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By Clare TrapassoNov 29, 2023The past year has been a particularly brutal one for the housing market. Buyers can’t afford to buy, sellers don’t want to sell, mortgage rates are at 20-year highs, and there are extremely few homes available for sale. The market, by most…

By Bill Gassett April 18, 2023A condo or townhouse might be better if a single-family home isn’t right for you. But it can be difficult to decide if you are weighing up the choice of condo vs. townhouse.We will examine the differences between condos and townhouses to make…

February 22, 2023, 10:25 am By James KleimannThe Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on Wednesday morning announced a 30 basis point reduction in the annual premium charged to mortgage borrowers. The cut, widely anticipated by the industry,…

In a welcome relief for tenants, rents began falling in earnest in November in some formerly red-hot real estate metros.Arizona, Florida, and Texas saw massive rent increases in many cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. But now rent is beginning to decline in some Sun Belt…

Many renters crave the extra bedrooms, laundry facility, and backyard big enough for a pair of swings and a slide that single-family houses provide. But they’re facing a for-sale market with still-high housing prices and surging mortgage interest rates, pricing many out…

Many business owners will ask themselves what is a registered agent and then question if they really need one. The answer to both questions is yes!A registered agent is a person or company with the authority to accept service of process (legal documents and government…

September 14, 2022 Washington Post By: Jeremy GreenOn September 14, 2022, the National Association of REALTORS® sent a coalition letter to the National Economic Council with the White House urging a reduction of the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) annual…

June 28, 2022 by Fidelity National Home WarrantyFire season is a year-round concern for many homeowners, but this is especially true during summer’s long, warm days. Being prepared for fire season can help increase your chance of protecting your property if it is…

May 24, 2022 by Fidelity National Home WarrantyMortgage rates for a 30-year fixed are at an all-time high of 5.64% according to Mortgage News Daily, rates not seen since 2009. Meanwhile, the rate for an ARM loan is a percent or more lower. Today, knowing when an ARM loan is…

By RISMedia StaffFebruary 4, 2022The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.55% this week, remaining unchanged from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), released this week.U.S. weekly averages30-year…

By Bill GassettFebruary 4, 2022The term “escrow” can confuse first-time homebuyers because it has a few different meanings. Escrow is a vital part of any real estate transaction because it’s considered the glue that holds it together.When purchasing a…

By Bloomberg07 Jan 2022by Prashant GopalMortgage rates in the US jumped to the highest level since the early months of the pandemic.The average for a 30-year loan was 3.22%, up from 3.11% last week and the highest since late May 2020, Freddie Mac said in a statement…

Posted on Oct 14 2021 - 4:58pm by Bill GassettHaving a good credit score is something that will help throughout your adult life. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand how credit works, and this could be causing you more problems than you realize.…

Posted on Nov 6 2014 - 4:29am by Kyle HiscockEditor's Note: This post was originally published on November 6, 2014. Housecall continues to share this piece due to ongoing requests and reader interest.There are many questions homeowners ask…

Jeff Ostrowski, Bankrate.com(TNS)—Home prices are soaring, pushed higher by a combination of record-low mortgage rates, strong demand from buyers and a lingering lack of new construction.In 2021, a new factor put pressure on home prices: Month-after-month, lumber…

By Kara MastersonIf you have always wanted to live in a bigger home, then you may be wondering when the right time is for you to move. Bigger homes are more expensive and require more maintenance. However, you may be at a point in your life financially where you're ready…

Commentary by Adam LongHomeTeam Inspection Service of Kentuckiana Owner Brad Lawler explains why potential buyers should never skip a home inspection, even when housing inventory is scarce.It’s no secret that the current housing market is hotter than ever. Many houses…

Prospective buyers shopping today have 52% fewer homes to choose from than at this time last year, according to Realtor.com's Monthly Housing Trends Report. This supply crunch translates to a record median list price of $370,000, 15.6% higher than a year ago. The…

Homebuilders nationwide are trying to keep up with the seemingly insatiable demand for housing. Compared to December 2019, housing starts are up 5%, and permits are up 17% - the highest level housing starts and building permits have reached since 2006.Credit:…

The pandemic continues to shape the housing market and consumer preferences. In many cities across the nation, inventory shortages persist as buyers look for homes that accommodate remote work and their desire to take advantage of low mortgage rates. Agents anticipate that…

Homebuyers often wonder if they should apply jointly for a mortgage. If one spouse has poor credit, it may make it more challenging to qualify for a loan or cause the interest rate to be higher. When the spouse with the stronger credit applies on their own, it can save…

Credit: Federalreserve.govAfter its final two days of meetings ahead of the election, the Federal Reserve indicated no plans to raise interest rates. Near-zero rates could last for years---possibly until 2023---as the Fed allows more time for the economy and labor market to…

