Real Estate ABC - Information on Buying and Selling A Home

Interest Rate Report - February 2010

Mortgage interest rates followed a downward course in January according to mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac.

Existing Home Sales - February 2010

As predicted, sales of existing U.S. homes plummeted downward in December coinciding with the original deadline for the government's first-time homebuyer tax credit program. According to the National Association of Realtors, total sales of existing homes dropped 16.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.45 million units, down from 6.54 million in November. On a year-over-year basis, sales were up 15 percent from a pace of 4.74 million homes in December 2008.

Can Government Make More Loan Modifications Ahead of the Next Foreclosure Wave?

The $75 billion Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), a creation of the Obama administration, has aimed to lower the monthly payments of struggling homeowners in order to save the country from more massive foreclosure rates. Unfortunately, the consensus so far is that it has not been terribly effective; only 110,000 homeowners have seen their trial modifications made permanent, meaning the majority of the program participants are still in danger of reverting back into default.

Why Interest Rates are Likely to Rise in 2010

Mortgage interest rates have hovered around 5 percent during the past year and have even reached record lows in the last few weeks, yet it seems the winds could be changing soon for the rate market. A recent article from Bloomberg quoted the following prediction from a Morgan Stanley economist: "Yields on benchmark 10-year notes will climb about 40 percent to 5.5 percent, the biggest annual increase since 1999," according to David Greenlaw, chief fixed-income economist at Morgan Stanley in New York.

Will Mortgage Servicers Become the Country's Landlords?

Foreclosures have skyrocketed over the past two years and even more are predicted in the coming year. Not only are massive foreclosures tragic for the individual families losing their homes, but they are also responsible for major lender losses, resulting in the current mortgage credit crunch. They have caused dramatically dropping house prices, and increased crime and problems for neighborhoods where foreclosures are rampant. Banks, consumer advocate groups, and the government have been searching for ways to stem the tide of these destructive defaults. Enter the Deeds For Lease (D4L) program from government-controlled mortgage financier Fannie Mae.

Take Advantage of Homeowner Programs to Avoid Foreclosure

Millions more of American homeowners are expected to fall into foreclosure during the next few years. In some cases, there may be no way to avoid foreclosure. Yet in many other cases, homeowners can avoid foreclosure by talking with their lenders and possibly taking advantage of new federal programs.

Tips for First Time Home Buyers

Buying a home can be a long, complicated and frightening process, and it is important to be prepared. Knowledge is power when it comes to negotiating the difficult world of home prices, interest rates and mortgage loans. For a first time home buyer, the more information you can gather before you start shopping, the better off you will be.

How to Sell Your Home in a Slow Market

Learn how to sell your home in the current real estate market. Knowing how to prepare your home for sale, when to allow access for showings, and how you can offer buyer incentives will help you find the right buyer, even in a declining market.

Foreclosures and the Housing Crisis

The housing crisis is causing a mess, because of lower home values and massive foreclosures, often blamed on the sub-prime mortgage industry and unethical loan officers. Find out what started the boom, and how that led to the current bust.

Home Buyers Guide - The Appraisal

Buying a home can be a complex process with many important steps. After finding your dream home, and acceptance of the purchase offer, the appraisal is the next step in becoming a homeowner.

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