Thursday, December 31, 2015

Looking for a home?






How the Government Held Back a Real Housing Market Recovery in 2015





Seven years after the housing market collapse, the housing market continued a lopsided recovery in 2015.



Overall, the housing market was stalled by a combination of meddling from the federal government, and the continued weaknesses in the broader economy and labor market

http://flip.it/o5rG3




Why Millennials Could Jump Into Home Ownership


When it comes to homeownership, roommates Gina Beach, 28, and Bill Galatzer, 31, are polar opposites. The two friends currently rent a two-bedroom, two-bath duplex in Chicago’s up-and-coming West Town neighborhood. Galatzer is actively looking to buy his own condo in the area, but Beach says she never plans to become a homeowner.



“Let's say I move into a place tomorrow and get a roommate the same day. I pay $300 less per month and the money I pay goes to equity,” Galatzer said.  http://flip.it/AvDR4




These are the three healthiest housing markets in the U.S.





Metro areas as diverse as Fresno, Calif., Austin, Texas, and Honolulu, Hawaii are the healthiest housing markets in the country, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac.


That’s how its Multi-Indicator Market Index, or “MiMi,” which pulls together data that aims to show whether local, state and national housing markets are stable and “consistent with that market’s long-term normal activity,” assessed conditions in October.  http://flip.it/FKJjW





The 10 Biggest Commercial Real Estate Stories of 2015


Whatever else you can say about 2015, it was without a doubt a very big year for the U.S. commercial real estate industry. Here we look back at some of the biggest deals and trends that happened in the past 12 months.  ... http://flip.it/_Il6R




Fannie and Freddie Forever






Washington is a place where bad ideas go to live forever. How else to explain the latest innovation from federal regulators to keep Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac dominating the market for mortgage finance?   ... http://flip.it/0_cRR




Is a reverse mortgage right for you?


If you’re a retiree, you have probably heard talk of reverse mortgages. What exactly are they? What are the pros and cons? Is a reverse mortgage a good idea for you personally?



Reverse mortgages are basically loans available to people over 62. Using your house as collateral, the lender gives you money to use during your retirement. The income usually is not taxable, and it generally won't affect your Social Security or Medicare benefits. There are no loan payments — since you're borrowing money against the equity in your house, you don't have to repay the loan as long as you own the house. You can choose to receive your money as a monthly income, or as a line of credit...



http://flip.it/RlypV




Saturday, December 26, 2015

Why Suburbia Looks so Much the Same

Why Suburbia Looks So Much the Same


The split level, the picture window, the cul de sac, and the attached garage all seem like interchangeable components in houses across the US. Two new books explain how that happened.
The processes and ingredients that built suburbia—mortgage guarantees, the interstate highway system, the baby boomers, crime, white flight, and so on—are intensely familiar. But the processes that actually built suburban homes are not.
Seventy years after World War...



Learn Some of the Simple Steps of Home improvement

Learn Some Of The Simple Steps Of Home Improvement




Strategies on How to Effectively Improve your Home

Strategies On How To Effectively Improve Your Home



You can help your home retain value and make it more comfortable by making improvements to your home. When you're thinking about potential projects, it's important to consider many factors. There are many tips in this article to help you improve your home to suit the needs of yourself and your loved ones. When planning a home renovation with your contractor, be honest about your budget. While many homeowners fear that they'll get ripped off by a contractor if it's known how much money they've to spend, the reality is that being honest will get you better results. The contractor is free to budget for better work and higher-quality materials if they know your true cost ceiling. Install radiant heat under your new tile floors. There are...






Home Buying Predictions for a New Year

Home Buying Predictions for a New Year


Home buying in 2016 will remain challenging for many borrowers. But the market should look closer to normal, as more homeowners who had been stuck underwater reach the surface and more first-time buyers find their financial footing.
Here are some predictions.

HOME PRICE APPRECIATION WILL SLOW. Industry experts expect home prices to continue to rise in 2016, but at a slower pace, somewhere between 3 percent and 4.5 percent nationally. In the expensive coastal markets, like New York and San Francisco, prices had been rising much more quickly, but that trend is not sustainable, said Ralph McLaughlin, a housing economist for the real estate website Trulia.

“We are approaching a critical threshold on the costly...





2015 Decor Trends: Things We Loved and Loathes

2015 Décor Trends: Things We Loved And Loathed


What a year 2015 was for design trends. Entrenched ones (open-plan interiors, exposed brick walls, etc.) marched on, undeterred by the rise of newer styles and thinkpieces sounding the alarm of their imminent demise. Others, like the midcentury mania that reached a fever pitch in the era of Mad Men (which premiered in 2007, in case you've forgotten in the years since) or the passion for plywood as surfacing, seem to be slumping off into...





Comfort and Character

Kristy's Home with "Comfort and Character"


My husband Marc and I bought our 1960s ranch home over a year ago in the up-and-coming Port Tampa City area of Tampa, Florida. Marc is a pool designer and I own a home staging and interior styling company, so it was important to us to choose a home that catered to our design tastes.... a quaint and modernized cottage home with an open floor plan and timeless features. Our three bed, two and a half bath with ample home office areas and a "clean slate" for our collected decor treasures was a perfect fit. Though the designer in me would describe our style as "Eclectic Farmhouse", we simply surround our home with things that make us happy and...







Small Indoor Pools with TV for Luxury Modern Home Decoration Ideas

Small Indoor Pools with TV for Luxury Modern Home Decoration Ideas


Outdoor, Small Indoor Pools With TV For Luxury Modern Home Decoration Ideas: Luxury Modern Homes with Small Pools and Garden in Outdoor Patio
The extraordinary of Small Indoor Pools With TV For Luxury Modern Home Decoration Ideas photo above, is a part of Luxury Modern Homes with Small Pools and Garden in Outdoor Patio writing, which is classified within Outdoor.
Marked as Small Backyard Landscaping Ideas with Pool subject along with Modern Small Swimming Pool Design area of interest with Outdoor Patio Ideas topic as well as Luxury Modern Homes with Small Pools topic or Best Small Swimming Pool Design area of interest, Outdoor So dont forget to check out the main writing in Luxury Modern Homes ...





25 of The Best Rooms of 2015

25 Of The Best Rooms Of 2015


We combed through our archives to find the most inspirational, and unabashedly stylish rooms to appear in...





Wednesday, December 23, 2015

The DON'Ts of buying a home

If you hare looking into purchase a new or used home, here is a list of DON’Ts  during the holiday season…
 


  • Don’t spend your Down payment,
  • Or your Reserves (savings needed to qualify)
  • Funds for credit repair
  • Don’t overdraw your checking account
  • Don’t take out loans
  • Don’t get your credit pulled
  • Don’t accept CASH gifts and deposit into your account w/out consulting with your LO first
  • Don’t drop your job for a holiday season gig
  • Don’t Co-Sign for someone else to finance anything…