Places to Retire in 2020 Warm weather and low taxes continue to have a big pull on where retirees choose to settle down in their golden years. Those pulls are prompting many older Americans to continue to relocate to popular retiree havens in the Carolinas and Florida. U.S. News & World Report recently identified the …
Category: Real Estate Tips
Oct 11
HUD Expands Affordable Housing for Persons With Disabilities
HUD Expands Affordable Housing for Persons With Disabilities The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced this week that it is allocating $112 million to expand the supply of permanent affordable housing to low-income people with disabilities. Funding is available through the Section 811 program. About half of the new funding will go toward …
Oct 10
Appraisal Exemption Rule Takes Effect Today
Appraisal Exemption Rule Takes Effect Today Certain home sales of $400,000 and below will no longer require an appraisal, under a new rule that takes effect today. Homes that qualify for the appraisal exemption can receive an evaluation instead. This is the first time in 25 years that federal regulators have increased the property value …
Oct 09
Mortgages for Medical Professionals
Mortgages for Medical Professionals Freedom mortgage is pleased to announce a mortgage designed to meet the needs of medical professionals with the Alliance Medical Professional Program. The program allows for purchase or rate term refinance of a primary residence for those in a qualifying medical profession. See the below image for all the highlights If …
Oct 08
DIY Renovations for the home
DIY Renovations for the home Eighty percent of homeowners anticipate taking on a home improvement project in the next year, and more than 70% of that group plans to do the work themselves, according to a new survey from Chase Home Lending. The top motivators for sprucing up a home include adding value to the …
Oct 07
Mortgage Rates Hold Firm
Mortgage Rates Hold Firm Home buyers looking for a purchase loan and homeowners who want to refinance are responding well to low mortgage rates. “While mortgage rates generally held steady this week, overall mortgage demand remained very strong, rising over 50% from a year ago thanks to increases in both refinance and purchase mortgage …
Oct 04
Home Improvement Projects
Home Improvement Projects Certain home remodeling projects are making homeowners happier and proving to be well worth the cost and time when they sell their properties, according to a new survey from the National Association of REALTORS®, which includes insights from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. After completing a home remodeling project, 74% of …
Oct 03
Single-Story Homes Are Being Rediscovered
Single-Story Homes Are Being Rediscovered That single-story home may be more desirable than it once was. The construction of single-story homes is increasing at a more rapid pace than two-story homes, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. While overall the share of starts of homes of two-plus stories was higher than single-story …
Oct 02
What you need to know about closing costs
What you need to know about closing costs What are closing costs? Closing costs are the fees associated with your mortgage loan application and real estate transaction. They can be incurred by either the buyer, seller or both and are paid at closing. What types of fees are included? Fees may include but are not …
Oct 01
Smart Bathrooms all the rage
Smart Bathrooms all the rage Smart bathrooms are getting more technological. Many homeowners say they desire to play music in the bathroom, and they’re adding in voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home to make it easier to do so, new research from the National Kitchen & Bath Association shows. “Bringing voice control into …
Sep 30
National Flood Insurance
National Flood Insurance Don’t expect a lapse—not yet anyway—in the National Flood Insurance Program, the country’s largest flood insurer. The program has been set to expire on Sept. 30, but the U.S. Senate recently passed an extension that would keep the program afloat until Nov. 21. The House had previously passed the extension. The bill is …
Sep 27
Rising Number of Contract Signings
Rising Number of Contract Signings All four major regions of the U.S. posted growth in sales contract activity last month, led by the West, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Thursday. NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index—a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings—rose 1.6% last month, erasing last month’s decrease. Contract signings are now up 2.5% …
