Lori Blank

25

Sep

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Housing Analysis

Case Shiller Price Index Shows An Annual Growth Rate Of Home Prices

Home prices were still gaining in July, but for 15 of 20 cities included the S&P Case-Shiller 10 and 20-city Home Price Indices, the pace of increasing home prices is slowing down. National home prices rose by 1.80 percent in July as compared to 2.20 percent in June. Home prices grew by 0.60 percent from June to July on a seasonally-adjusted basis. This was the lowest month-to-month gain since September 2012. David Blitzer, index committee chairman of S&P Dow Jones Indices, said that higher mortgage rates are hitting the housing market. Mr. Blitzer noted that mortgage rates rose by more…

24

Sep

By Lori Blank

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Housing Analysis

Highest Existing Home Sales Since February 2007

Sales of existing homes reached their highest volume in almost six years in August. The National Association of REALTORS reported Thursday that sales of existing homes rose 1.70 percent in August to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.48 million existing homes sold. This was the highest number of existing home sales since February of 2007. August's results exceeded estimates of 5.20 existing homes sold, which was based on July's unrevised reading of 5.39 million existing homes sold. The NAR also reported that the national median home price increased to $212,100 in August. This represents a year-over-year increase of 14.70 percent…

23

Sep

By Lori Blank

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Housing Analysis

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week — September 23, 2013

Last week's economic news was dominated by the Federal Reserve's decision not to taper its $85 billion in monthly securities purchases. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke noted in a scheduled statement after the Federal Open Market Committee meeting that economic conditions were not yet adequately improved to withstand any decrease in the federal quantitative easing program. The Fed also reaffirmed that the target federal funds rate would remain at 0.00 to 0.25 percent until the national unemployment rate reached 6.50 percent and inflation reaches 2.00 percent. The national unemployment rate was 7.30 percent and the Fed projects that inflation will remain…

20

Sep

By Lori Blank

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Home Buyer Tips

Quick Tips To Beat Out Cash Buyers

You've been searching for the perfect home for quite a while, and finally, you've found it! You get all of your finances in order and place an offer on the house. However, you're not the only one that loves the home, because there are multiple offers — and one of them is cash. Cash buyers are seen as desirable because they're almost always a guaranteed quick close. They don't have to borrow money from a bank therefore won't have any financing hang-ups, which is where a large portion of offers fall through. Don't worry; not all hope is lost. Follow…

19

Sep

By Lori Blank

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Home Buyer Tips

Tips For Buying A Home That Your Pets Will Love

When you are buying a new home, it is important to take into consideration the four-legged residents that will be living there, as well as the two-legged ones. What things should you keep in mind if you are house hunting and you own a pet? Layout Of The House When you are looking at the house layout, think about how it will accommodate your pet. If you have an old dog that can't climb stairs very well, look for a home that is mostly one level. Cats like to have little alcoves and quiet spaces where they can hide away.…

18

Sep

By Lori Blank

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Housing Analysis

Home Builder Confidence Has Far Outpaced Actual Home Construction

Home builder confidence was unchanged for September according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index HMI released Tuesday. After four months of rising confidence, September's HMI reading came in at 58, which was not far from expectations of a reading of 59. August's reading of 58 was revised from 59. Readings over 50 indicate that more builders view housing market conditions as being positive than negative. Housing Market Index Readings Rise Components of September's HMI include readings for home builder views of current market conditions, which maintained August's reading of 62. The September reading for buyer…

17

Sep

By Lori Blank

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Home Buyer Tips

Don’t Overlook These Important Factors When Buying A New Home

Most of the time when buying a property, there are a few obvious factors that you will consider – such as the location, the number of bedrooms, the accessibility to schools or your workplace, the need for repairs and any interior features. However, there are a few things that might not have crossed your mind during your house hunting but are still quite important. Water Quality Most home buyers don't even think about the water quality at the property until they get to the inspection stage. However, if you find out that the home has hard water this will dull…

16

Sep

By Lori Blank

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Housing Analysis

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – September 16, 2013

Last week didn't feature any housing-related news other than Freddie Mac's weekly survey of mortgage interest rates. Reports on consumer credit, job openings and weekly jobless claims suggest that without some relief in the jobs market, Americans may be taking a "wait-and-see" stance toward buying homes. Consumer Credit Rose By $10.40 Billion In July The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that revolving credit fell by an annual rate of 2.60 percent as compared to an annual decrease of 5.20 percent in June. Non-revolving consumer credit such as vehicle and education loans rose at an annual rate of 7.40 percent. Freddie Mac's…

13

Sep

By Lori Blank

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Home Buyer Tips

Social Living – How To Buy A Comfortable Home Guests

When people are buying a home, one of the things that they sometimes forget to consider is the need to be able to accommodate guests. You likely have out of state relatives or friends who might come and visit you and you will probably want to be able to give them a place to sleep so that they don't have to pay for a hotel. You will also probably want to have your parents or your relatives stay over on special occasions such as Christmas. You might even need to host guests for long periods of time, such as if…

12

Sep

By Lori Blank

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Home Buyer Tips

A Few Reasons Why That Extra Bedroom Might Be Worth It

So you are looking at buying a home, but you are wondering whether or not it is worth it to pay a little extra for a home with one more bedroom. It's a tough decision to make, especially when balancing other factors such as location and the other features of the home. However, having one more bedroom than you think you need could end up being a good thing for a number of reasons. Expanding Family Perhaps you only planned on having two children, but a third one might come along as an unplanned surprise... will you have enough room…