Today's Real Estate News and Advice
Updated: May 25, 2012
Mortgage Refinances Increase as Mortgage Rates Hit New Lows
While some people wonder how far mortgage rates can drop, some are taking advantage of a good thing. Mortgage refinance applications increased 13.0% for the week ending May 11th according to the Mortgage Banker's Association's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey. FULL STORY->
Internet Strategies That Really Work
The first step to finding an Internet strategy that works for you is establishing what strategies you might have at your disposal. There are many more options available than I can list; here our three that I believe are viable strategies for real estate agents. FULL STORY->
Homeowner's Advice: Spring Cleaning
If you haven't already started then now is prime time for Spring cleaning. The chills and frosts of Winter are now a distant memory and this means you can comfortably get out in that yard, shed, or garage and do some real work! FULL STORY->
Homeowners Make it Personal When They Can't Move When Planned
More homeowners are feathering their nests with caterer kitchens, work-at-home headquarters, tech centers, 3D home theaters, art rooms, and other personalized home improvements. FULL STORY->
Home Improvement: Energy Star Appliances
Does it really pay to shell out all that cash for new appliances? Let's consider an Energy Star rated clothes washer for starters. An Energy Star qualified washer uses 30 percent less energy and a whopping half the water compared to a traditional washer. FULL STORY->
Ask the HOA Expert
Our board president replaced sidewalks that he deemed needed replacing and then sent the affected homeowners the bills along with a letter stating that the sidewalks were an owner's responsibility according to the governing documents. Can he do that? FULL STORY->
Four Keys to Becoming a Better Competitor
Making a name for yourself, growing your business, getting ahead, competing in a challenging market - for some of you, all of that’s going to take doing some things differently. FULL STORY->
Aging Baby and Echo Boomer to Impact Housing
The demographic shift of the aging baby boomer generation will soon have an impact on the nation's housing market. FULL STORY->
What Buyers Want In a Condominium
Condominiums are wildly popular in most of Canada's cities, with Toronto and Vancouver leading the way as the condo capitals of North America. What are condo buyers looking for? Jim Adair reports. FULL STORY->
Who Aspires To Be a Renter?
"No one aspires to be a renter," proclaimed the speaker at last week's "Rally to Protect the American Dream", a gathering of more than 13,000 Realtors® at the Washington Monument. FULL STORY->
Real Estate Outlook: Housing to Play Key Role in Election
Washington and the housing market are never far apart. Experts ranging from real estate professionals to the members of the Federal Reserve have reported that the state of the nation's economic recovery relies heavily on a housing recovery. FULL STORY->
Overcoming Call Reluctance
We are all faced with call reluctance at one time or another in our sales careers. We all know that we need to prospect and make calls daily to generate new business. However, knowing and doing can be two entirely different things. The fear of calling can be a career ender for many sales people. FULL STORY->
Why Host an Open House?
Open houses are not the best vehicles for selling homes. So why do Real Estate Agents bother with them? For the following reason: Open houses are a great means for prospecting. FULL STORY->
Housing Market Bottoming Out? Renting Market Accelerating
Are we really poised for a recovery in the housing market? The latest encouraging words from the U.S. Conference Board's Demand Institute Division are that we are heading for a rapidly accelerating rental market which will lead to a housing recovery. FULL STORY->
Fixed Mortgage Rates Hit Record Lows Again
In Freddie Mac's results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, average fixed mortgage rates again reached new record lows. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 3.79 percent continues to remain well below 4 percent and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages are also slightly down at 3.04 percent. FULL STORY->
HARP 2.0 Out of Tune
Only one in three risk-averse lenders are participating in the HARP program to help homeowners refinance with today's low rates. The voluntary program may be due for another upgrade. FULL STORY->
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