Blog

30
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips,

Three Things You Can Expect when Buying a Home This Winter

When you're looking into purchasing a home, there are plenty of things to watch out for at any time of the year, but there are a few things that you can expect during the winter months that may be a little different than other seasons. If you happen to be on the market for a home and are thinking of buying, here are three things you may want to consider for the winter buying months. A Little Bit Off The Top While there is significant home buying that goes on throughout the fall, it's often the case that things slow…
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29
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Understanding Mortgage Pre-Approvals and How to Avoid Being Declined for One

The mortgage process is a long and complicated one, with a number of similar-sounding terms that can easily confuse first-time homebuyers. A pre-approval is not the same thing as a pre-qualification, and it's important to understand everything that goes into a pre-approval. Being declined during the pre-approval process means you'll have a hard time getting the funds you need to buy your home, so it's important that you know what the process is going to look like before going into it. How does a pre-approval work, and how can you make sure you won't be declined? Here's what you need…
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28
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, , ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 28, 2015

This week's report of economic events is shortened due to the Christmas holiday. Economic news through Wednesday included Existing Home Sales, New Home Sales and Consumer Spending. The details: Existing Home Sales Dip, New Home Sales Rise According to the National Association of Realtors®, sales of previously owned homes dipped from October's seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.32 million sales to 4.76 million sales of pre-owned homes. This was considerably lower than analysts' expectations of 5.30 million sales. Factors seen as contributing to November's reading included pent-up demand caused by low inventories of available homes and affordability issues emerging as…
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24
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

DIY Home Decorating: How to Use Spray Paint to Spice Up Your Home and Furniture

The idea of using spray paint to make some quick fix-ups to your home might seem uncouth, but it can be a great way to make some easy, economical upgrades that will shift the overall look of your living space. Instead of assuming that spray paint is just for graffiti, here are some simple ways to use a can of quick paint to change up your home's style. Dress Up Your Doorknobs An outdated doorknob can instantly age the look of your home, but what you might not know is that a simple douse of spray paint can instantly change…
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24
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

DIY Home Decorating: How to Use Spray Paint to Spice Up Your Home and Furniture

The idea of using spray paint to make some quick fix-ups to your home might seem uncouth, but it can be a great way to make some easy, economical upgrades that will shift the overall look of your living space. Instead of assuming that spray paint is just for graffiti, here are some simple ways to use a can of quick paint to change up your home's style. Dress Up Your Doorknobs An outdated doorknob can instantly age the look of your home, but what you might not know is that a simple douse of spray paint can instantly change…
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23
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

Existing Home Sales Dip More Than Expected

November sales of pre-owned homes dipped lower than expected and prior month's readings according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Analysts expected existing home sales to slow to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.30 million sales, which was based on October's reading of 5.32 million sales. Instead, November's reading dropped to 4.76 million sales. November's drop represented a decline of 10.50 percent drop in existing home sales month-to-month; existing home sales were 3.80 percent lower year-over-year. November's reading represented the first time since September 2014 that the year-over-year reading for sales of pre-owned homes was lower than for the…
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