Blog – Page 702 of 785

29 May 2014

5 Tips To Protect Yourself When Buying Newly Constructed Real Estate

Homeowner Tips

Buying newly constructed real estate isn't much different from buying an "already used" home. What variances there are, however, can make all the difference between buying a diamond or a lemon. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when buying new construction: Tip #1: Don't Use The Builder's Sales Agent - Hire Your Own If they're the builder's agent, they're being paid to represent the builder, no matter what they tell you. Your own real estate agent, who is representing you, is required to tell you the negatives as well as the positives. The builder's agent doesn't have…

28 May 2014

By Mark Feder

FOMC Minutes: Committee Discusses “Normalizing” Policy

Uncategorized

April's meeting of the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee was held along with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Meeting minutes released Wednesday indicated the committee's interest in "normalizing" its monetary policy. This included the FOMC's ongoing commitment to tapering its asset purchases under its quantitative easing program. The committee agreed to taper the Fed's monthly asset purchases by $10 billion to $45 billion per month. Committee members discussed raising the target federal funds rate, which now stands at 0.00 to 0.25 percent, but the minutes clearly stated that this topic was undertaken as part of "prudent…

27 May 2014

By Mark Feder

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – May 27, 2014

Uncategorized

Last week's economic news was dominated by speeches given by Federal Reserve presidents, the minutes from April's FOMC meeting and commencement address given by Fed Chair Janet Yellen. The latest readings for new and existing home sales were also released. Federal Reserve Speeches Suggest Concerns Over Monetary Policy Dependence, Low Inflation Here are highlights of comments made by each of the Fed presidents' speeches. Richard Fisher, president of the Dallas Fed, and John Williams, President of the San Francisco Fed, spoke at a conference held at the Bush Institute. Mr. Fisher said that 98 percent of jobs lost during the…

23 May 2014

By Mark Feder

Did You Know? How Paint Color Choices Can Drastically Affect The ‘Mood’ Of Your Home

Uncategorized

Whether you're sprucing up your house to sell or simply looking for a color to bring out the beauty of your home, it's imperative that you do your homework. Before you head off to your local DIY store with a paint sample in one hand and a wallet in the other, you need to ensure that you're picking the colors that are right for your home and your personality. It is true that you can never go wrong with a neutral, but you can also go so much more right with the correct color in the appropriate space, whether it's…