Decks Losing Favor With Homeowners Fewer new homes are being built with outdoor decks, the latest census data shows. In 2018, the most recent data available, about 22.6% of newly built single-family homes had decks, which is down a full percentage point from a year earlier, the National Association of Home Builders reports. The share …
Category: News
Dec 02
Winter Is the Best Time for Home Buyers
Winter Is the Best Time for Home Buyers The best days of the year to buy a home all fall in the month of December, according to a new analysis released by ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm. Buyers who close on a home purchase the day after Christmas—Dec. 26—will likely realize the …
Nov 27
Credit tips when applying for a mortgage
Credit tips when applying for a mortgage See photo below for all the information about this topic. Then give me a call to discuss. Good credit is critical when it comes to obtaining the best interest rates and terms on a mortgage. John Coneys of Freedom Mortgage, and I want to offer you some …
Nov 26
Mortgage Prepayments Climb
Mortgage Prepayments Climb Mortgage prepayments, a common gauge for housing and refinancing demand, jumped to its highest level since May 2013—a good sign for the market, according to a new analysis from data and analystics firm Black Knight. Mortgage prepayments were at 1.81% in October, more than double the figure a year ago. That represents …
Nov 25
Home Staging Tips
Home Staging Tips The master bedroom is an important room to stage in oder to help potential buyers feel right at home. Apartment Therapy recently highlighted tips from designers on how to achieve a posh bedroom look without spending big bucks. A few of their ideas include: Add overstuffed pillows. Overstuffed decorative throw cushions can …
Nov 22
Lenders Might Be Favoring Gen Z
Lenders Might Be Favoring Gen Z Generation Z—those born after 1996—may only have started building their credit profiles, but they’re already outshining their older counterparts. Gen Z consumers have an average FICO score that’s higher than those of both millennials and Gen X, according to a new study from LendingPoint of more than 5 million …
Nov 21
Housing Permits Surge
Housing Permits Surge More new home construction may finally be coming. Housing permits, a gauge for future construction, climbed 5% in October, reaching the fastest rate of building permit authorizations since 2007, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Broken out, single-family permits increased 3.2% to a rate of 909,000, while multifamily permits rose 8.2% to …
Nov 20
Finance Your Own Home – Even if Your Credit Isn’t Perfect.
Finance Your Own Home – Even if Your Credit Isn’t Perfect. The freedom first program provides eligible borrowers with the opportunity to finance their own home – even if their credit isn’t perfect. Program details: Available for FHA and VA Loans. 500 – 549 credit scores or borrowers who have no credit scores We follow …
Nov 19
Towns where Foreclosures Are Increasing
Towns where Foreclosures Are Increasing Foreclosure filings are on the rise, increasing 13% month over month in October and reaching their highest level of 2019, according to ATTOM Data Solutions’ latest U.S. Foreclosure Activity Report. Foreclosure starts rose monthly in 36 states, marking the first double-digit month-over-month increase since February 2018, ATTOM Data Solutions reports. …
Nov 18
Properties Are ‘Equity Rich’
Properties Are ‘Equity Rich’ It’s a good time to be a homeowner: The share of equity-rich residential properties zoomed to a total of 14.4 million, shows the 2019 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report from ATTOM Data Solutions. Nearly 27% of all properties with a mortgage in the U.S. are now considered “equity rich,” meaning …
Nov 15
Bidding Wars on Homes
Bidding Wars on Homes Good news for home buyers: Bidding wars are at the lowest point in a decade. But that could be short-lived. In one closely watched industry index measuring bidding wars, just 10% of offers written by real estate professionals with the brokerage Redfin faced competition from other buyers in October, down from …
Nov 14
Mortgage Meltdown Unlikely
Mortgage Meltdown Unlikely Housing analysts are hoping it’s not a case of déjà vu. Unconventional mortgage lending is on the rise, in 2018 reaching its highest level since the financial crisis of 2008. These mortgages include subprime loans, financing offered to borrowers with blemished credits. While these more risky loans are on the rise, some …
