06
Oct
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – October 6, 2014

Last week's economic news included multiple reports on housing and the labor sector. The good news is that job markets appear to be stronger, with new jobless claims and the national unemployment rate lower. Unfortunately, housing continues to struggle in its recovery. Pending home sales slumped in August and the S&P Case-Shiller Housing Market Index reports for July showed slower growth in home prices with 19 of 20 cities posting lower gains than for June. Mortgage rates were mixed, but remained relatively steady. Housing Reports Show Slower Price Gains, Suggest Falling Demand The National Association of REALTORS® released data for…
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03
Oct
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

Looking for a Value-adding Upgrade? Why Residential Solar Panels Are Becoming a Popular Renovation

If you're looking for a home upgrade that can add resale value to your home while paying itself off over time, look no further than a solar panel setup. In the past few years, the cost of installing residential solar has declined while the efficiency of the panels has increased. This combination has made home solar one of the best investments that a homeowner can make - provided they live in an area that receives a good deal of sunshine. Solar Adds Immense Value To Your Home While solar panel installations are not inexpensive, in almost every case they add…
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01
Oct
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Setting Your Budget: How to Analyze Your Finances to Determine How Much Mortgage You Can Afford

Whether you're buying a home for the first time or you've decided it's about time that you upgraded to a larger, more expansive house, if you're making a real estate purchase you'll need to be aware of how much you can reasonably afford to borrow in a mortgage. In today's post we'll take a look at a few ways that you can analyze your financial situation to help decide how much mortgage you can truly afford. Prepare An Honest Monthly Budget The first step in understanding how much of a monthly payment you can afford is to create an honest…
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01
Oct
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

Case-Shiller: July Home Prices Cool Across U.S.

The stifling heat of July did not penetrate U.S. housing markets according to the S&P Case-Shiller 10-and 20 City Home Price Index reports. San Francisco's sizzling home prices dropped in July and posted its lowest price gains since 2012. According to the Case-Shiller 10 and 20-City Home Price Index reports, month-to-month home price appreciation fell to identical readings of an 0.60 percent increase as compared to a 1.00 percent increase reported in June. Case-Shiller also reported that home prices grew by 0.50 percent throughout the nation. This was the seventh consecutive monthly increase for national home prices. Year-over-year, seasonally adjusted…
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30
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Home Seller Tips, ,

Selling to Millennials: Three High-Tech Upgrades That Will Increase Your Home’s Appeal to Young Buyers

Millennials are finally starting to enter the real estate market after delaying home purchases for several years. With a completely new client base looking for homes, it is time to start making your home more appealing to these young buyers. Millennials are used to using high-tech gadgets every day, so they are going to desire these things in their new home. While there are several high-tech upgrades you can make on your home, these three will appeal the most to young homebuyers. Keyless Entry: Security for the New Millennium Keyless entry doors are becoming a popular way of keeping a…
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29
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – Sept 29, 2014

Last week's economic news included several housing-related reports that provided mixed results with lower than expected sales of previously owned homes and higher than expected sales of new homes. The FHFA also released its House Price report for July, which noted that year-over-year home prices were lower than year-over-year prices reported in June. Here's a look at the details: Existing Home Sales Lower, New Home Sales Higher The National Association of REALTORS® reported August sales of existing home sales fell to 5.05 million previously owned homes sold. This was lower than the expected reading of 5.20 million existing homes sold…
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