montgomery county pa: Fed Meeting Statement Positive For Ongoing Mortgage Sector Support
- 07/31/13 11:22 PM
Fed Meeting Statement Positive For Ongoing Mortgage Sector Support
There was potentially good news for mortgage rates on Wednesday as the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced that its quantitative easing (QE) program would remain unchanged for the present.
Economists expect the Fed to begin tapering the amount of QE toward the end of the year in accordance with Chairman Ben Bernanke's previous statements that "tapering" would likely begin near year-end.
No specific date for reducing the QE assets purchases was given.
Chairman Bernanke has previously indicated that the Fed will closely review domestic and global economic developments as … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Case Shiller Home Price Index Shows Rising Prices For May 2013
- 07/31/13 12:29 AM
Case Shiller Home Price Index Shows Rising Prices For May 2013
The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index (HPI) released Tuesday presented solid evidence that the housing recovery continued during the month of May.
The Case-Shiller 20-City Index showed increasing home prices for all 20 cities.
Highest Year-Over-Year Gains Included Theses Cities:
San Francisco, CA 24.50 percent
Las Vegas, NV 23.30 percent
Phoenix, AZ 20.60 percent
Atlanta, GA 20.10 percent
Los Angeles, CA 19.20 percent
In surprising news, Dallas, TX and Denver, CO posted record year-over-year price gains that surpassed their pre-crisis peaks.
Year-over-year home prices in Dallas … (1 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Questions To Ask Your Home Inspector Before Buying Your Home
- 07/29/13 11:43 PM
Questions To Ask Your Home Inspector Before Buying Your Home
Imagine how frustrated you'd be to find out that the hot water heater wasn't working - in the middle of your very first shower in your new home!
This, among other very good reasons, is why you should have a home inspection before you buy your home.
When you buy a home, you need to know exactly what you're buying.
A home inspection is an important part of buying your home. Before you hire a home inspector, ask candidates a few questions to make sure you hire a trustworthy inspector.
… (2 comments)
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montgomery county pa: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week -- July 29, 2013
- 07/29/13 12:07 AM
What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week -- July 29, 2013
Last week brought a mixed bag of economic news, but most notably, average mortgage rates fell.
New home sales surpassed expectations and consumer sentiment rose for July; these readings among others suggest that the economy continued to improve and that consumer confidence in the economy improved as well.
Monday: Existing home sales in June were reported at 5.08 million on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. While this fell short of expectations of 5.25 million existing homes sold, the expectation was based on the original reading of 5.18 million existing homes sold … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: How To Bring More Natural Light Into Your Home
- 07/26/13 08:09 AM
How To Bring More Natural Light Into Your Home
One of the biggest improvements that you can make to your home is to bring in more natural light.
Sunlight is a powerful mood enhancer and a home design that brings in a lot of natural light will automatically look and feel much more pleasant. Not only will it boost your mood, bringing in natural light will also increase the value of your home.
So how can you shed some light on your home's interior?
Here are a few ways:
Add More Reflective Surfaces
Whenever you add a light and reflective … (1 comments)
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montgomery county pa: 4 Things To Do In Advance To Prepare For Your Mortgage Application
- 07/25/13 12:08 AM
4 Things To Do In Advance To Prepare For Your Mortgage Application
If you are applying for a mortgage to buy a home, doing your homework in advance before you submit the application means that you will stand a better chance of getting accepted at a desirable mortgage rate.
According to mortgage experts, it is a good idea to gather up all of the needed documents in advance before launching your house hunt, as this will make the application process a lot easier.
The housing burst has resulted in much harder lending standards, which means that it could possible take … (1 comments)
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montgomery county pa: First Things To Do Upon Moving to Your New Home in Montgomery County
- 07/23/13 12:54 AM
First Things To Do Upon Moving to Your New Home in Montgomery County
If you have purchased a new home and are going to move in soon, what are the first few things that you will need to do upon moving into your new home?
Moving can be very stressful, but having a checklist can make your move effortless.
Here are 6 easy steps that can eliminate any frustration and help you feel safe and secure:
Change Your Address
You will need to change your address for all magazine subscriptions, bills and other services. You can update your mailing address online or … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - July 22, 2013
- 07/22/13 12:13 AM
What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - July 22, 2013
Last week's economic news was a mixed bag with retail sales and housing starts coming in lower than expected, but home builder confidence in housing markets increased.
Weekly jobless claims fell, and Fed Chair Ben Bernanke testified before the Senate, saying that falling gold prices were an indication of increasing confidence in the economy, but that it was "way too soon" to say when the Fed's quantitative easing program would be reduced.
Monday: Retail sales for June came in lower than expected at 0.4 percent. Economists estimated a reading of … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: 5 Important Tips To Protect Your Home From Burglars When You Are Away
- 07/19/13 02:52 AM
5 Important Tips To Protect Your Home From Burglars When You Are Away
Any family would feel violated after coming home to a ransacked house. Burglars look for specific things when choosing a home to break into, and many homeowners are unknowingly inviting criminals through the front door.
Below are five ways you can avoid drawing the eyes of thieves and deter your home from becoming a target.
Beware Of Selling To Strangers
If you're wanting to sell items on Craigslist or another internet-based classified ad website, attempt conducting your transactions outside of the home.
If you must meet at … (1 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Home Builder Confidence Rises To Highest Level Since January 2006
- 07/18/13 12:13 AM
Home Builder Confidence Rises To Highest Level Since January 2006
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) / Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) rose in July.
Home builder confidence in the market for newly constructed single-family homes rose six points to a reading of 57. NAHB reports that this was the third consecutive rise in the HMI and its highest reading since January 2006.