Credit: Realtor.comLumber prices have risen more than 170% since April due to production constraints from the pandemic. Despite this surge, homebuilders report the most confidence they have ever had in their industry, based on The National Association of Home Builders'…

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 The recent flare-up in COVID cases hasn’t slowed the U.S. housing markets, according to the latest Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). For June, pending home sales increased 16.6 percent, marking the second…

Pending sales are slowing entering the last summer month, likely due to seasonal trends, according to Zillow’s Weekly Market Report. For the week ending July 25, pending sales were up 16.1 percent year-over-year. Month-over-month, newly pending sales are down 1.4…

 (TNS)—With public playgrounds closed or offering restricted hours, the safest place for children to have outdoor fun is in the security of their own backyard, right?Yes, say health officials, but families should still adhere to some basic safety precautions.How…

#1 – Property TypeCondos, high-rise condos and multi-unit dwellings (2 – 4 units) usually have higher interest rates associated with them, as compared to single-family dwellings.#2 – Property UseInvestment properties have higher rates than owner-occupied…

By: Mark Mathis, VP of Sales for Homes.comThe COVID-19 crisis has touched everyone in some way. When Congress passed the CARES Act, many who had lost their jobs used the opportunity to postpone their mortgage payments. While this may have been the best or only option at the…

By Aleksia Silverman, Content Strategist, Rental BeastIf you’ve built rentals into your business, you’re also going to be working with landlords, but don’t let your relationship with a landlord stop once you’ve helped a client sign their lease! After…

By: Tara MastroeniThere’s no denying that the spread of coronavirus has made the process of buying a home more difficult in some places and nearly impossible in others. However, even though your area may be dealing with restrictions on the real estate industry,…

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) The SBA has increased funding for its Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). These loans can be used for: Paid sick leave to employees impacted by…

By Paige BrownIf you’re like most Americans, you’ve stepped up your cleaning routine in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. From disinfecting door handles and light switches to wiping down groceries before bringing them into your home, many are going to great…

By Paige BrownCOVID-19 has caused companies across the U.S. to close temporarily and to furlough or lay off employees. Even with unemployment benefits and direct payments from the government, families may still struggle to make ends meet. That has many homeowners knowing…

By Paige BrownThe coronavirus has created economic uncertainty and has many people trying to figure out what to do. If you recently listed your home, you may be wondering whether you should continue trying to sell it or take it off the market for a while.How the Coronavirus…

For those of you interested in how mobile notaries are performing signings in CA, these are a couple of options for your signers.1) “Door Delivery” Signing- Signers to cooperate with a Door Delivery Signing.- Verify Signer(s) Identity through viewing through the…

By Clare Trapasso | Mar 18, 2020Updated March 20 Kids furloughed from school, bars and restaurants closed, and people told to stay at home except for essential errands—the coronavirus pandemic has already upended life as most Americans know it. Now…

By Clare Trapasso | Mar 16, 2020Mortgage rates, like the stock market, have been on a wild ride in recent weeks. They dropped to record lows earlier this month in response to the spread of COVID-19—and then shot right back up again. And it…

By Jennifer Kelly Geddes | Mar 2, 2020Updated March 13, 2020In just a few weeks, the new coronavirus has made serious inroads into American communities, even as its global death toll grows. Many health experts are saying that the opportunity to contain…

By Clare Trapasso | Mar 20, 2020As homeowners raced to refinance their home loans amid record-low mortgage rates recently, they overwhelmed lenders by their sheer numbers—triggering repercussions for the shoppers gearing up for the spring home-buying…

JANUARY 28, 2020 12:45 PMbyNAVINDRA PERSAUDThe housing market has remained strong despite the drop in sales of new single-family homes in the U.S. A recent report attributes the sustained numbers in the housing industry to low mortgage rates.With buyers looking to spend…

January 23, 2020By Aly J Yale FICO is launching a new scoring model this summer, called the FICO Score 10. The new model will take into account a consumer’s account balances and missed payments over the last two years.About 40 million consumers will see…

By: Margaret HeidenryWhen you buy or sell a home, you get used to hearing words you've never heard before. The mortgage lenders and insurance agents who help you through the process will throw around so much real estate jargon, somewhere along the way you might wish you had…

By: Brett ArendsBefore you try to become your own dime-store Chip or Joanna Gaines, go back and check the math again on that “fixer upper.”Then maybe check it a third time.That’s the message of a new survey, which found that despite the glamor and plethora…

By: Clare TrapassoIt seems that whenever you pick up a newspaper or turn on the news these days, a scary word hits you in the face: "recession." Germany is already teetering on the brink of recession; an unruly exit from the European Union this fall could cause one in…