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NAR Reports Curb Appeal Matters More Than Ever

WASHINGTON – Dec. 3, 2008 – For the second year in a row, Realtors® report that exterior remodeling projects return the most money as a percentage of cost, as detailed in the 2008 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report. On a national level, wood deck additions and all types...

Mortgage Rates Dip for Fourth Straight Week

WASHINGTON – Dec. 1, 2008 – Rates on 30-year mortgages sank for a fourth straight week, falling below 6 percent for the first time since early October, and are heading lower due to the government’s massive new effort to aid the U.S. housing market. Further drops are...

Mortgage Rates Drop For Second Week November 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) – Nov. 14, 2008 – Mortgage rates dropped for a second straight week, reflecting the impact the weakening economy is having on financial markets. Freddie Mac, the mortgage giant, reported Thursday that rates on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged...

Housing Affordability Rises to Highest Level in Four Years

WASHINGTON – Nov. 19, 2008 – With home prices decreasing and interest rates holding at historically low levels, the number of potential homebuyers nationwide who can afford to buy new and existing homes has reached the highest level in more than four years, according...

Freddie Seeks Government Aid After $25.3 Billion Loss

WASHINGTON – Nov. 17, 2008 – Freddie Mac is asking for an initial injection of $13.8 billion in government aid after posting a massive quarterly loss. The mortgage finance company is making the first request to tap the $200 billion promised by the Treasury Department...

HUD Announced New Permanent FHA Mortgage Loan Limits

WASHINGTON – Nov. 13, 2008 – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Steve Preston today announced the new Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage loan limits for single-family homes as prescribed by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act...