Three components used in compiling the HMI reading include current sales, which gained five points for a reading of 60. Confidence in prospective buyer traffic rose from 40 to 45, and sales expectations for the … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: 3 Common Home Financing Problems And How To Avoid Them
- 07/17/13 12:08 AM
3 Common Home Financing Problems And How To Avoid Them
Getting the best mortgage financing for your new home can sometimes be a complicated process and, unfortunately, things can go wrong. Using a licensed and trusted mortgage loan specialist can help alleviate many of these challenges.
There are certain mistakes that many homebuyers make when applying for their mortgages that can seriously damage their chances of being approved. If you are aware of the most common mortgage issues, you will be better able to prevent them when applying for your own mortgage.
Make sure that you keep the following tips … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: What Are the Hot Home Decor Trends for 2013?
- 07/16/13 02:34 AM
What Are the Hot Home Decor Trends for 2013?
Just like fashion designs and hair styles, home decor trends are constantly changing and evolving. Each new season brings a new must-have feature for your home.
In order to keep your home looking fresh and chic, what are the hot trends for 2013 that you can incorporate into your decor?
Here are a few ideas:
Bright Paint Colors
Vibrant (and even neon) hues are very popular in fashion at the moment and they also look really chic on your walls. If you are looking for a way to freshen up a … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - July 15, 2013
- 07/15/13 01:32 AM
What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - July 15, 2013
The Fed's release of the minutes for the June FOMC meeting was the most noteworthy economic event last week; the minutes repeated the Fed's recent statement concerning the wind-down of its current monetary easing policy.
The minutes indicated that about half of meeting participants wanted to end the quantitative easing (QE) policy by year end, while "many others" preferred to end the program in 2014.
This split suggests that days are numbered for the Fed's monthly purchase of $85 billion in Treasury securities and mortgage-backed securities (MBS). The minutes … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Can That Killer Home Theater Add Value To Your Home?
- 07/12/13 08:46 AM
Can That Killer Home Theater Add Value To Your Home?
Many home owners dream of having a home theater - an entire room of the home dedicated to enjoying television and film. These rooms are usually equipped with a large flat screen television or projector, comfortable seats, mood lighting and perhaps even a bar or a snack fridge.
They are very comfortable and the perfect place to relax after a hard day. They are also lots of fun for entertaining, as you will be able to watch the big game or the hottest new release with your friends in style.
… (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: FOMC May Curb Economic Support Program Before Year End
- 07/11/13 12:39 AM
FOMC May Curb Economic Support Program Before Year End
FOMC Minutes Suggest QE Tapering by Year-End
The minutes for June's meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) suggest that committee members are mostly in agreement that the current quantitative easing program (QE) should begin winding down by year end, but the committee minutes are very clear concerning the committee's intention to monitor inflation and ongoing economic and financial developments before taking action to reduce the current rate of QE.
The Fed currently purchases $85 billion monthly in Treasury securities and mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Investors fear that if the Fed … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Is Your Gender Influencing Your Home Mortgage Approval?
- 07/10/13 02:33 AM
Is Your Gender Influencing Your Home Mortgage Approval?
If you are applying for a joint mortgage on your property with your spouse or partner, the name that goes first could have more of an impact than you might think.
A 2010 study by the Woodstock Institute showed that mortgage lenders were inclined to show favoritism when men were the lead borrowers on joint applications. The study was undertaken within the Chicago area and it tracked joint applications for refinancing as well as home purchases. Over 250,000 applications were studied in the year 2010.
Surprisingly, the study showed that home purchase … (1 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Go Green By Faking It With Artificial Grass
- 07/08/13 09:43 PM
Go Green By Faking It With Artificial Grass
The summer heat is starting to take its toll on you and your thirsty lawn. Homeowners spend hundreds of dollars every summer striving to grow healthy grass and keep it green.
If you're sick of trying to maintain a manicured lawn, then you can go green another way. Install artificial turf.
The Grass is Always Greener
Today's artificial grass is made out of polypropylene, nylon, or polyethylene threads that are sewn into a mesh backing that allows for water drainage. This is then usually laid on top of compacted gravel and tied … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - July 8, 2013
- 07/07/13 11:51 PM
What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - July 8, 2013
Last week saw a relatively quiet week due to the 4th of July holiday, but there were some housing-related developments:
Monday: The Department of Commerce reported that overall construction spending increased by 0.50 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $874.9 billion. Residential construction grew by 1.20 percent, and May 2012 construction spending was 5.40 percent higher than in May 2012.
More spending in residential construction can indicate builder confidence in housing markets; added construction could help ease low inventories of available homes.
Tuesday: CoreLogic reported that May … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: 7 Smart Tips To Painting Your Own Home This Summer
- 07/03/13 01:59 AM
7 Smart Tips To Painting Your Own Home This Summer
Winter may have taken a toll on your home's exterior this year. You've been noticing the cracking paint for months, but you don't want to shell out the big bucks to hire a professional painter.
Don't fret! With the weather warming and the nice summer weekends, it's the perfect time to tackle that project of painting your home.
While this might seem like an insurmountable task, especially if you have a multi-story home, it's not. It just takes the right tools and a bit of hard work. Below are step-by-step … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Liberate Yourself From Your Mortgage With This Simple Plan
- 07/01/13 11:45 PM
Liberate Yourself From Your Mortgage With This Simple Plan
What if you could accelerate the mortgage payment on your home so that you own your property several years earlier than your 15 or 30 year term?
Making your final mortgage payment and owning your house is an incredibly good feeling and there is a simple way that you can bring about that rewarding day much sooner.
By making one extra mortgage payment every year, you will be able to pay off your mortgage years earlier without putting a lot of stress on your present day finances. Although it might not … (0 comments)
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Fed Meeting Statement Positive For Ongoing Mortgage Sector Support
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