montgomery county pa: How To Make An Emergency Preparedness Kit For Your Home
- 01/06/13 10:11 PM
How To Make An Emergency Preparedness Kit For Your Home
After Hurricane Sandy hit the East coast we all realized that a natural disaster of dynamic proportions could hit a lot closer to home than we perhaps had thought.
Some natural disasters can be forecast -- hurricanes, snow storms and, in some cases, flooding. Other disasters occur unexpectedly, such as tornadoes and earthquakes.
As a homeowner or renter in Montgomery County, it's a safe idea to prepare for disaster or unexpected emergency. Every home should maintain a ready, working emergency kit for such a time.
Here are some items to include … (1 comments)
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montgomery county pa: 3 Ways To Purchase Foreclosed Properties in Montgomery County
- 01/02/13 09:55 PM
3 Ways To Purchase Foreclosed Properties in Montgomery County
The process of buying a foreclosed home is slightly different from the process of buying a non-foreclosure home. If you want to invest in Montgomery County foreclosures, therefore, it is important to understand the different ways by which to purchase a foreclosed home.
There are three main ways to buy a foreclosed home.
Buying before the auction Some delinquent homeowners may want to sell their homes before facing an actual foreclosure.In this instance, the homeowner, in agreement with the lender, agrees to sell the home for less than the amount owed … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : December 31, 2012
- 12/30/12 10:50 PM
What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : December 31, 2012
Mortgage bonds improved last week, pushing mortgage rates lower in Pennsylvania and nationwide.
Positive economic news and strong housing data was trumped by ongoing Fiscal Cliff discussions on Capitol Hill.
The "Fiscal Cliff" is meant to represent January 1, 2013 -- the date on which mandatory spending cuts are enacted by Congress and on which tax rates increases for many U.S. taxpayers.
Some analysts believe that if these two events are to occur simultaneously, it would derail the current U.S. economic expansion and revert the economy back into … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: More Winter Tips - How To Install A Water Heater Jacket
- 12/26/12 10:39 PM
More Winter Tips - How To Install A Water Heater Jacket
A simple way to save money is to improve your home's energy efficiency rating. For example, Montgomery County homeowners can save up to 9 percent per year on water heating costs simply by installing a water heater jacket.
Water heater jackets are easy to install. Here's how you do it :
First, before you go shopping, check whether your water heater is a gas model, or an electric one. Then, write down your water heater model number. Most water heater jackets list compatible water heater models on their respective packaging. Look … (1 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Short Sales Outnumber Foreclosure Sales For Third Straight Quarter
- 12/23/12 09:17 PM
Short Sales Outnumber Foreclosure Sales For Third Straight Quarter
Foreclosure-tracker RealtyTrac reports falling foreclosure sales nationwide as banks get better at selling homes via short sale.
In its Q3 2012 report, RealtyTrac says that 193,059 homes in some stage of foreclosure were sold, accounting for 19% of all residential home sales. In addition, pre-foreclosure sales -- also known as "short sales" -- climbed 22% on a year-over-year basis.
For the first time since 2007, the number of short sales outnumbered the number of homes sold in foreclosure over three consecutive quarters.
The average price of a short sale home fell by 5 percent … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Improving Market Index : Up To 201 Cities For December 2012
- 12/19/12 11:21 PM
Last week's National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) brought positive news about U.S. housing markets and the broader U.S. economy, in general.
According to the IMI, there are now 201 U.S. markets which can be considered "improving".
To meet this standard, a local area economy must exhibit at least six consecutive months of improvement in terms of local employment, single-family housing permits and area home prices; and, at least six months must have passed since each of these readings were at their respective low points, called troughs.
The Improving Market Index added 76 metropolitan areas in December as compared … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : December 17, 2012
- 12/17/12 11:00 PM
What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : December 17, 2012
Mortgage bonds worsened last week, moving mortgage rates higher. Economic news was mostly positive and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) changed some of Wall Street expectations for future monetary policy.
Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate at 3.32 percent nationwide for borrowers willing to pay an accompanying 0.7 discount points plus closing costs. The average 15-year fixed rate mortgage rate was listed at 2.66 percent nationwide with an accompanying 0.6 discount points plus closing costs.
