Blog

17
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Housing Market

Home Builder Sentiment Unchanged in November

According to the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index for November, builder sentiment was unchanged at a reading of 63. Readings above 50 indicate that a majority of builders are confident about housing market conditions. Readings for three sub-indexes used to calculate the Housing Market Index Readings for builder confidence in current market conditions and market conditions within the next six months were posted at 69. The reading for buyer foot traffic in housing developments was 47. Buyer traffic has not reached the benchmark reading of 50 since the peak of the housing bubble approximately 10 years ago.…
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16
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Home Seller Tips, ,

Staging Tips: 5 Interior Paint Colors That Will Help You Sell Your Home Faster

It's important to remember that when a home is put up for sale it should appeal to as many people as possible. Sometimes those flashy paint colors the owners grew up with will not charm new buyers. Here are five ideas for paint colors that will help any home sell quickly. Keep It Neutral For A Reason The first thing everybody hears when they try and sell their home is to paint in neutral colors. There is a good reason for this. Every person who walks through the front door should be able to picture living in the home and…
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15
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Applying for a Mortgage? 3 Easy Ways to Make the Process Easier — and Reduce Your Stress

There are more than enough details involved in getting a mortgage and moving into your own home that you'll want to know how to make the process as seamless as possible beforehand. However, there's a chance you might not be aware of the things you can do to make it a little easier on yourself. If you're currently looking for a home and are wondering how to streamline the approval process, here are some things to do before applying to minimize mortgage-related stress. Get Electronic Documentation In order to get approved for your mortgage application, you'll need to provide documentation…
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14
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Mortgage Rates

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 14, 2016

Last week's economic news included readings on job openings, consumer sentiment and the Federal Reserve's monthly survey of senior loan officers. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released. Freddie Mac noted that last week's primary mortgage market survey did not include post-election readings as the survey information was gathered prior to election results. Loan Officers Survey: High Demand for Home Loans, Commercial Lenders Raise Standards As demand for mortgage financing and homes increase, the Federal Reserve reported last week that banks are tightening the screws on commercial lending requirements. This could present challenges to home…
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11
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

Reduce Your Home’s Carbon Footprint With These Energy-Saving Tips

Do you believe that humans are changing the climate? As of today, the debate over carbon dioxide and climate change continues to rage. But regardless of your political standpoint, there's always a case for reducing electricity use. Because who doesn't like saving money, right? Let's explore a few ways that you can save energy while reducing your home's carbon footprint. Leverage The Power Of Automation The technology behind home automation is improving at an amazing rate. Thermostats from companies like Nest make home heating and cooling simple. They learn from your use to automatically set temperatures up and down as…
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10
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

3 Ways That You Can Leverage Mortgage Financing to Build a Real Estate Investment Portfolio

Real estate may be one of the most important things that you will ever invest in, but it can also be a useful means of increasing your financial well-being. If you're getting into the real estate game and are wondering how you can make use of investing in homes to improve your net worth, here are three ways you can successfully work towards a real estate investment portfolio that will make you proud. Home Equity Line of Credit Loan Also known as HELOC, this is the type of loan where a homebuyer taps into the equity of their home while…
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