Safe Havens in Real Estate By Louis Jones, Kiplinger.com Nov 21st, 2008
With foreclosures skyrocketing and home prices plummeting, real estate has had a tough year. But in certain pockets across the country the damage has been minimal -- if nonexistent.
We found six cities with slow, steady growth, using data from Fiserv Lending Solutions, a home-price research company. These cities' local economies ...
Taxpayers: Furious over homeowner bailouts
Many Americans are outraged that their money is being spent to rescue irresponsible mortgage borrowers. Still, that probably won't stop government officials.
By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writerLast Updated: December 5, 2008: 10:03 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ask most Americans whether they're in favor of spending taxpayer dollars to help delinquent ...
Washington Report: Rate Reduction Proposals by Kenneth R. Harney
All the details haven't been nailed down, but Washington has been buzzing in the past week that the Treasury Department has actually listened to the housing and real estate industries' calls for widescale rate reductions for home purchases.
The rate reduction proposals -- involving government purchases of low-rate mortgages to spur ...
Home shoppers rush in as mortgage rates fall
By Anna Bahney, USA TODAYTelephones are ringing - and ringing - at mortgage brokers' offices around the country after this week's sharp drop in mortgage rates.Average rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 5.97%, down from 6.33% the week before, according to Bankrate.com. Some brokers report rates as low as 5.25%.
Borrowers with a $200,000 loan, ...
What is a Short Sale?
A short sale is when a lender accepts a discount on a mortgage to avoid a possible foreclosure auction or bankruptcy. Instead of buying from a seller, you are purchasing the property directly from the lender for a discount. For example: A homeowner, who is facing foreclosure, has an existing first mortgage of $300,000. You write an offer to the lender for $220,000, which is accepted ...
What is Foreclosure?
Foreclosure is to shut out, to bar, to extinguish a mortgagor's right of redeeming a mortgaged estate. It is a termination of all rights of the homeowner covered by a mortgage. Foreclosure is a process in which the estate becomes the absolute property of the lending institution.
Foreclosure numbers are growing daily. Of the one hundred twenty or so million homes in America, ...
Moving Tips The Hidden Costs of MovingKnow what to ask before you move
Short of your employer footing the bill for a move out of town, there are only two options when it comes to packing up and relocating: Hiring a moving company to do the job. Doing it yourself.
While both options require a cash output, it's possible to avoid paying more than you should by anticipating, and budgeting for, those ...
Washington Report: Modifying Loan Terms by Kenneth R. HarneyModifying the mortgage terms of delinquent homeowners is one of the most debated concepts in Washington right now.
FDIC chairwoman Sheila Bair wants massive, across the board modifications -- slashing hundreds of thousands of borrowers' interest rates and monthly payments NOW -- long before they fall into foreclosure.
House Financial Services ...
Fed, Treasury Announce Plan to Jumpstart Lending
The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department on Tuesday unveiled hundreds of billions more in money they are pumping into the struggling U.S. economy, trying to jumpstart lending by the nation's banks for mortgages and consumer debt.
Together, the programs from the Federal Reserve and the New York Fed aim to dump $800 billion in additional funds into ...
First Time Buyer Tax Credit
(July 30, 2008) A $7,500 tax credit is now available for any qualified purchase between April 8, 2008 and June 30, 2009, as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.
Follow this link for more information:
http://www.realtor.org/GAPublic.nsf/files/chart_homebuyer_tax_credit_.pdf/$FILE/chart_homebuyer_tax_credit_.pdf