WASHINGTON – Oct. 3, 2008 – Rates on 30-year mortgages have risen for a second straight week, climbing to the highest level in a month. Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.10 percent this week, up slightly...

WASHINGTON – Oct. 2, 2008 – A new program rolled out by HUD yesterday could help more homeowners avoid foreclosure. Under the program, the lender of an existing subprime mortgage forgives part of the debt as if it’s a short sale, and the balance of the mortgage is...

Home sales in September were up 51% but values continued to sink as the median price fell by 22%, the Florida Association of Realtors reported. The dramatic rise in sales may have been little comfort for the industry as home values fell from $233,800 in September 2007...

The Orlando real estate market continue to show signs of improvement with a 4.6% increase in existing home sales in November however the median sale price fell by 29% from the previous year. 1,076 existing home sales was 43.6% less than 1,545 which sold in October and...

The Orlando real estate market continue to show signs of improvement with a 38% increase in existing home sales in September however the median sale price fell from the previous month. 1,335 existing home sales was 8% more than 1,225 which sold in August and 26.3%...

WASHINGTON – Sept. 26, 2008 – Rates on 30-year mortgages, which had been falling for five weeks, jumped sharply this week, reflecting the turbulence in global credit markets. Freddie Mac reported Thursday that its nationwide survey found that the average for 30-year,...

WASHINGTON – Sept. 25, 2008 – If a first-time homebuyer purchases a home before the end of 2008, he or she gets a $7,500 tax credit in 2009 when they file their federal income taxes, but it must be paid back over time. Here’s how it works: The first-time homebuyer...

WASHINGTON – Sept. 24, 2008 – Existing-home sales were down in August following a healthy gain in July as tight mortgage credit curtailed activity, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Sales rose in the Midwest and South but fell in the Northeast...

ORLANDO, Fla. – Sept. 23, 2008 – While a number of factors have contributed to a home sales decline in Florida, an increase in foreign homebuyers has modified the trend, according to a just-released research paper from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the...

Sept. 22, 2008 – Increasingly, sellers seeking short sales are encountering a new twist. Lenders are agreeing to let some short sales go through, but they want the home owners to sign a note promising to pay some or all of the balance due – debts that could burden...

WASHINGTON – Sept. 19, 2008 – Rates on 30-year mortgages dropped sharply again this week, falling to the lowest level in seven months, as rates continue to decline following the government's dramatic takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sept. 18, 2008 – Two big-ticket purchases are coming up for Spencer Craven and his fiancee. They're buying a townhome and having a wedding. Which will cost them more this year? "Oh, I don't know," Craven said with a laugh. "I'll let you know after...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – St. Johns County resident Charlene Walls paid her expensive flood insurance premium for years without questioning whether it was too high. After all, her home is in a subdivision close to Cunningham Creek and the St. Johns River. Flood insurance...

WASHINGTON – Sept. 15, 2008 – The U.S. House passed H.R. 6832, the Veterans Construction and Extension Act of 2008, in a bipartisan effort on Sept. 11, a move praised by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). “As leading advocates for housing issues, Realtors...

Visitors to Orlando generated $31.1 billion for the local economy in 2007, according to a new economic impact study by Global Insight Inc. In 2007, visitation increased by 2%, from 47.8 million visitors in 2006 to 48.7 million in 2007, while visitor spending grew 4.7%...

ORLANDO, Fla. – Sept. 10, 2008 – This fall could be a particularly great time for first-time buyers or those who have been out of the market for at least three years to jump in, say a variety of real estate professionals. Here are the reasons why: Property prices are...

WASHINGTON – Sept. 10, 2008 – The level of home sales is expected to show little movement in the months ahead, according to the latest projections by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on...

CHICAGO – Sept. 9, 2008 – Mike Ferrara wants to buy a house in a few months and is worried that mistakes on his credit report will keep him from obtaining the loan he will need. His concern is legitimate. You’d think with a credit score of 650, he’d be fine. But not...

A lot may be said about home prices in Florida, but when Coldwell Banker decided to compare the state with the rest of the nation, Florida is pretty much in the middle of the pack. The most affordable homes in Florida are located in Ormond Beach at $201,233, while the...

Simple fixes and staging practices can focus buyers' attention in the right places and keep them from getting sidetracked by personal items in the home. Here are some staging suggestions from Deborah Ehrlich-Layne of Tampa, Fla.-based Staging Plus, Handyman Matters,...

Orlando 08/30/08: Metro Orlando's inventory of new subdivision housing fell again during the second quarter, according to a survey released by Metrostudy, earlier this week. 3,646 finished-but-vacant single-family homes in the four-county metro area, down from 5,560...

Aug. 29, 2008 – Rates on 30-year mortgages fell for the second straight week, declining to the lowest level in more than a month. Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 6.40 percent this week, down from 6.47...

NEW YORK (AP) – While no one is ready to call the bottom of the worst housing collapse in decades, there were glimmers this week that the severity is waning. The decline in home prices is starting to ease and in some cities values are starting to rise again. Existing...

ORLANDO – Aug. 28, 2008 – Throughout the year, Florida has frequently been held up as an example of just how bad the housing market can get, with reports of a fast-rising foreclosure rate and a steeper slump in sales than in many other parts of the nation, caused in...

