Blog – Page 716 of 721

04 Mar 2013

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week: March 4th, 2013

Mortgage Rates

U.S. Budget Stalemate, Italian Elections Stir Concerns Mortgage rates were lower last week as investors sought safety in bonds in the wake of US legislators' failure to agree on budget cutbacks, and after Italy’s elections failed to reveal a leader committed to continuing economic reform. When bond prices including Mortgage Backed Securities rise, mortgage rates typically fall. While the March 1st deadline for passing budget cutbacks for the U.S. government passed without a resolution, emergency legislation passed last year will keep the government running until March 27. If a budget is not passed by then, the federal government could face…

01 Mar 2013

By Mark Feder

5 Important Tips To Save Money On Your Tax Bill

Taxes

April 15th seems a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. Now is the perfect time to start getting your paperwork in order. Owning real estate can make a big difference on your tax return, so make sure that you're taking advantage of all the deductions you're entitled to. We've outlined a few below: Mortgage Interest Unless you paid cash for your purchase, you probably took out a loan to buy your Solana Beach home. Mortgage interest is one of the best tax deductions available, so be sure to hang on to that 1098 Mortgage…

28 Feb 2013

By Mark Feder

Existing Home Sales Rise As Home Inventory Shrinks

Housing Analysis

Home sales rose for the 11th consecutive month according to the National Association of REALTORS® Existing Home Sales Report for January. This is the first time this has occurred since the period between July of 2005 and May of 2006. National Average Home Price Up Over 12% Annually The national average home price in January was $173,600, which is 12.3 percent higher than for January 2012. Calculated on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis, Existing Home Sales data is compiled using completed sales of single family homes, condominium units and co-ops. January's existing home sales rose by 0.4 percent to 4.92 million…

27 Feb 2013

By Mark Feder

Is Downsizing The Next Big Trend In Homes?

Real Estate Trends

The real estate market has started to recover from the downturn over the last few years in many areas of the country, and more people are thinking about buying a new place to live. With this new energy in home buying, an interesting trend seems to be developing. Instead of going for larger homes, which was an overwhelming trend in years past, many people are choosing micro-dwellings. What is a micro-dwelling? There are a number of different styles of micro dwellings being built. This is a relatively new concept for homes in the United States and individual creativity abounds…