Real Estate ABC - Information on Buying and Selling A Home

Interest Rate Report - February 2012

Long-term interest rates moved back down into record low territory in Febuary as mixed economic data continued to push down bond rates, according to data from mortgage finance company Freddie Mac.

Existing Home Sales - February 2012

Sales of existing U.S. homes rose for the third consecutive month in December, according to the National Association of Realtors, a possible sign of a "sustained recovery." "The pattern of home sales in recent months demonstrates a market in recovery," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun.

Home Values Have Plunged $6.4 Trillion since Market Bust

The latest reading from the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index shows a 1.2 percent decrease across the country in October from the previous month. Nineteen out of twenty major cities posted home value losses, a trend that has been bumping along for a few years now. According to analysis from Zillow, U.S. homes are expected to lose roughly $681 billion in value in 2011.

Investors Driving Housing Market Once Again

In its latest report on existing-home sales, the National Association of Realtors reported that the number of first-time home buyers entering the housing market is declining, while the number of investors picking up rental properties is rising. The numbers suggest that tightened lending standards are pricing all but the wealthy out of the mortgage scene.

Foreclosure Tidal Wave Has Slowed, But Not Disappeared

The latest figures for U.S. foreclosure rates show a marked decrease for most metropolitan areas around the country, but unfortunately that doesn't signal the beginning of the end of our nation's foreclosure woes.

How Obscenely Low Mortgage Rates Will Affect the Housing Market

Last week the Federal Reserve announced its new plan, Operation Twist, an effort to further push down mortgage interest rates while trying to boost the economy. It's an interesting choice, to say the least, as home loan rates were already at record lows and had done very little to stimulate the ailing housing market. Now the question is: Will even lower rates be the magic bullet?

Getting the Big Picture on the Housing Market

In its most recent meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve decided once again to leave its target interest rate unchanged in the range of zero to 0.25 percent. That rate has not changed since December 2008, and it looks as though there will be no movement for some time to come.

The Mortgage Deduction: Sacred or Superfluous?

As our country faces the biggest budget crisis possibly ever, the Obama Administration has created a deficit commission charged with discovering the best ways to bring down the national debt. It has come up with a plan to cut our $3 trillion dollars in debt over the next decade. One of the proposals that this commission has suggested is to eliminate the time-honored mortgage interest tax deduction. While this idea has recently garnered some bi-partisan support, it has also created a major uproar among the mortgage industry associations, who claim now is not the time to mess with the tax break. So who is right?

Tips for First Time Home Buyers

Buying a home can be a long, complicated and frightening process, and it is important to be prepared. Knowledge is power when it comes to negotiating the difficult world of home prices, interest rates and mortgage loans. For a first time home buyer, the more information you can gather before you start shopping, the better off you will be.

How to Sell Your Home in a Slow Market

Learn how to sell your home in the current real estate market. Knowing how to prepare your home for sale, when to allow access for showings, and how you can offer buyer incentives will help you find the right buyer, even in a declining market.

Number of Underwater Homeowners Fell in Third Quarter but Prices Declined as Well

According to the latest report from data analysis company CoreLogic, fewer American homeowners were underwater on their mortgage loans during the third quarter of 2011 than the second. However, with home prices continuing to fall, this drift may not stick.

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