FHFA : Home Values Up 3% Since Last Year - 06/29/12 10:08 AM
<!-- This material is non-exclusively licensed to Jon Klein and may not be copied, reproduced, or sold in any form whatsoever.--> The Federal Home Finance Agency's Home Price Index shows home values up 0.8% in April on a monthly, seasonally-adjusted basis. April marks the third consecutive month during which home values increased and the index is now up 3 percent from last year at this time. As a home buyer in Parkland or Coral Springs , it's easy to look at the Home Price Index and believe that its recent, sustained climb is proof of a broader housing market recovery. Ultimately, … (1 comments)

Simple Real Estate Definitions : Right To Cancel - 06/28/12 07:55 AM
As part of the federal Truth-in-Lending Act, refinancing homeowners are granted a 3-day "cooling off" period post-closing during which they retain the right to rescind, or "cancel", their recent refinance without penalty or cost. The Right To Cancel is protection against surprises at closing and/or a change of heart. It's also a safety valve for homeowners signing paperwork under duress. With 3 days to revisit and rethink the terms of a loan, a homeowner can maintain tighter control of his/her financial situation. If you ever have the wish (or need) to execute your right to rescind, be aware that the process … (1 comments)

New Home Sales Rise To 2-Year High - 06/27/12 11:18 AM
The new construction market continues to improve. As reported by the Census Bureau, 369,000 new homes were sold last month on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. A "new home" is a home that is considered new construction. May's data marks the highest number of new homes sold since April 2010, the last month of that year's federal home buyer tax credit. It's also a 14% increase over the rolling 12-month average. The news was somewhat expected based on the most recent Homebuilder Confidence survey, which rose to a 5-year high. Home builders have been reporting higher sales volume and rising buyer foot … (1 comments)

Existing Home Sales Slip 2% In May - 06/26/12 07:38 AM
Home resales slipped last month; a slight setback for the nation's housing market's recovery. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, Existing Home Sales fell to 4.55 million units in May 2012 on a seasonally-adjusted annualized basis, representing a 2 percent drop from April. An "existing home" is a home that's been previously owned or occupied, and cannot be categorized as new construction. Despite May's retreat, however, as compared to last year at this time, Existing Home Sales by units are higher by 10 percent. In other words, like everything else in housing, the long-term statistical trend has been a positive … (1 comments)

How To Choose The Proper Paint Color(s) For A Room - 06/25/12 06:38 AM
Whether you're moving into a new home and want to make it "yours", or just want to change the feel of your current place, a painting project is an easy way forward. Painting is relatively inexpensive yet it can transform a home's look-and-feel. But how do you make sure you're choosing the best colors and the proper type of paint? This 8-minute video from Lowe's tells it all. In it, you'll learn how professional designers identify a potential paint palette for a room, then how they choose between shade, finish and type. Among the tips and advice in the video : … (2 comments)

Immaculate Parkland Isles Home 4/3 w/Screened Patio & Private Yard - 06/22/12 12:17 PM
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Gorgeous 3 Bedroom 2 Bath Heron Bay Pool Home. Parkland, Florida - 06/22/12 12:13 PM
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Mortgage Rates Make New Lows At 3.66% - 06/22/12 09:55 AM
Mortgage rates have resumed their downward trend. According to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the national average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell 5 basis points to 3.66% this week. The rate is available to "prime" borrowers who are willing to pay, on average, 0.7 discount points plus a full set of closing costs. 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates are down in seven of the last eight weeks but, depending where you live, the mortgage rates made available to you will vary. The Freddie Mac survey notes that mortgage rates vary by region. For example, mortgage applicants in the … (0 comments)

A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement (June 20, 2012) - 06/20/12 03:17 PM
The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged within its current target range of 0.000-0.250 percent Wednesday. For the fifth consecutive meeting, the Fed Funds Rate vote was nearly unanimous. Just one FOMC member, Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker, dissented in the 9-1 vote. The Fed Funds Rate has been near zero percent since December 2008. In its press release, the Federal Reserve noted that the U.S. economy has been "expanding moderately" this year. Beyond the next few quarters, the Fed expects growth to "pick up very gradually". In addition, the Fed re-acknowledged that "strains … (1 comments)

