Blog

Rates for home loans rose as economic indicators strengthened, mortgage guarantor Freddie Mac reported Thursday. The 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.17% in the April 18 week, up from 4.12%. That was the third straight weekly increase for the popular product, a feat it hadn’t achieved since September. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.62%, up two basis […]

No surprise: The biggest spikes belong to the coasts. Specifically, technology-rich Silicon Valley, led by San Jose and San Francisco, dominates the list of the most-expensive metros, while the Midwest and the South occupy the other end of the affordability spectrum. Cost-estimating website HowMuch.net used data from mortgage information site HSH Associates To come up […]

For many home sellers, there’s no better time to list than the spring, and for good reason: This is peak home-buying season, folks! Buyers turn out in droves once warmer weather finally arrives, bringing people out of hibernation mode, and bidding wars abound as buyers look for ways to one-up their competition. The bad news? […]

Fix it up or give it up? See where you really stand with this quiz. Most homeowners have that one thing about their home that they wish were different. For some, the home’s fatal flaw exists outside the four walls. Maybe the house backs up to a creek that floods whenever it rains, resulting in […]

Small kitchens can be a challenge. Use these tips to set up a kitchen that lets your inner chef shine. Many homes come with kitchens that are less than ideal. The lighting can be terrible, the appliances old, the floors grimy … and counter space? Well, that’s a nice idea. Get the most out of the kitchen space […]

Key Takeaways Real estate investing financing is nothing to fear if you put in the right amount of research. Get to know five of the most common real estate financing options that you can add to your investor toolkit. Some of the best loans for real estate investing, aside from a traditional mortgage loan, include […]

Key Takeaways Commercial real estate loans differ from traditional, single-family home loans. Understand the different commercial property investment loans and financing options so that you can select the one the fits your respective plan. The first step of commercial real estate financing is to learn about each option made available to you. Commercial real estate […]

Heading into the spring buying market, there are strong trends starting to emerge. The inventory of homes for sale has increased on a year-over-year basis for eight months in a row. Home price appreciation has continued to grow, although at a slower rate. The homeownership rate has reached heights last seen in 2014, with millennials […]

Spring has sprung, and it’s a great time to buy a home! Here are four reasons to consider buying today instead of waiting. 1. Prices Will Continue to Rise CoreLogic’s latest U.S. Home Price Insights reports that home prices have appreciated by 4.4% over the last 12 months. The same report predicts that prices will continue to […]

The famous quote attributed to Mark Twain can apply to homeownership in the United States today. During the housing bubble of the last decade, the homeownership rate soared to over sixty-nine percent. After the crash, that percentage continued to fall for the next ten years. That led to speculation that homeownership was no longer seen as a […]