By Jim Woodard
Published: May 16,2013
It’s very unlikely that a significant housing bubble is forming, most experts say. For example, reports from Capital Economics and Redfin asserted no such bubble is forming – at least not on a national level. Capital Economics recently addressed concerns that home price increases, which are rising twice as fast as gains in income and [...]
By Jim Woodard
Published: May 10,2013
Many homeowners are unsuspecting victims of medical problems, ranging from asthma attacks to lung cancer, caused by components and conditions in their residences. This was revealed in a new study by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Several steps can be taken to minimize those risk factors. Researchers say [...]
By Jim Woodard
Published: May 2,2013
‘Tis spring, when homeowners’ thoughts turn lightly to images of vacation homes. Sales of those properties are rising, as they have been over the past two years. Vacation home sales rose 10.1 percent to 553,000 in 2012 from 502,000 in 2011, according to the recently released National Association of Realtors’ 2013 Investment and Vacation Home [...]
By Jim Woodard
Published: April 26,2013
Does homebuyer counseling really lead to significantly lower mortgage default rates? The answer is yes, according to several recent studies. One such study by NeighborWorks America found that borrowers who went through a prepurchase counseling program were nearly one-third less likely than non-counseled borrowers to fall behind on their mortgage payments by 90 days or [...]
By Jim Woodard
Published: April 18,2013
Applications for interest-only home mortgages are on the rise. They are especially popular with investors or “flipper” buyers who hold title for a very brief time, or buyers who have trouble qualifying for a conventional mortgage. An “interest only” mortgage is one for which the scheduled monthly mortgage payment consists of interest only. The option [...]
By Jim Woodard
Published: April 12,2013
Homeowners and investors are asking a key question: How much will home values rise in coming months and years? Highly credible analysts and organizations are projecting varying degrees of value appreciation. Here’s a sampling: One bullish projection comes from JPMorgan Chase and Co., which sees home prices rising at a rate of 14 percent through [...]
By Jim Woodard
Published: April 5,2013
More homeowners are deciding this is a good time to place their homes on the market than was previously predicted by analysts. Many of those owners want to get a jump-start on the active spring selling season.
By Jim Woodard
Published: March 15,2013
Many homeowners are planning a major home improvement project for this spring. At least they want a significant facelift to enhance their home's value and properly reflect their lifestyle preferences.
By Jim Woodard
Published: March 7,2013
Refinancing a home mortgage is generating big-time benefits for many homeowners. That was determined in a study by Freddie Mac of refinance transactions in the last quarter of 2012.
By Jim Woodard
Published: February 8,2013
Solid gains in both single-family and multifamily housing production is reported by the National Association of Home Builders. Nationwide, housing starts rose 12.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 954,000 units in December, according to newly released data from the U.S. Commerce Department. This is the highest level of new home production since June of 2008.
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