Housing Starts Up 26% In Last 12 Months - 06/20/12 11:36 AM
Sometimes, the housing data headlines tell just half the tale. The stories on May's Housing Starts figures are proving to be a terrific illustration. Tuesday, the Census Bureau released its monthly Housing Starts report. A "housing start" is a home on which construction has started. The report is separated by property type with a separate count for single family homes such as detached residences and town homes; for multiple-unit homes such as 2-unit, 3-unit and 4-unit structures; and, for buildings of 5-units of more such as new condominiums. In May, Housing Starts fell 4.8 percent nationwide. This runs contrary to recent … (0 comments)

Building Confidence Rises To 5-Year High - 06/19/12 08:02 AM
Home builders anticipate growth in the market for newly-built, single-family homes. For June 2012, the National Association of Homebuilders reports its monthly Housing Market Index at 29 -- an increase of more than 100% from one year ago and the highest HMI value since May 2007. When the Housing Market Index reads 50 or better, it's meant to indicate favorable conditions for builders in the single-family, new-construction market. Readings below 50 suggest unfavorable conditions for builders. The index has not been above 50 since April 2006. The NAHB Housing Market Index is not a "single survey" -- it's a composite. Three … (0 comments)

10 Cities Projecting Home Value Increases Through 2013 - 06/18/12 08:13 AM
Nationwide, the U.S. housing market is showing signs of recovery. Home prices are rising as demand for homes outweighs existing home supplies in many metropolitan regions. As is customary in real estate, though, the degrees to which home values change vary by area. In some U.S. markets, the housing recovery is outpacing the national average. In other markets, it lags. In an effort to measure the changes, CNN Money has named the 10 U.S. housing markets in which home prices may rise the fastest. The list is stuffed with small- to mid-size cities, most of which have experienced huge price drops … (0 comments)

Georgia Takes Top Foreclosure Spot For First Time Since 2006 - 06/15/12 06:51 AM
According to foreclosure data firm RealtyTrac, the number of foreclosure filings nationwide rose 9 percent in May as compared to April 2012. Filing topped 200,000 units for the first time in 3 months. The term "foreclosure filing" is a catch-all term comprising default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions. On average, 1 in every 639 U.S. homes receiving a foreclosure filing in May. As in most months, foreclosure activity was concentrated by state. Just 6 states accounted for more than half of the nation's total filings. Those six states were : California : 13.6% of all repossessions Florida : 11.0% of … (0 comments)

31 States Represented In June's Improving Market Index - 06/14/12 06:43 AM
The number of U.S. housing markets showing "measurable and sustained growth" slipped by 20 in June, according to the National Association of Homebuilders. The Improving Market Index is meant to identify housing markets in which economic growth is occurring as a whole -- not just in the real estate space. By using three separate, independently-collected data series, each tied to local economic conditions, the Improving Market Index takes a broader view of the housing market than other housing market indicators -- the Case-Shiller Index, for example -- which is often singularly tied to housing contracts. The Improving Market Index tracks three … (0 comments)

Before Moving, Check Your New Cost Of Living Estimates - 06/13/12 11:08 AM
With home values slow to rise and mortgage rates at all-time lows, there's never been a more affordable time to own a home. However, there is more to the cost of living than just a mortgage payment. There's the cost of groceries, gasoline and routine medical care, too. Not surprisingly, where we live affects our costs. Big cities are often more expensive in which to live, for example, and local tax laws influence daily costs, too. For home buyers moving across state borders, therefore -- or even for those moving long distances intra-state -- it's important to know the relative costs … (0 comments)

