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	<title>Charlotte Real Estate, Development, and Construction News: Mecklenburg Times &#187; Jim Woodard</title>
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	<description>Real Estate, Development, and Construction News in the Charlotte Area</description>
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		<title>Prices up, but fears of a housing bubble appear inflated&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/05/16/prices-up-but-fears-of-a-housing-bubble-appear-inflated/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/05/16/prices-up-but-fears-of-a-housing-bubble-appear-inflated/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 20:10:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Woodard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing bubble]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=19996</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;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 [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Just when you thought it was safe to buy a home&#8230;&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/05/10/just-when-you-thought-it-was-safe-to-buy-a-home/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/05/10/just-when-you-thought-it-was-safe-to-buy-a-home/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 May 2013 13:29:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Woodard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home buyers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=19890</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Kicking back, ticking up: Vacation home sales jump&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/05/02/kicking-back-ticking-up-vacation-home-sales-jump/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/05/02/kicking-back-ticking-up-vacation-home-sales-jump/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2013 19:44:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Woodard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vacation home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=19767</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[‘Tis spring, when homeowners&#8217; 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&#8217; 2013 Investment and Vacation Home [...]]]></description>
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		<title>For buyers, talk first, play later seems to be working&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/04/26/for-buyers-talk-first-play-later-seems-to-be-working/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/04/26/for-buyers-talk-first-play-later-seems-to-be-working/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:20:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Woodard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homebuyers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=19661</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Some buyers are ‘flipping’ for interest-only mortgages&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/04/18/some-buyers-are-flipping-for-interest-only-mortgages/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/04/18/some-buyers-are-flipping-for-interest-only-mortgages/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:23:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Woodard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=19552</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Applications for interest-only home mortgages are on the rise. They are especially popular with investors or &#8220;flipper&#8221; buyers who hold title for a very brief time, or buyers who have trouble qualifying for a conventional mortgage. An &#8220;interest only&#8221; mortgage is one for which the scheduled monthly mortgage payment consists of interest only. The option [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Numbers vary, but experts agree: Home values rising&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/04/12/numbers-vary-but-experts-agree-home-values-rising/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/04/12/numbers-vary-but-experts-agree-home-values-rising/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:14:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Woodard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home values]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=19459</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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&#8217;s a sampling: One bullish projection comes from JPMorgan Chase and Co., which sees home prices rising at a rate of 14 percent through [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Analysts wrong again as homeowners sprint to sell&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/04/05/analysts-wrong-again-as-homeowners-sprint-to-sell/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/04/05/analysts-wrong-again-as-homeowners-sprint-to-sell/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:40:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Woodard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home sales]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=19343</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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.]]></description>
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		<title>Hunting for vacation home loan can be frustrating&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/03/29/hunting-for-vacation-home-loan-can-be-frustrating/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/03/29/hunting-for-vacation-home-loan-can-be-frustrating/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:01:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott Baughman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=19197</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The hottest seasons for vacation home sales are spring and summer. You may now be planning such a purchase, but be aware of the challenge you may face when shopping for a mortgage loan. Many vacation-home buyers are finding tougher underwriting requirements and other obstacles when seeking a financing loan, tougher than loans to finance primary-residence homes.]]></description>
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		<title>To raise home&#8217;s value, spruce up the exterior&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/03/15/to-raise-homes-value-spruce-up-the-exterior/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/03/15/to-raise-homes-value-spruce-up-the-exterior/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Mar 2013 23:21:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Woodard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[siding]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=18931</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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.]]></description>
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		<title>Mortgage burden dips as interest rate slips&#160;</title>
		<link>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/03/07/mortgage-burden-dips-as-interest-rate-slips/</link>
		<comments>http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/03/07/mortgage-burden-dips-as-interest-rate-slips/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:06:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Woodard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jim Woodard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mecktimes.com/?p=18578</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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.]]></description>
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