Blog

27
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Housing Market

Case-Shiller: Home Prices Higher in July, Home Prices May Have Peaked

Case-Shiller reported higher sales of new homes for July; the national reading for new home sales increased by 0.10 percent to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.90 percent. The 20-City Home Price Index rose by 0.20 percent to 5.80 percent on a seasonally adjusted annual basis. Seattle Washington held the top spot in the 20-City Index with a growth of 13.50 percent year-over-year. Seattle home prices are growing faster than home prices in Portland Oregon, which reported a year-over-home price growth rate of 7,60 percent. Dallas, Texas lost its third-place standing in the 20-City Index to Las Vegas, Nevada, which…
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26
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Did You Know: Your Choice of Community Will Impact Your Mortgage – Here’s How

If you are in the market for a new home, you've probably begun the process of choosing the neighborhood or community in which you want to live. The perfect spot to call home will depend on your age, the size and composition of your family, your working life and other factors. However, one thing you may not know is that the community you choose to live in can also impact your mortgage. In today's post, we'll explore how the local area in which you live can affect your mortgage financing and interest rate. Lender Pricing Varies By State As you…
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25
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Mortgage Rates

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – September 25th, 2017

Last week's economic news included readings on housing starts, building permits issued and sales of pre-owned homes. The Fed's Federal Open Market Committee issued its customary post-meeting statement and Fed Chair Janet Yellen gave a press conference. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released. Housing Starts Lower, but Building Permits Increase August saw fewer housing starts with 1.18 million starts on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. July's reading was upwardly adjusted to 1.19 million starts; analysts expected 1.175 million starts annually in August. Building permits rose in August, which suggested builder confidence was strong regardless of…
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22
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

DIY Home Projects: Creating a Study Space That Will Help Your Children Stay Focused

If you're a parent of school-aged children, you've likely been concerned with their study habits at some point. Sitting down in front of the television or at the dinner table to crack open the books is going to be less efficient than doing so in a quieter, more productive work space. Let's explore how to create a study space that will help keep your children focused and on task. Ask The Kids What They Need To Be Productive Before you get to work on creating a new studying space, it's a good idea to have a chat with those will…
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21
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

It’s Pre-approval Time: How to Get Your Finances in Order for Your Mortgage Approval

Buying a new home is one of the most exciting experiences a person or family can have. Of course, before you can step foot into your new dream home you will need to get prepared financially, especially if you are taking out a mortgage to cover some of the purchase price. Let's take a look at a few key steps that will help you to prepare for the financial background checks that are part of the mortgage process. Square Up With The Government The first place you'll want to start is making sure that you are fully caught up on…
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20
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Housing Analysis

NAHB: Builder Confidence Dips on Hurricane Damage

Home builders had less confidence in housing market conditions in September. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, builders worried that ongoing shortages of construction labor and materials would worsen.  NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald said that concerns over labor and building materials were "intensified," but said that builder confidence was expected to return to high readings once rebuilding is underway. The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index dropped three points to an index reading of 64 with all three component readings lower than they were in August. Builder confidence in current market conditions for new single-family homes…
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