Heather Barber's (palmelite) Blog

Today's homeowners are short on cash. Many homeowners are choosing to do-it-themselves. Making improvements to your home can be a great way to add value, especially if you keep costs low. One popular projects today is tiling. Local home improvement stores offer weekend classes on how to tile. Che...

You have just moved and now you are trying to figure out the lay of the land and meet your new neighbors? What should you do first? The first order of business is to have an open mind. Your new to the neighborhood although you may or may not have a Homeowner's Association, you may have to adapt t...

With little economic activity released last week, the long lasting financial troubles in Greece have continued to be a major factor in worldwide markets, including ours. In times of trouble, investors prefer safe assets such as bonds which affect mortgage rate pricing. Because of this, low mortga...

If you have a pet, you usually love it. You want it to be happy and you hate it when it seems to be in pain. In some households they're our "children." In others they are dear members of the family. How can you make the stressful time of moving an easy transition for your furry friends? First, pl...

In an effort to continue stabilizing home values and improve conditions in communities experiencing high foreclosure activity, Acting Federal Housing Administration Commissioner Carol J. Galante today extended a temporary waiver of FHA’s anti-flipping regulations through 2012. Read FHA’s anti-fli...

Do you dream of how much better your business could be but just can't bring yourself to pick up the phone? You're not alone. Here are 5 tips to make it easier. Tip 1: Change the name I'm not kidding. Do the words "cold calls" send a chill up your spine? It's no wonder. Whoever created that term d...

Here are 10 ways you can save energy. Every little bit helps. 1.    Buy earth-friendly cleaning products and laundry detergents: This used to be a tall order for budget-conscious households, but now there are a plethora of products on the market available for the same price as traditional cleaner...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced the first step of a Real-Estate Owned (REO) Initiative that allows investors to buy pools of bank-owned (REO) properties in the nation’s hardest-hit metropolitan areas. Effective Feb. 1, investors may pre-qualify to bid on transactions in the initial ...

Major news was released today regarding the banks, mortgages of the past, and the present homeowners who still have homes. U.S. states have reached a $25 billion deal with the nation’s biggest mortgage lenders over foreclosure abuses that occurred after the housing bubble burst. Federal and state...

Five mortgage insurers have granted Fannie Mae mortgage servicers the authority to complete a short sale or deeds in lieu of foreclosure without getting their separate approval.Traditionally, mortgage insurance groups have had to give the OK before a short sale can be processed on a property with...