RECENT BLOG POSTS
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Two chief economists at Forbes magazine give us 5 Reasons there will be no Double-Dip for the U.S. economy. First, recognize that while the Fed has stopped buying mortgage- backed securities, it is not planning on suddenly selling its holdings. Most likely, the Fed will hang onto the vast bulk ...
04/08/2010
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One phrase very few like to hear is "extended winter." The housing market, typically one of the first sectors to rebound after recessions, still looks perilously weak. Today, the National Association of Realtors is expected to say pending home sales, which measure contracts signed but not ...
04/05/2010
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Home prices in January 2010 showed only minimal decline from a year earlier, according to the latest Standard & Poor's (S&P)/Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index. The annual declines in the 10-city and 20-city composites show improvement from December's declines in supply, but mixed re...
04/03/2010
For many of us who purchased a home more or less after 2003 there is a good chance you have negative equity in your home. Well, there have been rumors going around about a new program. Good news. The US Treasury is making changes to the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), as it s...
03/29/2010
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When I was a kid I always preferred getting the bad news first. Sometimes we have to take our medicine (literally). So here's some, well, bad news. A recent article from HousingWire.com stated, "Borrowers who said it was immoral to default were 77% less likely to declare their intention t...
02/04/2010
Incentive Part of Ongoing Effort to Stabilize Neighborhoods WASHINGTON, DC - Fannie Mae (FNM/NYSE) announced Jan. 28, 2010 buyers of Fannie Mae-owned HomePath® property will get up to 3.5% of the sales price for closing cost assistance or new appliances. The offer is only available for owner-occu...
02/01/2010
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Opportunistic investors are standing behind cash-strapped home builders. As risky as it sounds, the strategy just may pay off. Since the traditional relationship between builder and lender has dried up, residential builders have begun turning to private equity. In many cases investors are...
01/30/2010
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Helping clients who are somewhere in the process of bankruptcy since the new year has taken a large part of my time. After listening to them all, almost all of them are genuinely good, upstanding people who have tried to do the right thing. Through unforeseen circumstances the situation sp...
01/12/2010
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Today, figuring out home values where there are high amounts of foreclosure and bank-owned (REO) sales is tricky. The sale comparison approach is by far the most commonly used and is the most accurate. This method is used to find the values of single family homes, condominiums, and small ...
01/11/2010
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If you know anyone or you have had an experience with buying a home with Chinese drywall, then you may be getting some relief. We all work so hard to realize the American dream. But when outside forces derail that dream that's when those who can do something about it should. Hillsborough Count...
01/05/2010