In mid-October 2016 the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 3.64% and a 15-year fixed at 2.93%! Now, post-presidential election and based on the fixed income markets belief that the economy is going to improve thus spurring further rate increases by the Federal Reserve, 30-year fixed rate mortgages are on average 4.31% and 15-year fixed […]
With the implementation of the new mortgage disclosure requirements on the horizon, aka TRID, will the result be delayed residential real estate closings? On September 21st in an article titled ‘TRID And Residential Mortgages: How It Will Significantly Change The Loan Process!‘, the who, what where and how of the new mortgage disclosure requirements were […]
When buying residential or commercial real estate the temptation can sometimes exist to ‘go it alone’ or, in other words, without a real estate broker! There can be a variety of reasons for thinking about going this route including having the ability to work with sellers who are also going it alone by listing their […]
For anyone or any couple who has ever hunted for a house, chances are that you are likely very well aware of the variety of emotions that entered into the exercise! But as we enter the Spring home buying season, if you haven’t yet had the house hunting experience you can either take our word […]
In the scheme of lifetime acquisitions few are filled with more angst and anxiety than the purchase of real estate! And, when it’s the first purchase, that anxiety level can increase by at least a factor of two! In many ways anxiety comes from feeling out of control and unsure about what the future will […]
Do higher home prices lead to an increase in the birth rate? A study was conducted at the University of Maryland and, according to the results, the answer to that question is that it all depends! It depends on whether you are currently a homeowner or not! For this purposes of this study, if the […]
Although in many markets around the country there’s a real estate feeding frenzy pitting buyer against buyer and leading to bidding wars, in some markets the action is slightly more tepid! For the sake of this discussion we are going to focus on the slower real estate markets and the angst experienced by the seller […]
An article in The Hallmark Abstract Sentinel yesterday, ‘Tips for negotiating the purchase your first new home!‘, presented some tactics for first-time home buyers to use when trying to negotiate the best price with the selling home owners! But what about some strategies that the current homeowner can use to maximize the value of their house […]
The purchase of a new home, particularly your first, can be a daunting and intimidating process! For most if not all of us the purchase of a home will represent the largest expenditure of money at one time that we have ever made by a factor of many times. In addition to the money spent, […]