Both mortgage rates had climbed by week's end, however. … (1 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Winter Energy-Saving Tips for Montgomery County
- 12/16/12 09:43 PM
Winter Energy-Saving Tips for Montgomery County
With the winter season comes more than colder weather -- there are the parties, the baking, the fixing of family dinners, and, in some cases, the stringing of holiday lights. It's also a time of year when home energy use can spike, leading to a very large January electricity bill.
This year, do what you can to conserve energy through the holidays and the New Year. Try following these simple tips.
Go LED - If you string lights outside of your home, try LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lighting. LED lights … (10 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Short Sale : Writing A Letter Of Hardship
- 12/12/12 10:19 PM
A short sale is when a property is sold for less than its remaining mortgage principal balance, and executed as a way for both the existing homeowner and mortgage lender to reduce their respective losses.
Typically, although not always, short sales are reserved for situations of extreme financial hardship; just prior a bank beginning foreclosure proceedings.
Short sales are not automatic, however. Homeowners must often prove the merits a short sale to their lender, which often involves documenting that selling the home for less than its worth is the best and most viable option for all parties involved.
The short sale … (2 comments)
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montgomery county pa: The Federal Reserve Begins A 2-Day Meeting Today
- 12/10/12 11:11 PM
The Federal Reserve Begins A 2-Day Meeting Today
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) begins a 2-day meeting today, its last of 8 scheduled meetings this year.
The Federal Open Market Committee is a 12-person subcommittee within the Federal Reserve. It's the group which votes upon U.S. monetary policy.
The monetary policy action for which the FOMC is most well-known is its setting of the Fed Funds Funds. The Fed Funds Rate is the interest rate at which banks borrow money from each other overnight.
Since late-2008, the Fed Funds Rate has been near zero percent.
Prime Rate, a business and consumer interest rate … (1 comments)
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montgomery county pa: How To Maintain Adequate Homeowners Insurance Coverage
- 12/09/12 11:18 PM
How To Maintain Adequate Homeowners Insurance Coverage
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, stories have emerged of homeowners whose hazard insurance coverage was too low to cover the damage to their respective properties.
Unfortunately, this scenario is common among U.S. homeowners, and is not just limited to damage from natural disasters. Homeowners in Montgomery County and nationwide are often woefully under-insured against catastrophe in its many forms.
Whether you're buying a home, or own one already, revisit your hazard insurance policy choices and be sure that your bases are covered.
Here are four common components of a homeowners insurance policy :
Dwelling/Building Coverage Look … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: A Look At This Week's Mortgage Rates in Montgomery County
- 12/05/12 11:31 PM
A Look At This Week's Mortgage Rates in Montgomery County
Low mortgage rates are pumping up home affordability.
Average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates made a new all-time low in November, continuing this year Refinance Boom and giving fuel to the budding housing market recovery.
At month-end, Freddie Mac's survey of 125 banks nationwide put the benchmark product's rate at 3.32% for borrowers willing to pay 0.8 discount points. This is just 0.01 percentage point above the record-low rate establishing prior to Thanksgiving.
The 15-year fixed mortgage is similarly low, posting 2.64 percent nationwide, on average. This, too, is only slightly higher … (0 comments)
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montgomery county pa: How Choosing Kitchen Colors Can Affect Your Eating Habits
- 11/27/12 12:36 PM
How Choosing Kitchen Colors Can Affect Your Eating Habits
Have you ever walked into your kitchen and instantly felt hungry?
Rarely do people think about the colors that they choose to paint their kitchens. They are often too busy worrying about whether the kitchen will match the rest of the home, or whether the colors will be satisfactory to the rest of the household.
However, when painting and decorating your kitchen, you may want to think about the process in a way many people do not -- how the colors you choose will affect the way in which you … (2 comments)
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montgomery county pa: Questions First-Time Home Buyers in Montgomery County Should Ask
- 11/27/12 12:29 PM
Questions First-Time Home Buyers in Montgomery County Should Ask
Nationwide, mortgage rates are low in Pennsylvania and home prices remain relatively low, too. This combination, plus rising rents, is pushing renters in some cities -- including King of Prussia -- toward first-time homeownership.
Buying your first home can be exciting, but you should also do your research to make sure that you ask the proper questions of the process, and make the best choices for yourself and your household.
For example, recommended questions for first-time buyers to ask home sellers include :
What major repairs have been made to your home?
… (0 comments)
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How To Make An Emergency Preparedness Kit For Your Home
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