LOS ANGELES – Aug. 28, 2008 – Is this the real estate turnaround? On the heels of an increase in Florida home sales, a spike in new home sales and an upswing in consumer confidence, traffic to Realtor.com went up significantly in July with month-over-month increases...

NEW YORK – Aug. 28, 2008 The population of renters across the country is growing, edged up in part by a slumping housing market. Yet as graduates and others enter the work force and set up their first apartments, renters insurance probably isn’t a burning issue. It’s...

August 26, 2008 We've all seen them - the never-ending television ads and radio commercials with the catchy jingle for free credit reports and scores. Nowadays a number of similar companies are offering free credit reports and scores. With all of these ads for...

August 25, 2008 – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is raising ceilings on its no-down payment home loans from the current $417,000 to as much as $729,000. The increases are effective immediately under legislation recently enacted with President Bush signing the...

Aug. 25, 2008 – Single-family existing home sales rose in Florida for the first time in more than two years: Six more homes sold in July 2008 than in July 2007, it could indicate stabilization in Florida’s housing sector, according to the latest housing statistics...

The main concern of first-time homebuyers might be affordability, but their expectations are higher than what they can afford, according to a survey by one of the countries largest franchise chain of real estate offices. The online survey was conducted among 150 of...

The Orlando area has experienced a 16.8% reduction in month-over-month homes sales during the traditionally quiet sales period. Primarily due to vacation homes being occupied and visitors coming on family vacations not to purchase property. 1,225 existing home sales...

August 15, 2008 – Rates on 30-year mortgages remained at the same level for a third week while rates on other types of home loans posted small declines. Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.52% this week....

ORLANDO, Fla. – Aug. 14, 2008 – During the second quarter of 2008, Florida Realtors continued to report positive signs for the state’s housing sector, such as an increase in pending home sales (based on contracts signed but not closed) and a slower rate of expansion...

The majority of homeowners believe their house is insulated from the housing crisis, which has seen 77% of the nation's homes fall in value during the second quarter. Zillow, an online real estate company's second-quarter homeowner confidence survey found that 62% of...

Aug. 7, 2008 – Some improvement is projected for existing-home sales in the months ahead, with broader gains seen by the fourth quarter as buyers take advantage of new provisions provided through the recently-passed housing stimulus bill, according to the latest...

WASHINGTON – Aug. 1, 2008 – A provision of the recently-passed federal housing recovery bill gives first-time buyers an interest-free loan of up to $7,500 in the form of an income tax credit. The credit equals 10 percent of a home’s cost up to $7,500, and applies to...

July 30th 2008: President Bush signed into law a legislation that helps 400,000 homeowners facing foreclosure and extends a lifeline to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The law is aimed at stemming foreclosures and halting a free-fall in housing prices by providing federal...

ORLANDO, Fla. – Property insurance can be expensive, and many home buyers don’t fully understand what they’re buying or how they can save money. The general key: Pay for adequate coverage without being grossly under insured. Home buyers and owners should consider the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) and Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) called on the mortgage industry to delay or cancel foreclosures until a new law designed to refinance...

As recounted in the Star Tribune by savvy home owner and journalist, Lucie B Amundsen. Following the transfer of her husband to Duluth, Minnesota, Mr and Mrs Amundsen learned a few lessons about selling a home in a tough real estate market which they wanted to pass...

Sellers nationwide want something that makes their home stand out from the crowd but those who try creative marketing generally find that one thing counts in today’s market - PRICE! Many sellers include traditional perks such as the furniture or a car but some...

Short sales sound like a dream way to for struggling homeowners to escape foreclosure whilst the buyer gets a bargain price and the bank left holding the mortgage eats the difference. If only it was that simple! A homeowner from Miami, Florida shares his experience of...

Banks that are flooded with foreclosures have been dumping them on the market and bargain hunters are having a field day but some investors including Mark Partipilo, a Las Vegas real estate investor concludes that “In this market, there are so many REOs that the banks...

Home sales declined slightly during July after the traditional summer peak in the previous month and are still down compared to July 2007. 1,436 existing home sales was 3.6% less than 1,436 which sold in June and 5.8% less than the 1,524 sold in July 2007....

It’s a buyer’s market but sellers can increase the chance of a sale in today’s climate by working with a Realtor and considering the following: Do not count on open houses to sell your home as less than 5% of buyers find their home at an open house. Work with a...

The Orlando real estate market continue to show gradual signs of improvement as home sales and median sale price increase for the fourth consecutive month. 1,443 existing home sales was 7.1% more than 1,347 which sold in May but 5.3% less than the 1,524 sold in June...

The Orlando real estate market shows even more signs of improvement as home sales and median sale price increase for the third consecutive month. 1,276 existing home sales was 3.7% more than 1,231 which sold in April but 27% less than the 1,745 sold in May 2007....

Existing-home sales rose unexpectedly while inventory declined, led by a surge of sales in the West, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – jumped 6.5 percent to a...

A bill that embraces the need for righting the housing market—the first big step toward economic recovery—was introduced Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 384, The TARP Reform and Accountability Act, was offered by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chair of...

Yet another baby step to a recovering market. 1,147 existing home sales was 2.41% more than 1,120 which sold in March but 25% less than the 1,530 sold in April 2007. Median sales price fell to $211,000 which was approx. 4.1% drop from $220,000 reported for March 2008...