parkland real estate: America’s 20 Best Small Towns
- 04/22/12 11:35 PM
America is stuffed with world-class "big cities"; New York, San Francisco and Chicago make for three great examples. But beyond the biggest cities, there are some wonderful small towns, too. Smithsonian.com highlights 20 of them on its website. Focusing on cities with 25,000 residents or fewer, the publication ranked areas high in "culture"; towns with high concentrations of museums, public gardens, art galleries and other cultural assets including resident orchestras. The author states "big cities and grand institutions per se don't produce creative works; individuals do. And being reminded of that is fun". The Top 10 Small Towns in America, as … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: Existing Home Sales Slip In March - Not Bad News in Parkland & Coral Springs
- 04/20/12 12:07 AM
In March, for the second straight month, home resales slipped nationwide. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, March 2012 Existing Home Sales fell to 4.48 million units on a seasonally-adjusted annualized basis -- a 3 percent drop from February. An "existing home" is a home that's been previously occupied or owned. The weaker-than-expected Existing Home Sales data is the third such housing report this month to suggest a lull in the spring housing market. Earlier this week, homebuilder confidence slipped for the first time in three months and March Single-Family Housing Starts fell, too. The news wasn't entirely bad for … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: Nevada Relinquishes "Top Foreclosure State" Title
- 04/19/12 12:28 AM
According to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac, foreclosure filings fell to 199,000 in March 2012, a 17 percent decrease from March 2011. Last month marks the first time since July 2007 that foreclosure filings numbered less than 200,000 on a monthly basis -- a span of nearly 5 years. The generic term "foreclosure filing" is used to group all types of foreclosure activity into a single reading. It includes default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions. As in most months, foreclosure density varied by region. 6 states accounted for more than half of the nation's repossessed homes in March. Florida : 13.6 percent … (1 comments)
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parkland real estate: Single-Family Housing Starts Slip 0.2% In March
- 04/18/12 12:02 AM
Tuesday, the government released its March 2012 New Residential Construction report. The report is made up of three sections, each related to a phase of the "new home" market. The report's first part is Building Permits; the second is Housing Starts; the third is Housing Completions. Of the three sections, it is Housing Starts that gets the most attention from the press -- mostly because, of the triad, it's the simplest for a layperson to understand. However, the manner in which Housing Starts data is reported can be misleading. Today's newspapers offer up an excellent example. According to the Census Bureau, … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: Homebuilder Confidence Slips 3 Points In April
- 04/16/12 11:36 PM
For the first time in 3 months, homebuilder confidence has slipped. As measured by the National Association of Homebuilders, the Housing Market Index dropped three notches in April to a reading of 25. The report measures homebuilder confidence in the newly-built, single-family housing market. When the Housing Market Index reads 50 or better, it reflects favorable market conditions. Readings below 50 reflect unfavorable conditions. According to the scale, not since April 2006 have housing market conditions have been deemed "favorable" but, recently, homebuilder confidence has picked up. Between September 2011 and March 2012, confidence doubled. April's reading remains the second-highest since … (1 comments)
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parkland real estate: How To Use Newspapers To Kill Garden Weeds
- 04/16/12 12:29 AM
April 22 is Earth Day, a day to raise awareness about, and to celebrate, the Earth's natural environment. It's also a day for people of Parkland & Coral Spring to do something good for the planet. There are lots of ways to help the environment, including by reducing your net electricity usage, by conserving fresh water supplies, and by planting trees. You can also reduce the use of chemicals and pesticides in your home's garden or yard. One such trick is replace chemical-heavy pesticides used for weed killing with your local newspaper instead. Newspapers can be effective in killing weeds, and … (2 comments)
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parkland real estate: Mortgage Rates Fall For Third Straight Week
- 04/13/12 04:42 AM
