Home Prices Rise For Fourth Consecutive Month

On September 28, 2011, in Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, Real Estate, by Brendan Fontaine

Home Prices Rise For Fourth Consecutive Month The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices though July 2011 showed its fourth consecutive month of increases, with both the 10- and 20-city composites up 0.9 percent in July over June. David M. Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Indices, said July’s data shows fairly broad improvement in [...]

New Home Sales Up 6.1 Percent Over August 2010

On September 27, 2011, in Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, Real Estate, by Brendan Fontaine

Estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development show sales of new single-family houses were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 295,000, 2.3 percent below July’s rate but 6.1 percent above August of last year. The median sales price of new homes sold in August was $209,100; [...]

Existing Home Sales Hit Five Month High

On September 22, 2011, in Home Buying Process, Mortgage Rates, by Brendan Fontaine

Sales of previously owned homes hit a five-month high in August, according to data from The National Association of Realtors. Existing-home sales spiked 7.7 percent to an annual rate of 5.03 million units, exceeding economists’ expectations. Total sales, including single-family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops, were 18.6 percent higher than they were in August of last [...]

Mortgage Application Activity Increases

On September 21, 2011, in Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, by Brendan Fontaine

Mortgage Application Activity Increases According to The Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, the seasonally adjusted Market Composite Index, which measures total mortgage loan application volume, increase 0.6 percent last week from the previous week. On an unadjusted basis, the index was up 25.2 percent from the week before, which included Labor Day. The Refinance [...]

Building Permits On The Rise In August

On September 21, 2011, in Mortgage News, Real Estate, by Brendan Fontaine

Building Permits On The Rise In August Permits to build privately-owned housing units in August rose 3.2 percent above July’s estimates and 7.8 percent above last year, according to new residential construction statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Single-family building permits rose 2.5 percent above the month [...]

VA Mortgage Loan Is The Preferred Loan for Maryland Veterans…

On April 18, 2011, in Home Buying Process, Mortgage Programs, Tips And Advice, VA Loans, by Paul Defngin

Maryland veterans prefers a A VA (Veterans Administration) guaranteed home loan over other loans.  Why? For active, non-active, Reserve, National Guard, and retired military of the armed forces this loan is a great option because there is no down payment needed and no private monthly mortgage insurance required. VA mortgage loans can be used towards [...]

First Time Home Buyer Program – Down Payment Assistance – MHDC – St. Louis, St. Charles and Missouri

On February 1, 2011, in Mortgage Closing Costs, Mortgage Programs, Tips And Advice, by Bob Rutledge

Having a down payment and/or the funds to close is usually something that many First Time Home Buyers need or are interested in learning more about. Having no down payment is the number one reason that many who would like to buy their first new home wait. But, waiting is not necessary there are loan [...]

Do I Need To Sell My Home Before I Can Qualify For A New Mortgage On Another Property?

On April 1, 2010, in Mortgage Approval Process, by Mark Madsen

Although every situation is unique, it is not uncommon for homebuyers to qualify for a mortgage on a new home while still living in their primary residence. Perhaps you are outgrowing your current house, or have been forced to relocate due to a job transfer?  Regardless of the motivation for keeping one property while purchasing [...]

What Do Appraisers Look For When Determining A Property's Value?

On March 29, 2010, in Real Estate Appraisals, by Mark Madsen

Most people are surprised to learn what appraisers actually look at when determining the value of a real estate property. A common misconception homeowners generally have is that the value of their home is determined after the appraiser has completed their physical property inspection. However, the appraiser actually already has a good idea of the [...]

Renting vs Buying A Home

On March 28, 2010, in Home Buying Process, by Mark Madsen

Buying a home versus renting is a big decision that takes careful consideration. While there are several biased sources that can make arguments for or against owning a home, we’ve found that most home buyers base their ultimate decision on emotion. Yes, there are some tax advantages of owning real estate, as well as the [...]