Today's Real Estate News and Advice
Updated: March 21, 2006
Free Tax Return Assistance Available For Hurricane Casualty Loss Victims
Qualified residents of the Gulf Coast region who suffered casualty losses can get free tax return assistance from VITA and TCE referrals to CPAs who belong to leading CPA trade groups. FULL STORY->
10 Ways To Make Your Home More Salable
Home sales in many areas have slowed -- but that does not mean you can't get a top price. Columnist Peter G. Miller explains how. FULL STORY->
Is an FHA Refi "Mini-Boom" on the Horizon?
It's like the perfect storm: FHA increases LTV's to 95 percent for cash out refinances; the prime rate is at a five year high of 7.50 percent; credit card companies are doubling their minimum monthly payments. Do these events add up to an FHA refinance wave? FULL STORY->
March Market Takes Off
The 3,755 transactions that took place in the Toronto Area resale housing market during the first half of March were one per cent higher than the mid-March total from a year ago, Toronto Real Estate Board President John Meehan announced today. FULL STORY->
Canadian Pilot Project Examines 30-Year Amortization
To offset increasing interest rates, a new government-backed project investigates the practicality of extending mortgage insurance to cover 30-year amortization periods. PJ Wade suggests borrowers should look beyond lower monthly payments to total interest cost before they invest. FULL STORY->
Housing Counsel: Don't Forget the Stepped up Basis
A widow asks some important questions about capital gains. Columnist Benny L. Kass offers an explanation. FULL STORY->
Net Offers Buying Sight Unseen, But Should You?
Information technology is leading some consumers to believe buying a home online -- sight unseen -- will become commonplace, but that doesn't mean you should. Fundamentals still apply. FULL STORY->
Self-directed IRA and IRA LLC for Real Estate
Many people are concerned with building wealth so that they can retire comfortably. A decades-old form of investing and creating wealth is gaining in popularity as people search for creative ways to buy real estate. FULL STORY->
Lawsuit: Agents Fail to Disclose Representation
A disgruntled home buyer in Maryland is asking for $300,000 in punitive damages and return of his $34,000 deposit after a realty agent allegedly failed to disclose that she represented the seller in the transaction, not the home buyer. NAR's Janik says lax compliance with disclosure rules is a growing problem for the industry. FULL STORY->
Mortgage Rates Dip in Freddie Mac Weekly Survey
Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.34 percent, with an average 0.7 point, for the week ending March 16, 2006, down from last week's average of 6.37 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.95 percent. FULL STORY->
Pricing as Much Art as Science
With resale homes, the first weapon to use in the battle to sell the home is to price it correctly. FULL STORY->
U.S. Capital Housing Joins President's 'Lame Duck' Status
Quacking in the White House joins cracking in the housing market in the nation's capital as both the president's and area housing's viability for the rest of the year come under scrutiny. FULL STORY->
If a Tree Falls in a Yard, Do Your Neighbors Care?
When you buy a house, you buy a neighborhood, and your happiness is only as certain as the relationship you develop between you and your neighbors. FULL STORY->
Lead Paint and MTBE Have Met Their Match
After years of fighting, finally there is good news concerning two common environmental hazards. FULL STORY->
Big Three Announce New Credit Score
A new VantageScore credit score from the big three credit scoring agencies comes with sketchy details, but it is designed to make it easier to apply for home loans and other credit. FULL STORY->
Inventory of Unsold New Houses Rising
The inventory of unsold new homes has risen to an all-time high. But the number includes units that haven't even been started yet. And even at the record high, the backlog could be sold out within six months at the current sales pace. Lew Sichelman has all the details. FULL STORY->
Fresh House: Smells Sell
A smell can either make or break a home. But let's face it; sometimes there are circumstances that hold this possibility at bay. In other words, kids, dirty clothes, pets, preparing fish for dinner or even cutting up an onion can all stink up the house for weeks on end. So, what's a homeowner to do? Read on. FULL STORY->
Silicon Valley Home Prices At Record Levels As Sales Tumble
Buyers were taking their time picking over a growing crop of listings in Silicon Valley in February. But as home sales neared record lows, prices reached record highs. FULL STORY->
Ask the HOA Expert
What accommodations should be made for an HOA resident with a disability? How does an HOA prevent fraud? These questions and more in this week's column. FULL STORY->
Canada's Atlas Now 100; Topographic Maps Go Digital
Atlas of Canada just released its next generation of digital topographic maps as free downloads. PJ Wade explains where to find them and more digital data for your real estate and investment projects. FULL STORY->
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