Mortgage Payments Fall To All-Time Lows - 06/12/12 03:17 PM
It's a money-saving time to be a Parkland home buyer. Historically, mortgage rates of all types -- conventional, FHA, VA and USDA -- have never been lower and low mortgage rates make for low monthly payments. According to Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rate survey, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell to 3.67% nationwide last week for borrowers willing to pay 0.7 discount points at closing, plus a full set of closing costs. 0.7 discount points is a one-time closing cost equal to 0.7 percent of your loan size, or $700 per $100,000 borrowed. Today's mortgage rates are a bargain as … (0 comments)

How To Keep A Clean Refrigerator - 06/11/12 07:02 AM
Do you clean your refrigerator regularly, or only after you've run out of space? If your answer is the latter, your refrigerator may be harboring dangerous bacteria that can make you, your family, and your house guests ill. Refrigerators should be cleaned monthly, inside and out, ideally. The process involves removing all foods, cleaning all shelves, and wiping down drawers. Spoiled food is removed and old containers reclaimed. The process takes 20 minutes. Here's how to do it. First, prepare your cleaning stations, including filling a sink with soapy water, and having drying towels handy. Complete this step before you start … (2 comments)

FHA To Change Its Mortgage Insurance Premium Schedule Monday, June 11, 2012 - 06/07/12 06:45 AM
Beginning Monday, June 11, the FHA is changing its mortgage insurance premium schedule for the second time this year. Some FHA mortgage applicants will pay lower mortgage insurance premiums going forward. Others will pay more. The new premiums apply to all FHA mortgages, both purchase and refinance. The MIP update will be the 5th time in four years that the FHA has changed its mortgage insurance premium schedule. FHA-backed homeowners who have not refinanced within the last 3 years will benefit from the new MIP. This is because, beginning with all FHA Case Numbers assigned on, or after, June 11, 2012, … (1 comments)

Simple Real Estate Definitions : Home Inspection - 06/06/12 07:09 AM
When you preview homes as a home buyer, you can get a good feel for the home's visible traits -- its finishes, its room counts, and its landscaping, for example. What you can't get a feel for, though, is the home's "bones". It's for this reason that real estate professionals recommend that you have a property formally inspected immediately after going into contract for it. A home inspection is a thorough, top-to-bottom check-up of a property's structure and systems. It is not the same as a home appraisal, which is a valuation of the property. By contrast, home inspections are an … (0 comments)

U.S. Posts Its 20th Straight Month Of Job Growth - 06/05/12 12:07 PM
For the second straight year, the jobs market looks to be slowing into the summer. Last Friday, in its monthly Non-Farm Payrolls report for May 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 69,000 net new jobs created, plus a one-tick rise in the national Unemployment Rate to 8.2%. 2012 is shaping up like 2011, it appears. Last year, between May and August, the jobs market was decidedly worse as compared to the rest of the year, adding just 80,000 jobs on average per month as compared to 190,000 new jobs created on average during each of the other 8 months. This … (0 comments)

How To Keep Your Home House Fly Free - 06/04/12 04:28 PM
As the calendar turns to June and the temperatures start to rise in FL and nationwide, we begin to spot more bugs, insects and pests as compared to during the winter. Hiring an exterminator is one way to limit the number of ground-based bugs in your home. For example, periodic treatments can help to keep ants, beetles and termites at bay. For airborne pests, however, prevention can be more difficult. House flies can be especially nagging. They often enter through open doors and windows, then buzz through kitchen and bedrooms, spreading germs and general annoyance. If your home is battling house … (1 comments)

Insurance Policies : Which Do You Need, Which Should You Skip? - 06/01/12 06:47 AM
Insurance is protection against unexpected expenses and insurance policies are available for nearly any scenario you can envision -- even your own ransom. But just because an insurance policy is available, that doesn't mean you should buy it. Some insurance policies give you good bang for the buck. Others are plain wasteful. In this 3-minute segment from NBC's The Today Show, you'll hear of several common insurance policies and their relative merits to people of FL who purchase them. For example, Americans will spend an estimated $450 million on pet insurance this year. Because of the policies' restrictions and deductibles, though, … (0 comments)