November 17, 2009
- Find the Best Interest Rates
Find the Best Interest Rates
When it comes to borrowing (or saving) money, it pays to shop around. Here's an example of just how vast the difference can be when shopping interest rates…Have questions or comments? Use the comment link below to sound off. Your email address is needed to post a comment (to help us [...]
November 16, 2009
- Home Prices Bottoming Out?
Home Prices Bottoming Out?
The bleeding in the housing market seems to be slowing, at least temporarily, according to home price data released recently.
Most U.S. cities saw gains in the median price of single-family homes sold during the three months ended Sept. 30, according to the National Association of Realtors' quarterly report on home prices. This [...]
November 15, 2009
- Home Sellers: Rebuilding Equity Will Take Time
Home Sellers: Rebuilding Equity Will Take Time
After three years of slumping house prices, the end of the real estate bust may finally be in sight. Home sales are rising, inventories are shrinking, and most economists believe values nationwide will hit bottom in the second half of 2010 — but not before falling another 5% to [...]
November 14, 2009
- 10 Mistakes First-Time Home Buyers Make
10 Mistakes First-Time Home Buyers Make
Smart Money lists ten mistakes first-time home buyers make as follows:
1. Not knowing how much house you can afford. 2. Assuming foreclosures are great deals. 3. Letting your true feelings show. 4. Failing to find a good buyer's agent. 5. Underestimating the costs of owning a home. 6. Failing [...]
November 13, 2009
- Lessons for Landlords
Lessons for Landlords
Lessons every landlord needs to know…Comments or questions? Use the comment link below.
November 12, 2009
- 3 Tips for Lower Rent
3 Tips for Lower Rent
Are you one of the millions of Americans renting real estate? Lower your rent with these 3 tips.Comments or questions? Use the comment link below to contact us. Your email address is safe with us, it will never be published on this site, or used for any marketing purpose.
November 11, 2009
- Consumer Confidence Down?
Consumer Confidence Down?
While indirectly related to real estate, confidence among U.S. consumers unexpectedly fell for a second month in October, reinforcing the views of Federal Reserve policy makers who say household spending continues to be restrained by rising unemployment.
The emerging recovery from the deepest recession since the 1930s may fall short of expectations without a [...]
November 10, 2009
- Housing Prices May Fall Further
Housing Prices May Fall Further
Over the past few months, there have been suggestions that the U.S. housing market might finally be bottoming out. Since July, the decline in sales of both new and existing homes has moderated. Moreover, over the past three months, there has been a very modest increase in home prices at the [...]
November 9, 2009
- Household Items Replaced By Vinegar
Household Items Replaced By Vinegar
These household items can just as easily be replaced by vinegar.Any other uses for vinegar that you know of? Use the comment link below and share your discoveries with our readers.
November 8, 2009
- Staying Warm for Less Money
Staying Warm for Less Money
The combination of a weak economy and a production boom has dropped the cost of heating with natural gas to a six-year low and is keeping a lid on other heat sources as well. But you can still save more.
If you use natural gas, you'll spend $434 to $1,044 to keep [...]
November 7, 2009
- New Home Sales Fall 3.6%
New Home Sales Fall 3.6%
Sales of new homes dropped unexpectedly last month as the effects of the soon-to-expire current tax credit for first-time buyers started to wane.
The Commerce Department said sales fell 3.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 402,000 from a downwardly revised 417,000 in August. Economists surveyed had expected a pace of [...]
November 6, 2009
- Free ID Theft Protection
Free ID Theft Protection
Why pay for Identity Theft Protection when you can "do it yourself" for free?Comments or questions? Use the comment link below to contact us. Your email address will not be published along with any comments you care to share with us.
November 5, 2009
- Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension Crucial
Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension Crucial
The federal government’s first-time homebuyer tax credit is scheduled to expire Nov. 30. The credit, part of the Obama administration-backed economic stimulus package, rewards Americans for buying a home by cutting them a check for 10% of the purchase price up to $8,000.
Analysts attribute close to 20% of home sales nationally [...]
November 4, 2009
- Private Mortgage Insurance Explained
Private Mortgage Insurance Explained
When many borrowers hear “mortgage insurance,” they tend to think, "hey - that’s great! I’ll be protected in case I can’t pay my mortgage!” However, this mortgage insurance is not in place to protect borrowers. Rather, it’s put into place to protect lenders.
Experience has shown lenders that borrowers with less than 20 [...]
November 1, 2009
- Real Estate News - November 2009
Real Estate News - November 2009
Our November 2009 Newsletter is now online for you…
From the right Nav Menu, Find "PAGES AND NEWSLETTERS" and Select "November 2009 below "Our Monthly Newsletters".
http://sanfranciscorealestateandhomes.com/our-newsletters/2009/november-2009/
October 31, 2009
- Buying Like it's 1999
Buying Like it's 1999
If you're a savvy money saver and have money to spend or invest, you can find the bargains of a lifetime. Or, to paraphrase “the artist formally known as Prince,” you can purchase like it’s 1999.Comments or questions? Use the comment link below to contact us. Your email address is safe with [...]
October 30, 2009
- Another Housing Bailout on the Way
Another Housing Bailout on the Way
Just as federal officials seek to wind down many bailout programs, the Obama administration has announced yet another initiative to prop up the housing market.
Administration officials unveiled a plan to aid state and local housing finance agencies, which provide mortgages to first-time and lower-income homebuyers and enable the [...]
October 29, 2009
- Buying A Home vs Renting
Buying A Home vs Renting
If you're renting a home (as opposed to owning) is it cheaper, or more expensive? After all, if you're renting, you don't have repair costs, homeowner's insurance, mortgage payments, interest, and possibly private mortgage insurance.
Buying a home can also be a lot of work, keeping in mind the costs of mowing [...]
October 28, 2009
- Mortgage Lending: Dave Lewis Comments
Mortgage Lending: Dave Lewis Comments
Fox Business News' Dave Ramsey on why he doesn't approve of the current trend in mortgage lending.Comments or questions on Dave's comments about the current trend in mortgage lending? Use the comment link below and sound off. Your email address, although needed to post a comment, will NOT be published on [...]
October 27, 2009
- Tax Credit Fraud Eyed by the IRS
Tax Credit Fraud Eyed by the IRS
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is probing more than 100,000 doubtful claims of a tax credit meant for first-time home buyers.
The $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passed in February to help nudge the U.S. economy back to life.
Lawmakers have [...]
