A "Housing Start" is a privately-owned home on which construction has started. It's an important gauge of housing health because it tracks new housing stock nationwide. In December 2009, starts fell by nearly 7 percent. The news is mildly disappointing but not too bad. The likely cause for the Ho
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01/22/2010
Securing an FHA mortgage in Minnesota is about to get more expensive. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Federal Housing Authority outlined policy changes to its mortgage assistance program. The shift is meant to both reduce the government group's portfolio risk while strengthening its overall
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01/22/2010
November 6th, 2009, Congress voted to extend and expand the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit program. There's 100 days left to claim it. The expiration date of the up-to-$8,000 tax credit has been pushed forward to spring, requiring homebuyers in Maple Grove to be under contract for a home no la
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01/22/2010
Mortgage markets showed little conviction last week, carving out just a narrow trading channel. There was very little data on which for markets to move, leaving mortgage rates momentum-bound. Luckily for rate shoppers, mortgage rate momentum was favorable. Rates were slightly lower Monday through
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01/22/2010
Like real estate, it appears that foreclosure activity is a local phenomenon, too. As reported by RealtyTrac.com, more than half of all foreclosure-related activity in 2009 came from just 4 states: California Florida Arizona Illinois More than 1.4 million filings made in 2009 are attributed to t
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01/22/2010
Mortgage rates are dropping this morning on weaker-than-expected Retail Sales data from December. Lower rates means more bang for your home-buying buck. Excluding motor vehicles and parts, December's "ex-auto" sales receipts were down roughly $500 million from November. Analysts had expected rec
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01/22/2010
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy As the housing market improves across the country, certain cities are emerging as relative bargains. Some areas, like Miami, were hit hard by the recession, and other areas are buoyed by good school systems and strong lab
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01/13/2010
Despite the headlines, it's important to remember that December's jobs report wasn't all bad news. Sure, the economy shed 85,000 jobs last month and the Unemployment Rate failed to dip below 10%, but for home buyers and rate shoppers in Minneapolis , the news was just fine. The soft employment d
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01/13/2010
Data was sparse through 2010's first trading week last week, setting the stage for a week of momentum trading. In up-and-down trading, mortgage pricing improved overall but the best rates of the week didn't last long. Rates improved Monday and Tuesday as an oversold market corrected itself to bet
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01/11/2010
FHA home loans are federal assistance mortgages made by lenders, and backed by the government. The FHA doesn't make loans to Wisconsin homeowners - it insures loans made to homeowners by federally-qualified lenders. By all accounts, FHA home loans are surging in popularity. 2006, FHA insured 3.3%
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01/11/2010
