for several days.
RISMEDIA, February 10, 2011—RealtyTrac, a leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for January 2011, which shows foreclosure filings—default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions—were reported on 261,333 U.S.
RISMEDIA, February 7, 2011—The National Association of REALTORS® applauds the Federal Housing Finance Agency for moving ahead with a proposed rule to restrict government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks from investing
RISMEDIA, February 4, 2011—Chase announced plans to add 25 new Chase Homeownership Centers in 19 states this year, expanding its program to provide borrowers in the hardest-hit communities with the knowledge and resources they need to explore all the ways they can stay
RISMEDIA, February 3, 2011—In a recently released report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that “worst case housing needs” grew by nearly 1.2 million households, or more than 20%, from 2007 to 2009 and by 42% since 2001. “Worst case housing needs” are defined as low-income households who paid more than half their monthly income for rent, lived in severely substandard housing, or both.
RISMEDIA, February 1, 2011—On Thursday, January 27, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Scott Gould, and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Director Barbara Poppe, joined
RISMEDIA, January 28, 2011—(MCT)—Sales of new single-family homes rose almost 18% in December 2010 to the highest rate since last spring, but builders in 2010 still suffered through their worst year since record-keeping began in 1963.
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 24, 2011—Now that the U.S. Census data has been released and we know where people live in our country, national off-price retailer HomeGoods recently conducted a survey to determine how we live in our homes. The survey complements the recently released 2010 U.S. Population Census and reveals the following:
RISMEDIA, January 19, 2011—A joint study by the 50+ Housing Council of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the MetLife Mature Market Institute shows the recession has made 55+ buyers more practical when selecting a new home. Design considerations have become less important, and financial concerns have become more prominent, according to the study.
Previous studies from these two organizations found that most 55+ buyers depended on home sale proceeds to finance a new purchase. The most recent data shows that option diminished during the economic downturn.
RISMEDIA, January 18, 2011—Housing will see gradual improvements in activity this year as the nation’s economy and job market continue to move to higher ground, establishing momentum that will produce more considerable gains in 2012, according to economists who appeared at the NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando on January 12.
RISMEDIA, January 18, 2011—In most areas of the country, it’s the time of year where you’re making frequent visits to your heat dial, to turn it up. Many homes, both new and not-so-new, have an oil-heating system working hard on the far side of that thermostat.
