Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey in which the long term mortgage rates reached a seven-month high. However, Realty Times sees no slowdown in the housing market.

Consider Washington, D.C. There are several reports that some houses are receiving as many as ten contract offers on the first day, and this has been going on for almost one year. While this is abnormal, we have seen reports like this in many parts of the country.

Anthony Carr, the author of “Real Estate Investing Made Simple ” has a great article on how to avoid seven costly mistakes when selling your home, including overimproving the home for the neighborhood. If you are about to sell a home or know someone who is, you will not want to miss this piece.

If you are interested in how to keep your home healthy, or pay less for utilities, Broderick Perkins, our correspondent in San Jose, has just the advice you are looking for in his recent article, "A Reintroduction To Learning To Live Off The Grid ."

For more information on these and many other topics about buying a home, selling a home, or choosing a Realtor, recommend Realty Times to your clients. Realty Times is the leading Realtor-friendly publication dedicated to helping consumers in their pursuit of home ownership.

Realty Times Market Conditions Reports

According to our Market Conditions Reports experts, the real estate market in Daytona Beach, Florida, has rebounded quite rapidly after the worst hurricane season in Florida's history. Repairs are still being made and many buildings are being totally remodeled which will produce even a stronger real estate market. Prices are still on the rise and mortgage rates are hovering at just over 6 percent, depending on the terms. The days of $400,000 ocean-front condos are gone.

Moving west to Southlake, Texas, our Realtors tell us that the homes that are well maintained and priced right with the market are selling. However, do not expect huge appreciation. It is currently running about 2-3 percent per year, or about even with inflation. Homes that were bought at the top of the market in the last year or so are having a hard time breaking even unless vast updating or remodeling has been done. Builders have a lot of speculative homes on the market, so there are a variety of choices for new construction which is putting pressure on existing homes that aren't updated and move-in ready.

Property values in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, continue to appreciate as demand exceeds supply in many price points according to our experts there. Homes in good condition that are under the $350,000 price mark often sell in a just a day or two. New construction is very limited due to the Mt. Pleasant's building allocation program, which is designed to limit residential growth to 3 percent per year. Resale inventory has increased a little due to the fast approaching spring market. Mt. Pleasant has single-family homes as well as townhomes, condos, building lots and acreage. Growth continues to be strong toward Hwy 17 North and Hwy 41, due to availability of land. Mt. Pleasant has several golf course neighborhoods, and neighborhoods, with boat launches. Our Realtors there tell us it is only getting better!

This week, Realty Times TV viewers asked:

Cindy from Ohio asks: If I begin living in my rental property now, will I be able to sell it after two years and qualify for the $250,000 capital gains exemption as a single filer?

Answer: In this case you have converted a property from rental to residential status. There is no exchange involved to complicate the matter. However, when you sell you will need to account for the deprecation that was taken, or should have been taken in past years. Keep careful records to document your residency and speak with a tax professional for specifics.

Steve from Kansas asks: Please help! How do I begin researching affordable homes? The homes here are out of reach for me and the property taxes are high. Where are the affordable homes? Where can I get financing?

Answer: You need a local real estate broker. The broker can review your needs and finances, help find areas within your price range, and suggest local lenders who can assist with your financing. For a list of brokers in your community, try the market condition reports provided by local brokers to Realty Times.

Maddox from Denver asks: I am considering the purchase of a home in a very nice area of town, with one exception -- the development is near power lines, and the lot that I have (unwittingly) reserved is, along with several others, extremely close to the lines. I am concerned for my own safety and worried about re-selling the property. Can power lines be an impediment to a sale?

Answer: There are people with concerns regarding electromagnetic fields from power lines and therefore they would prefer to buy elsewhere. However, others are not bothered by such facilities. As the New England Journal of Medicine said in an editorial published July 3, 1997, "electromagnetic fields have no reproducible biologic effects at all, except at strengths that are far beyond those ever found in people's homes."

"Eighteen years of research," said the editorial, "have produced considerable paranoia, but little insight and no prevention. It is time to stop wasting our research resources."

Try this: Contact the local power company or health department and ask them to bring a "gausmeter" to the site to check electromagnetic field levels.

For more information on how you can be featured on Realty Times TV, please contact us at: (877) 353-6980.