The lowdown on 10 great tax breaks
You may be somewhat aware that your home is a good source of tax breaks, but maybe you don’t realize just how many there are. April 15 will be here again before you know it, and many people will be scouring their lives for any potential tax breaks. You may not have to look far if you are a homeowner. A recent Realty Times article discusses the ...
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Going Green
A lot of information about interest-only loans has been flying around.We give you a helping hand getting to the bottom of some of it.
Some financial writers have put a big warning sign over interest-only loans; others have told people to dive right in. Which is correct? The answer, of course, is that it depends. A Realty Times article highlighted some key pieces of information that ...
A recent MSN.com article gets you on the right track with a few first steps
You have been thinking about it for a while, maybe even gradually saving up for a down payment, when, finally, it dawns on you: you are ready to buy your first home. Since you obviously haven’t done this before, you may be asking yourself, “What now?” It may not be clear to you now, but the first ...
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Making an offer is one of the most important steps in the home buying process. If you offer too much, the property might not meet the appraisal. This means you could have trouble getting a mortgage loan. On the other hand, if you offer too little for the home, the seller may reject it.
Here's the bottom line. If you make a real estate offer based on solid data and advice, you'll be less likely to ...
The home equity line of credit (HELOC) versus the home equity loan -- it's a common decision among homeowners who want to tap their real estate wealth. But which one is right for you? What are the pros and cons of each option? Those are the questions we will address in this article.
Let's start with a side-by-side comparison, so you can visualize the difference between the line of credit vs. the equity ...
Mortgage Interest Rate Report - AprilLast Updated: 3/30/2010
Mortgage Rate News & Analysis
Long-term mortgage interest rates averaged under five percent in March for the fifth time in six months; according to mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac.
Today's Mortgage Rates
March 4
During the first week, the average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage (FRM) dropped below 5 percent to 4.97 ...
After a few years of depressing information out of the U.S. housing market, this month’s data continues to be mixed. Is recovery truly in the works? Here’s what the numbers say:
Foreclosures
According to numbers from real estate data firm RealtyTrac, foreclosures in January were down, the second consecutive monthly drop. The national foreclosure rate fell to one in every 409 ...
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Buying a Home -- What’s Deductible?
Realtors are quick to point out that home ownership allows a lot of tax advantages not available to someone who merely pays rent. A homeowner can deduct points used to obtain a mortgage when buying a home, mortgage interest paid during the year, and property taxes.
Those are the basics.
There are rules and guidelines to these deductions, however. Even though ...
Mortgage Rate News & Analysis
Mortgage interest rates changed very little from beginning to end in February, according to mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac.
Today's Mortgage Rates
February 4
The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage (FRM) inched up to 5.01 percent, excluding points, during the first week of the month, up from 4.98 percent the week before. 15-year FRMs ...
Feds Help Speed Up Your Mortgage Modification
by Broderick Perkins
The latest spin on government-sponsored mortgage modifications demands that home owners provide an initial package of documents before the first phase of a modification can begin.
The newest plan for the ever-evolving Obama Administration's Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) also requires lenders (or servicers) to review ...