After a brief surge north of 4 percent last month, mortgage rates have settled down, near their lowest levels of all-time. According to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, for applicants willing to pay 0.7 discount points plus a complete set of closing costs, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 3.88 percent this week. 0.7 discount points adds $700 to your mortgage closing costs for each $100,000 borrowed. Mortgage rates are down this week on "safe haven" buying. The move is triggered by Wall Street's concern that Spain and Italy will have trouble servicing their respective sovereign … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: The Top 10 Cities In Which To Raise A Family
- 04/11/12 11:19 AM
Looking for a great place to raise a family? Forbes Magazine has a list that may help you. Titled "The Best Cities For Raising A Family", Forbes has compiled and analyzed data from America's 100 largest metropolitan areas, accounting for seven lifestyle factors including cost of living, commuting ease, school quality, crime density, and home affordability. Given these selection criteria, it's no surprise that Grand Rapids, Michigan took top honors. The area's low median income is offset by an extremely low cost of living and a school system that's among the best in the nation. Nearly 90% of the homes in … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: Homes Get More Affordable On March Jobs Data
- 04/10/12 02:27 AM
Americans continue to get back to work. Last Friday, in its Non-Farm Payrolls report for the month of March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced 120,000 net new jobs created, plus combined revisions in the January and February reports of +4,000 jobs. The March report marks the 18th straight month of job growth nationwide -- the first time that's happened in 5 years. The Unemployment Rate dipped in March, too, falling one-tenth of one percent to 8.2%. This is its lowest national Unemployment Rate since February 2009. Clearly, the jobs market is moving in the right direction. Yet, after the Non-Farm … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: Build Your Own Rain Barrel To Save Money, Environment
- 04/09/12 02:52 AM
According to the EPA, during summer months, lawn and garden watering account for roughly 40% of a typical home's water use. It's a statistic that reminds us how "green lawns" can be wasteful to both the environment and household budgets -- especially with drought conditions expected and water costs rising in many U.S. municipalities. As a homeowner in Parkland or Coral Springs , to help Mother Nature and your wallet, consider added a rain barrel to your home. A rain barrel is a rain-capturing system that collects and stores water runoff from your roof. Often attached to a home's gutter system, … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: Jobs Report Due Friday; Mortgage Rates Expected To Change
- 04/05/12 12:11 AM
If you're out shopping for a home this week, or trying to lock a mortgage rate, with Friday comes home affordability risk. Consider locking your mortgage rate today. The March Non-Farm Payrolls report is due for release Friday morning and mortgage rates are expected to move. Unfortunately for the home buyers and rate shoppers of Parkland , we can't know in which direction that will be. The prudent play may be to lock your mortgage rate today. On the first Friday of each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its Non-Farm Payrolls report. More commonly called "the jobs report", the … (1 comments)
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parkland real estate: Fed Minutes Causes Mortgage Rates To Rise Suddenly
- 04/04/12 03:32 AM
The Federal Reserve has released the minutes from its last FOMC meeting, a 1-day affair held March 13, 2012. Mortgage rates in FL are rising on the news. For the un-indoctrinated, 3 weeks after it meets, the Federal Open Market Committee, the sub-group within the Federal Reserve that votes on U.S. monetary policy, publishes its meeting minutes. Similar to the minutes from a corporate event, or condominium association meeting, the Fed Minutes recounts the conversations and debates that transpired throughout the meeting. The Fed Minutes is a lengthy publication, often filling 10 pages or more. By contrast, the more well-known publication … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: Spring Cleaning Shortcuts
- 04/02/12 01:56 AM
It's April in Parkland & Coral Springs and warmer weather is coming (Yes, it will get warmer). It's Spring Cleaning season. Do you have a checklist? In some households, spring cleaning is an annual ritual, taking anywhere from a full day to an entire week to complete. Room-by-room, foot-by-foot, dust, dirt and grime are replaced with cleanliness and shine. No matter in which way to you choose to tackle your chores, though, the people at Real Simple have you covered. The magazine's website provides a thorough, detailed walk-through of the most common spring cleaning tasks. It also offers a "shortcut" series. … (2 comments)
