A new rule that was unveiled by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) called the qualified mortgage (QM) rule was highly anticipated by consumers and lenders for the protections it provides. The most critical aspect of the new rule is the Ability-to-Repay rule, which takes...
As 2012 drew to a close, the real estate market heated up in a way that hadn’t been seen in years. In fact, Trulia conducted a survey last summer where they asked local residents how they thought home prices might rise in the area. In...
The inspection is one of the most important parts of the real estate transaction, and this is especially true if it’s your first time purchasing a home. Before you head to the home improvement store to pick-out appliances and other personal touches, make sure you...
According to a recent report by Capital Economics, homeowners with negative equity have been helped by rising home prices. Economists are hopeful that negative equity will continue to shrink in the coming months, assisting those who are underwater in their homes. The report states, “The negative...
Most people know just how important their credit score is, especially when it comes to purchasing a big ticket item like a car or house. But a new report finds that U.S. consumers are overlooking their credit reports. The report released by the Consumer Financial...
Last year, one of the country’s largest real estate brokerages said they were pulling their listings from national real estate portals like Realtor.com and Trulia. Their gripe? The advertisements that almost seem to compete with the listings. These advertisements pay the bills for third-party listing...
The National Association of Realtors® recently reported that existing home sales rose to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.79 million in October, and that sales were up 10.9% year-over-year. Additionally, thanks to strong demand from interested buyers, the median home price nationwide increased to $178,600...
We have just come off the biggest shopping weeks of the year, and while many people were stocking up on electronics, jewelry, and other gifts, most people didn’t spend their Cyber Monday house hunting online. But perhaps some attention should be paid to the real...
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently reported that in August 2012, close to 99,000 home owners utilized the HARP program (or Home Affordable Refinance Program) to refinance their mortgages. FHFA says part of HARP’s attraction is record-low mortgage rates and program enhancements that included...
It wasn’t until recently that Zillow made information available to home buyers about pre-foreclosure and foreclosure properties. But according to the online real estate site, 55% of home buyers have expressed an interest in purchasing a foreclosure property, and now 1.2 million pre-foreclosure and foreclosed...
