Fold-up speakers for your MP3 players?  You better believe it.  OrigAudio's eco-friendly Fold-N-Play speakers let you take your favorite playlists on the road to your office, hotel rooms and the beach. Made from recycled............   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Portable, Foldable Speakers Are Perfect For Your Office, Your Hotel, And The Beach   04/19/2010

Each week, government-led Freddie Mac publishes a weekly mortgage rate survey based on data from 125 banks across the country.  According to this week's results, the relative rate of a 5-year ARM in Florida is.........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: It's A Good Time To Look At Adjustable Rate Mortgages     04/16/2010

Foreclosure filings rose close to 20 percent nationwide last month versus February, according to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac.com, and for the 13th straight month, total filings topped 300,000. In addition, bank repossessions reached an all-time, quarterly record. Through the first three months of 2010, banks reclaimed more than.......   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST: How To Buy Bank-Owned Homes In A Period Of Rising Inventory       04/15/2010

The federal home buyer tax credit expires April 30 and the deadline is sparking a home sale surge. It figures to burden real estate, mortgage and title offices nationwide over the next 60 days so plan your closing date accordingly. Especially because the last Friday in May is...........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Why You Shouldn't Schedule Your Closing For May 28, 2010       04/15/2010

Not all home improvements are created equal. Especially if you're looking for "resale value" back from your work. An article from the Wall Street Journal lays it out cleanly. Function beats flash these days so be wary of where you spend. Environmental upgrades such as home insulation and energy-efficient steel entry doors are recovering a much greater percentage of their cost these days than major remodels including kitchens or bathrooms.  This is especially true for...........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Home Renovations That Increase Your Resale Value (2010 Edition)     04/13/2010

If you own kitchen knives, you better keep them honed. That's because a dull knife blade not only slows you down in the kitchen, but it can be more dangerous than its ready-to-cut counterpart, too. In this brief, 2-minute video, you'll learn how to use a knife steel to keep your kitchen cutlery in top form. Among the tips.........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: How To Keep Your Kitchen Knives Sharp   04/12/2010

As the federal home buyer tax credit nears its April 30 end-date, there's a lot of would-be home buyers in Longwood still working to get under contract. A piece of advice for all of them : If your pre-qualification and/or pre-approval letter is more than 8 weeks old, it would be prudent to have your lender "re-pre-approve" you.  Mortgage guidelines have........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: It's Time To Re-Approve Your Pre-Approval       04/12/2010

The following are the market sales statistics for Altamonte Springs, Seminole County, Florida for March 2010.  Altamonte Springs is made up of the zip codes of 32701 & 32714.  For purposes of this analysis we are only splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas. A couple of definitions are in order.  The median sales price means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less during a certain period of time - in other words, it's the midpoint of sale prices.  So basically what this means, is that the median sales price is showing market activity in that it's specifically indicating which price range is more active. The average sales price, as opposed to the median sales price, is the total volume of sold properties d... 04/12/2010

Taxes are due April 15 and if you're among the millions of Americans who wait until the last week to file, here's a video interview that could help you reduce your federal tax liability.  Originally broadcast by NBC's The Today Show, the 4-minute piece reviews various tax credits and deductions, plus some recent tax law changes.  A few of..........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Don't Leave Tax Credits On The Table (And How To Get Them Back If You Already Filed)     04/08/2010

Mortgage markets improved yesterday after the Federal Reserve released its March 16, 2010 meeting minutes. It's good news for in Orlando home buyers and rate shoppers -- rates could have just as easily gone the other way. The Fed Minutes is a detailed recap of the debate and discussion that shapes the nation's monetary policy. The notes are dense; it takes 3 weeks to compile them for publication. As compared to the more well-known, post-meeting press release, the Fed Minutes are..........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: The March Fed Minutes Explains Why Home Sales Weren't Worse This Winter   04/07/2010

As expected, the Pending Home Sales shot higher in February, boosted by the federal home buyer tax credit's April 30 deadline. Versus the month prior, February's index rose 8 percent but remains well off the highs set last October. For today's home buyers and seller, the Pending Home Sales Index is an important measurement. This is because......   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Pending Home Sales Soar In February, As Expected. Buyers Are Everywhere.     04/06/2010

    Baja California was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake Sunday, a tremor felt as far away as Yuma, Arizona. Rhode Island dealing with massive flooding. Winter storms are pounding the Rockies. It all reminds us that natural disaster can strike anywhere, at anytime.  You can't stop Mother Nature, so your best defense is........   Read the COMPLETE BLLOG POST HERE: Worried About Natural Disasters? Here's How To Protect Your Household.       04/06/2010

Please forgive any typos - the buttons on...... Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Hanging w @debbiesummers at Starbucks talking about @mhsmalley       04/02/2010

Standard & Poors released its Case-Shiller Index Wednesday. The report shows that, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, between December and January, home prices rose in more than half of the index's tracked markets. The strength of this month's Case-Shiller report, however, should be put in context. For one, the report is on a...........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Case-Shiller Shows Home Price Improvement In A Majority Of Cities Nationwide     03/31/2010

Starting Monday, April 5, 2010, getting an FHA mortgage in Longwood and nationwide will be more expensive for borrowers. In new guidelines set forth earlier this year, the FHA announced plans to raise additional revenue and reduce the overall risk of its mortgage portfolio.  The changes include...........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Get Your FHA Mortgage Application Started -- Fees Increase 1/2 Percent Starting Monday, April 5, 2010       03/30/2010

For fans of "edge" pieces, this brownie pan from Baker's Edge is a cookware best-seller and for good reason. It's built strong and bakes double-edged, extra chewy brownies to perfection inside and out. Made from heavy-gauge cast aluminum, the Brownie Edge Pan is a continuous baking chamber that channels heat to all pan parts equally.  The result is a more..........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: The Baker's Edge Nonstick Brownie Edge Pan Makes Perfect, Double-Edged Brownies   03/29/2010

Home values fell again in January, according to the Federal Home Finance Agency's Home Price Index. Values were reported down 0.6 percent, on average. We say "on average" because the Home Price Index is a national report. It doesn't capture the essence of a local market like Markham Woods Road , or even a city market like Longwood. The most granular that the monthly Home Price Index gets is....... Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: The Home Price Index Shows Home Values Lower Broadly, But Not Specifically       03/26/2010

  April 15 is Tax Day and the IRS estimates that the average U.S. household will receive a $2,800 tax refund this year.  If you're among the Americans expecting a refund, this 4-minute piece from NBC's The Today Show may be helpful. It's a talk about how to........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: The Average Household Will Get $2,800 In Tax Refunds. Will You?   03/25/2010

As expected, Existing Home Sales fell in February, slipping 30,000 units versus January's numbers. It's the 4th straight month in which Existing Home Sales were lower, month-over-month. An "existing" home is one that is previously owned and lived-in (i.e. not new construction). Existing Home Sales peaked in November 2009, just as the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit was set to expire. Immediately thereafter, according to...........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Existing Home Sales Flatten And Point To A Much Better Spring       03/24/2010

CNNMoney.com recently published its 2010 forecast and projections for home prices in the country's largest metro markets.  Listed as "Top 25" and also comprehensively by state, CNNMoney.com's home price forecasts puts Santa Rosa, California at the top of 2010's home appreciation list and............   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: CNNMoney.com Predicts The Best And Worst Real Estate Markets For 2010   03/23/2010