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What’s Your After-Tax Mortgage Rate?

February 6, 2008

Many homeowners are entitled to two major tax deductions — one for annual interest paid on a home loan, and another for real estate tax bills paid to government. Calculating your approximate tax credit is basic: Add mortgage interest paid and real estate taxes paid together Find your marginal tax rate Multiple your tax bracket […]

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Help Your Home Emotionally Connect To Buyers

February 5, 2008

The end of the Super Bowl kicks off the Real Estate Spring Buying Season. As home sellers should prepare for the season’s upcoming homebuyers, they could do worse than to watch this four-minute home staging video from Barbara Corcoran. Barbara offer simple steps that “won’t cost you a lot of money but could make a […]

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Looking Back And Looking Ahead : February 4, 2008

February 4, 2008

We entered the New Year uncertain of the country’s economic future. With January over, it’s a little more clear. Last week’s data and events helped firm expectations. In the near-term, we can expect weakness: The economy is shedding jobs Consumer sentiment is low Home sales continue to slump nationally In the intermediate-term, however, the picture […]

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Making English Out Of Fed-Speak (January 2008 Edition)

January 31, 2008

The Fed lowered the Fed Funds Rate by 0.500% to 3.000% yesterday.  The move was widely anticipated and so Wall Street’s reaction was muted. Because it is tied to the Fed Funds Rate, Prime Rate also fell by 0.500% yesterday.  Holders of home equity lines of credit and credit card debt benefited from the change […]

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History Is A Teacher: Cuts To The Fed Funds Rate Lead To Mortgage Rate Hikes

January 30, 2008

When the Federal Open Market Committee adjourns from its two-day meeting today, it is widely expected to lower the Fed Funds Rate. This does not mean that mortgage rates will fall. In fact, using history as an indicator, we should expect mortgage rates to rise if the Fed Funds Rate falls. Remember: The Fed Funds […]

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Homeowners Rejoice! New Homes Sales Data Is Weak.

January 29, 2008

If you only read headlines this past week, you may have missed two very important points. The first story relates to Housing Starts.  Housing Starts measure the number of new homes entering the construction phase.  The headline blared “Housing starts plunge to 16-year low“. If you are a homeowner, this is terrific news. Because home […]

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The Week In Review (January 28, 2008) : What To Watch For

January 28, 2008

Mortgage rates change from day-to-day, but last week’s volatility was a record-breaker. After drooping through Tuesday and then skyrocketing Wednesday and Thursday, mortgage rates retreated slightly on Friday. By weeks’ end, rates were at their same levels from mid-December. This is in contrast to Tuesday, just after the Fed’s rate cut and before the stock […]

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Real Estate Term : Negative Amortization Home Loan

January 25, 2008

(Pronounced: NEGH-ah-tive am-ohr-tih-ZAY-shun) Negative amortization is the process by which a loan’s principal balance increases on a month-over-month basis. This is in contrast to a “typical” amortization schedule in which the principal balance decreases. Negative amortization is an optional feature on some home loans. These mortgages are usually referred to by the brand names “Option […]

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How The Stock Market Rally Was Terrible For Mortgage Rates

January 24, 2008

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 631.86 points in the last three hours of trading yesterday as traders piled into equities. Fueling the rally?  The bond market. For as much as stocks gained today, bonds lost.  Including mortgage bonds.  The dramatic sell-off created a huge swing in mortgage rates and erased nearly all of 2008’s rate improvements. […]

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It’s A Good Day To Have Your Mortgage Adjust

January 23, 2008

When the Federal Reserve lowered the Fed Funds Rate by 0.75% yesterday, it was in response to economic weakness that mounted since its last meeting December 11, 2007. By contrast, the mortgage markets meet every day. Because of this, mortgage rates had already “priced in” the weakness to which the Fed was reacting. This is […]

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Commercial Real Estate Update

January 23, 2008

According to the most recent Real Estate Research Corporation (RERC) investor survey, sentiment seems to have shifted markedly to “Hold” or “uncertainty” with the exception of the multifamily sector as the following chart indicates: Buy Sell Hold Office-CBD 24% 12% 64% Office-Suburban 24% 14% 62% Industrial-Warehouse 39% 6% 55% Industrial-R & D 20% 13% 67% […]

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The Week In Review (January 22, 2008) : What To Watch For

January 22, 2008

As promised, last week was heavy on data and on drama.  And mortgage rates continued their slide lower. This week, by contrast, is devoid of data and markets are already digesting the Federal Reserve’s surprise 0.750% rate cut this morning. Mortgage rates are falling in response, but not because of what the Fed did as much […]

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Mortgage Rates Are Down (But Not Everyone Is Eligible)

January 18, 2008

Overall, mortgage rates are at their lowest levels since late-2005. Despite rates falling, however, not everyone can take advantage. This is because mortgage lenders started to tighten the guidelines of what they will lend and to whom, also beginning in late-2005. In other words, the chart at right doesn’t apply to all homeowners equally. If you are […]

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Be Thankful Gas Prices Aren’t Keeping Pace With Oil Prices

January 17, 2008

On average, Americans are now paying more than $3.00 per gallon for gasoline.  This is roughly 40 percent higher than the cost of gasoline last January when gas hovered near $2.15 per gallon. Higher gas prices are one reason why the economy is slowing down.  With so many additional dollars being spent at the pump, […]

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Which Leads Which Lower: Mortgage Rates Or The Fed Funds Rate?

January 16, 2008

It’s a point that’s always worth repeating: Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve do not control mortgage rates This is particularly relevant today as newspapers, television programs, and market pundits posit that the U.S. is in the midst of a recession. The latest evidence supporting that assertion is that Retail Sales grew at its slowest […]

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2008 Commercial Real Estate Outlook

January 16, 2008

Integra Realty Resources publishes a free commercial real estate trends analysis every year. The outlook for 2008 is available now by going here Enjoy!

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What The Bank of America-Countrywide Merger DOESN’T Mean For Homeowners

January 15, 2008

For all that’s been said about the proposed Bank of America-Countrywide merger, what’s not getting talked about is how the merger will impact existing Countrywide customers. The short answer is that it won’t. A mortgage (and its corresponding note) is a legal contract between the lender and the lendee, signed on the date of closing. […]

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The Week In Review (January 14, 2008) : What To Watch For

January 14, 2008

Markets are welcoming the return of cold, hard data this week. Most of last week was spent making sense of Fed speakers, recessionary fears, and a takeover of the nation’s largest lender. This week, we’ll find out if the recent fears of recession are on target, or overblown. The data deluge starts Tuesday with the […]

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Common-Sense Tips To Help Your Home Sell Quickly

January 11, 2008

Clipped from NBC’s Today Show, real estate maven Barbara Corcoran talks about preparing your home for sale.  As usual, her remarks are spot-on. Some highlights from the 5-minute video: Go online and shop for your own home first Empty your home of two-thirds of the “stuff” Keep your home immaculately clean Corcoran also offers pricing […]

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Why Making A Less-Than-20-Percent Downpayment Is Getting More Costly

January 10, 2008

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is an insurance policy paid to a lender in the event that a homeowner defaults on his home loan. These defaults are up 35 percent over last year, according to an industry group — bad news for all homeowners requiring PMI with their mortgage. Much like home insurers adjust premiums after a […]

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