Blog

28
Jan
By Jim Hasek
Housing Market, ,

Case-Shiller: Home Price Growth Slower in November

Case-Shiller Home Price Index reports for November indicate that home price growth continues to slow. The 20-City Home Price Index dropped by 0.20 percent to November's reading of 4.30 percent year-over-year.  The five cities with highest year-over-year home price growth rates in November were: San Francisco, California 8.90% Miami, Florida 8.60% Las Vegas, Nevada and Dallas, Texas 7.70% Denver, Colorado 7.50% The five cities with the lowest year-over-year growth in home prices were: Cleveland, Ohio 0.60% Washington, DC 1.90% New York, New York and Minneapolis, Minnesota 1.50% Chicago, Illinois 2.00% There were no instances of year-over-year depreciation in home prices…
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27
Jan
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Three iPhone and Android Apps That Make Managing Your Mortgage Payments Quick and Easy

Your mortgage payment may be among the largest payments you make every month. While certainly an important part of your budget, this payment is also critical to helping you build equity in your home because it attributes to mortgage principal reduction. Managing your mortgage payments can be challenging, but there are some incredible apps available for use with Android or iPhone smartphones that can simplify your mortgage management tasks. Mortgage Mentor This app is available for both iPhones and Android devices, and is designed to be compatible with all types of mortgages. It can calculate PMI for adjustable rate and…
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26
Jan
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 26, 2015

Last week's economic reports included the National Association of Home Builders Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, Housing Starts for December and the FHFA Home Price Index report for November. The National Association of Realtors® also released its Existing Home Sales report for December. Freddie Mac and the Department of Commerce released their weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. Builder Confidence Close to Record High, Housing Starts Rise The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported that home builder confidence slipped by one point in January to an index reading of 57. This was not a significant decline…
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23
Jan
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home,

2015 and Kitchen Design: Three Trends That You Need to Be Aware of Before You Renovate

Renovating your kitchen is an excellent way to improve its look, increase the value of your home and appeal to a more diverse range of home buyers if you decide to sell. However, a kitchen remodel can easily cost $10,000 to $20,000 or more, which is why you want to make choices that you can live with. Learning more about some of hottest trends for 2015 can help you decide what you want and don't want in your kitchen. Traditional Is Back Trends come and go, but the classics remain constant. One of the hottest renovation trends for 2015 is…
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22
Jan
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Three Tips for Reducing Your Closing Costs if You’re Looking Forward To Buying a Home in the Spring

Spring is approaching fast and it is usually the busiest time of the year for home buying. After a long and cold winter, many people are ready to enjoy the nicer weather and begin to shop for a new home. Spring is also the perfect time for home buying for families with children because it allows them to move during the summer without interrupting school. Home buying has costs associated with it other than the mortgage itself. Known as closing costs, these fees are a part of the home buying process and they are due at the time that the…
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21
Jan
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

NAHB: Home Builder Confidence Nears 2005 High

The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Wells Fargo Housing Market Index reported that homebuilder confidence in sales conditions for single-family homes declined one point to a reading of 57. The NAHB Housing Market Index measures home builder confidence based on builder opinions of current market conditions, future market conditions and buyer foot traffic in new homes. Home Builder Confidence Stable for Seven Consecutive Months January's index reading of 57 was one point below December's reading of 58. Any index reading above 50 indicates that more home builders are confident about housing market conditions than not. January's reading was the seventh…
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