Blog – Page 735 of 780

18 Oct 2013

How To Manage Those Fallen Leaves

Around The Home

The kids are back in school, the weather is getting cooler and your yard is covered in a layer of fallen leaves. Yep, it's that time of the year again, but don't think of fall leaves as a chore. They can be a useful resource for fertilizing your lawn or even decorating your home for autumn. Finish The Raking It's tempting to just let the leaves lie in the yard. It's good fertilizer anyway, right? Wrong. You should rake everything up as soon as the trees begin to look bare, or else risk the blanket of leaves smothering your lawn…

17 Oct 2013

By Mark Feder

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Housing Market Index Shows Builders Continue To Have A Positive Outlook

Housing Analysis

The National Association of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index dropped two points to 55 from September's revised reading of 57. Builder concerns over labor costs and availability and economic uncertainty related to the federal government shutdown were noted as factors contributing to the lower reading for October. Key Points Noted In October's HMI included: Builder confidence remains above 50, which indicates that more builders have a positive outlook on housing market conditions than those with negative sentiment. The October HMI cites pent-up buyer demand in markets throughout the US as a positive influence on October's reading. A spike in mortgage…

16 Oct 2013

By Mark Feder

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Get The Lowdown On Private Mortgage Insurance

Home Mortgage Tips

You may have heard the term Private Mortgage Insurance when looking to finance real estate. What is PMI, and how do you know when you need to purchase it? The answer can be hard to find among all the real estate jargon you're hearing lately. Below is the short version of what you need to know. What Is Private Mortgage Insurance? PMI is an extra insurance required by some lenders to offset their risk of you defaulting on your home loan. When you put down less than 20 percent of the real estate's value, your lender may tell you that…

15 Oct 2013

By Mark Feder

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Nail The Final Walkthrough Before Closing

Home Buyer Tips

By the time you get to the final walkthrough on your property, the home buying process is almost complete. However, it is still important to pay close attention to this final step, as it will be crucial in the success of your home purchase. The final walkthrough is your last opportunity to ensure that everything in the home is in working order and that there are no potential problems waiting for you when you take over ownership of the property. While conducting a final walkthrough of the property, give yourself enough time to look carefully at everything and not be…