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parkland real estate: Federal Tax Deadline Extended To April 17, 2012
- 02/08/12 01:21 AM
Traditionally, federal income taxes must be filed with the IRS on, or before, April 15 each year. The date has become such a part of U.S. culture that many people simply call it "Tax Day". This year, however, for the 3rd time in 7 years, your federal income taxes will not be due April 15. Instead, because of a combination of the calendar, a holiday, and tax law, Tax Day 2012 is delayed until Tuesday, April 17. You will have two extra days to prepare and file your federal income taxes this year. Here's why. First, April 15 is a Sunday … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: Banks Start To Loosen Up In Underwriting
- 02/03/12 01:18 AM
After a half-decade of tightening mortgage guidelines, banks are starting to "loosen up". The Federal Reserve conducts a quarterly survey of its member banks and, last quarter, not a single responding bank reported having tightened its mortgage guidelines for prime borrowers. A "prime borrower" is defined as one with a well-documented credit history, high credit scores, and a low debt-to-income ratio. 53 banks responded to the Fed's survey and none said that mortgage guidelines "tightened considerably" or "tightened somewhat" between September and December 2011; 50 said that guidelines remained "basicaly unchanged"; 3 said that guidelines "eased somewhat". Mortgage applicants sometimes remark … (0 comments)
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parkland real estate: Home Affordability Threatened By Friday's Jobs Report
- 02/02/12 02:00 AM
This week, once more, we find mortgage rates are on a downward trajectory. Conforming mortgage rates have returned to near all-time lows. After Friday morning's Non-Farm Payrolls report, however, those low rates may come to an end. It's a risky time for Florida home buyers and would-be refinancers to be without a locked rate. Each month, on the first Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its Non-Farm Payrolls report for the month prior. More commonly called the "jobs report", Non-Farm Payrolls provides a sector-by-sector employment breakdown, and the nation's Unemployment Rate. In December 2011, the government reported 200,000 net new … (1 comments)
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parkland real estate: Just Sold in Parkland Isles by Jon Klein
- 01/08/12 01:10 PM
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parkland real estate: Home Improvement Projects : How Much Equity Will You Build?
- 11/28/11 01:05 AM
Home Improvement Projects : How Much Equity Will You Build?
Home improvement projects are booming, expected to cross $110 billion in total volume this quarter. Unlike in recent years, however, the projects aren’t helping to create much new home equity.
According to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs Value Report 2011-2012, for each home improvement dollar spent in 2012, homeowners can expect to recoup just 58 cents in home equity.
This figure is down sharply from 2005, when the cost-to-value ratio was 87 percent.
Home Improvement Projects : How Much Equity Will You Build?
Today’s Parkland and … (5 comments)
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parkland real estate: Sign up for my Monthly Newsletter
- 10/01/11 03:33 AM
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parkland real estate: Annual Foreclosure Filings Down For 11th Straight Month
- 09/15/11 05:48 AM
Annual Foreclosure Filings Down For 11th Straight Month
On an annual basis, foreclosure filings fell last month. As compared to August 2010, last month’s foreclosure filings dropped 33 percent. ”Foreclosure filing” is a catch-all term, comprising default notices; scheduled auctions; and bank repossessions.
The study was published by foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac and this month’s report reveals a slowing rate of foreclosure within each of the Top 10 most foreclosure-heavy states.
All news is not good, however.
On a monthly basis, foreclosure filings spiked, led by a surge in default notices. Default notices made their biggest one-month jump since August 2007 on the … (1 comments)
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America is stuffed with world-class "big cities"; New York, San Francisco and Chicago make for three great examples. But beyond the biggest cities, there are some wonderful small towns, too. Smithsonian.com highlights 20 of them on its website. Focusing on cities with 25,000 residents or fewer, the publication ranked areas high in "culture"; towns with high concentrations of museums, public gardens, art galleries and other cultural assets including resident orchestras. The author states "big cities and grand institutions per se don't produce creative works; individuals do. And being reminded of that is fun". The Top 10 Small Towns in America, as … (0 comments)
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