Lori Blank & Associates

24

Dec

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Around The Home

5 Tips On Safely Hanging Those Christmas Lights

Christmas lights can be the most festive of holiday decorations, but actually putting them up can be a huge pain. With these easy step-by-step instructions, you can safely hang Christmas lights outside your house in no time. That way you can get back to what's important, family time. Buy Your Lights You'll need Christmas lights of course. There are a lot of options. You can get colorful lights or classic white lights. There are icicle lights, blinking lights, classic large bulb lights, and more. Just pick whatever looks good. Remember that consistency is important. Pick one or two types and…

23

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Mortgage Rates

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 23, 2013

According to December's NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, home builder confidence rose by four points to a reading of 58; this surpassed the consensus of 56 and November's reading of 56. November Housing Starts were released Wednesday and also exceeded expectations and the prior month's reading. 1.09 million housing starts were reported for November against expectations of 963,000 and October's reading of 889,000 housing starts. Building permits issued in November came in at 1.01 million and fell short of October's reading of 1.04 million permits issued. November's reading exceeded expectations of 990,000 permits issued. The week's big news emerged after…

20

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

4 Safety Tips For Your Christmas Tree

It's Christmas time, it's Christmas time – which means it's time to get a tree for your home. Whether you get a real tree or an artificial one, it's also time to think about Christmas tree safety. Prevent A Fire Hazard There's a potential fire hazard that comes with real trees, a danger that's lessened with artificial trees, but artificial trees have their own safety issues. For instance, those that spin on their bases shouldn't be left to rotate on their own. Make sure the motor is turned off whenever you leave the room. Even though safety precautions are more…

19

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Federal Reserve

Fed Minutes Predicts Tapering Of Quantitative Easing Program

Housing Starts exceeded expectations and also beat October's reading of 889,000. November housing starts were posted at 1.09 million against a consensus of 963,000. This reading is more in line with the NAHB/Wells Fargo Home builder Market Index, which reached a four month high with December's reading. With that threat resolved and a new federal budget passed, builders can now proceed without worrying about setbacks caused by government shutdowns and legislative gridlock. Building permits issued in November were slightly lower at 1.01 million than October's reading of 1.04 million. Viewed as an indicator of future construction, and ultimately, available homes,…

18

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Housing Analysis

Housing Market Index Shows Builder Confidence Up 23 Percent Year-Over-Year

According to the National Association of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo Homebuilders Market Index for December, builder confidence recovered in with a reading of 58. This surpassed both expectations of 56 and last month's reading of 54. Analysts noted that builder confidence has steadied after the government shutdown. December's reading was the highest in four months. Dave Crowe, NAHB chief economist, said that his organization was expecting a "gradual improvement in the housing recovery" in 2014. Any reading above 50 indicates that more builders are confident about overall housing market conditions than not. Builder Confidence - Highest Reading Since 2005 Pent-up demand for…

17

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

Picking The Perfect Holiday Tree

It's coming up on Christmas time, which means that people are decorating their home with lights and tinsel. It also means that it's time to pick a Holiday tree. If you've never had a real Holiday tree or you never seem to get it quite right, these tips and tricks can help you pick the perfect tree: Buying Your Tree Measure where you're going to place the tree in your home, from ceiling to floor. You'll want your tree to be at least a foot shorter than the ceiling, so take a measuring tape with you when you shop for…

16

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Mortgage Rates

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

Mortgage Debt Rises For First Time Since Recession Last week was relatively quiet concerning scheduled housing-related news, but the Federal Reserve's financial accounts report, released on Monday, indicated that mortgage debt in the U.S. had increased for the first time since the first quarter (Q1) of 2008. Mortgage debt increased by a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of $87.4 billion, or 0.90 percent. Mortgage debt remains approximately 12.00 percent below pre-recession levels. Increasing debt is not often considered good news, but in the case of mortgage debt in today's economy, it suggests economic recovery in the form of higher home prices and…

13

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

Santa’s Landing Pad, Tips For Winter Roof Maintenance

It's that time of year again when the weather outside gets frightful but the holiday cheer is delightful. You've probably got a lot on your mind during these busy winter months, but make sure that you don't neglect the roof of your home. Taking care of your roof is an important part of home maintenance and you don't want to suffer a leak or any other problem during the cold months. So how can you make sure that Santa and his sleigh have a solid and well-maintained landing pad when they touch down at your house this year? Here are…

12

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

Real Vs. Artificial Christmas Tree Helpful Tips

Few questions are more important this time of year than which Christmas tree you should buy for your home. There are some things to keep in mind when looking for the perfect Christmas tree. Here are just a few: Real Or Artificial Tree? Real Christmas trees require some care; if you're planning to travel this holiday season, you may not want a live tree. You must water the tree to make sure that it doesn’t lose its needles before Christmas day. The live trees are not fire resistant, the dried out pine needles can get too hot from the lights…

11

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Home Seller Tips

Sell Your Home Without Losing Precious Holiday Family Time

Putting your home on the market during the holiday season might seem like you're just inviting stress and frustration to come knocking on your door. However, December is a great time to sell because there are few homes on the market, buyers are serious and your house will be decorated to look nice and cozy. With the tips below, you can get your home ready to sell and ensure important family time by having the kids help out. Hire A Real Estate Agent Employing a professional will allow you to unload the worries that come along with selling a home.…