Today’s low rates are terrific for both home buyers throughout Louisiana and existing homeowners looking to refinance. As compared last year at this time, mortgage rates are down by 98 basis points — nearly one full percentage point. Mortgage payments are much lower today as compared to July 2011
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07/06/2012
The economic recovery continues nationwide, but the recovery’s an uneven one. Some metropolitan areas are faring very well this year, posting measurable gains in both employment and housing. Other metropolitan areas, by contrast, are struggling. To help identify those markets in which growth is o
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05/12/2012
Mortgage rates continue to drop. For the second straight week, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell to a new, all-time low nationwide. According to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage rate survey, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate dropped 1 basis point to 3.83% this week for borrowers willin
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05/12/2012
Planning to close on your home at the end of May? Plan ahead. Memorial Day is coming and the holiday may delay your closing. Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and the 3-day Memorial Day weekend is a popular vacation time in real estate-related industries. Real estate agents tend t
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05/04/2012
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 month, the Fed Funds Rate vote was nearly unanimous. Just one FOMC member, Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker, d
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04/25/2012
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 thre
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04/18/2012
The Federal Reserve has released the minutes from its last FOMC meeting, a 1-day affair held March 13, 2012. Mortgage rates 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. mone
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04/04/2012
Planning to use an FHA-backed mortgage for your next home loan? You might want to get your application in gear today. Beginning next week, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is changing the way it charges mortgage insurance to U.S. homeowners. For the fourth time since 2010, FHA mortgage in
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04/03/2012
Mortgage markets improved last week on renewed concerns of a European debt default, and Federal Reserve rhetoric. Conforming mortgage rates in Shreveport and Bossier City dropped on the news, one week after posting a 5-month high. A major strike in Spain and growing unrest in Italy, both in oppos
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04/02/2012
Here are the IRS's top 10 tax tips for home sellers: 1. In general, you are eligible to exclude the gain from income if you have owned and used your home as your main home for two years out of the five years prior to the date of its sale. 2. If you have a gain from the sale of your main home, y
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03/27/2012
