TeamShoreline Blog

Mortgage rates finally have calmed down, after swinging wildly up and down in the first few months of the year. That good news is amplified by the direction that rates took this week: down. The 30-year fixed had risen (modestly) three weeks in a row. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell...

Commonly cited measures of U.S. home prices are overstating the degree to which the vast majority of Americans' home values have declined in the last year, producers of two of the most widely tracked indexes acknowledged this week. "Just like saying the average nationwide temperature today is 57 ...

The financial press is worried that they might have gone too far - paralyzing the nation into recession by piling on housing. So they're finally beginning to question the indexes where they get their data, and whether the news is really as bad as it seems. Slowly but surely, headlines are changin...

Water heating is an aspect of energy efficiency that is often overlooked, but it can become expensive if ignored. Beyond being conscious of your daily water usage, it is important to repair leaky faucets or low-flow showerheads to reduce the amount of water being used. Insulating hot water storag...

Home energy audits are an effective way to discover the areas within your home that use the most energy. With this information, you can decide the best way to manage and reduce use. Audits can be done on several levels, including conducting a simple one yourself, through your utility company, or ...

Appliances should only be used when necessary and turned off when not in use. Try to air dry dishes when possible and only run a dishwasher when there is a full load. This also applies to washing machines and dryers. Always wash full loads and switch the temperature from hot to warm, which can cu...

For additional information go to our website @ http://www.teamshoreline.com and click on "What's our market doing?" or give us a call at (203) 245-HOME. This information will be updated monthly in order for you to view home sales activity on the CT Shoreline, and posted both on the TeamShoreline ...

"The home affordability index is at a 58 month high and I think that first-time buyers have noticed this. ... Thirty-nine percent of homebuyers now are first-time homebuyers." "Interest rates are at historic lows, inventory levels make this a buyers market because there's a lot more to choose fro...

Americans still feel optimistic about homeownership, according to a recent survey from AOL Real Estate and Zogby International. More than half of the survey respondents said they believe homeownership is still attainable for most people. Continued messaging about the long-term investment value of...

Owning real estate is the best investment you will ever make.  It is one of the last tax shelters left in America.  If the market is in an appreciating cycle, you will sell high AND you will pay high.  In a depreciating cycle (where we are today) you will sell low, BUT you will pay less for the n...