- Stop being a rodent's landlord
- MSNBC helps you get that mouse out of your house:
We've surveyed the most popular methods of rodent control and talked to the experts to suss out the pros and cons, all to find the most humane way of dealing with a problem that drives many humans nuts.
- 2007-03-02
- Sweeten the Sale With a Lower Rate
- Kiplinger tells you how to lower the payments for your buyers without lowering the price:
Paying points to reduce the interest rate on your own mortgage is nothing new. But some anxious home sellers are offering to do the same for potential buyers. Lenders -- mainly those affiliated with homebuilders or who work through real estate agents -- are expanding temporary buydown programs. So instead of cutting the price by more than $10,000, for example, a seller might be able to seal the deal by paying the bank less than half that much.
- 2007-03-02
- Home prices up 1.1% in fourth quarter
- From MarketWatch:
U.S. home prices rose 1.1% in the fourth quarter, just a touch faster than the 1% gain in the third quarter, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight reported Thursday.
- 2007-03-02
- Mortgage rates hit 2-month low
- Get the latest details on mortgage rates from Bankrate.com:
The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 9 basis points, to 6.2 percent, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large lenders.
- 2007-03-02
- Subprime woes: How far, how wide
- From CNNMoney:
Lending to homeowners and buyers without good credit has suddenly become a very bad business - and possibly a very big problem for the U.S. economy as a whole.
- 2007-03-05
- The Buyer's Advantage
- Kiplinger has advice for buys and sellers in today's market:
No matter where you're buying or selling this year, if you educate yourself about conditions in your market, keep your price expectations realistic and include a safety net of contingencies, you can get the deal done.
- 2007-03-05
- World's most expensive cities
- From CNNMoney, Europe leads the way with the most expensive cities to live in:
Paris, Copenhagen and London have all joined Oslo - which retained the No. 1 slot it took last year - in surpassing Tokyo.
- 2007-03-07
- U.S. home loan refinancing surges
- From Reuters, last week saw another jump in mortgage applications:
The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity, which includes both refinancing and purchasing loans, increased 7.3 percent to 671.6 for the week ended March 2.
- 2007-03-07
- Groundbreaking Green Home Tax Breaks
- From Forbes, saving money by going green:
The biggest projects carry the largest credits. A solar power system for creating electricity carries with it a 30% of cost tax credit up to $2,000. The same credit goes for solar-powered water heaters, so long as they're used for residential purposes.
- 2007-03-07
- Are you ready to buy your first home?
- Find out what you need to do before you purchase your new home, from MSNBC:
...experts advise taking the time to make the most informed decision possible — it can reduce costs, aggravation and regret. These days, it is advice more easily followed given the recent slowdown in home sales.
- 2007-03-11
- It's bargain time for homebuyers
- From Bankrate.com, an over supply of homes puts buyers in a good position:
Two years of stormy real estate markets appear to have created an ideal climate for bargain-minded house hunters who know where to look.
- 2007-03-17
- Tax Havens Of The World
- From Forbes.com, you don't have to leave the country to avoid some taxes:
Nevada is the closest thing the U.S. has to a tax haven. No personal income tax, no capital gains tax, no gift tax, no inheritance tax, no franchise tax, no inventory tax.
Also check out Wyoming.
- 2007-03-17
- 30-year mortgage remains at 6.14%
- According to the AP mortgage rates are at the lowest levels since mid-December.
- 2007-03-17
- What realty agents won't tell you
- MarketWatch tells you where to go for the questions your realty agent can't answer:
Fair-housing laws prevent agents from talking about neighborhood demographics, and they often don't want to discuss other details, such as crime stats. Luckily, the Web picks up where agents leave off.
- 2007-03-21
- Tax Tricks Of The Real Estate Rich
- More real estate tax advice from Forbes:
Using real estate to lower taxes doesn't require an army of CPAs or numbered bank accounts--just the craft to cut through the tax code.
- 2007-03-25
- The Benefits of Home Staging
- From Kiplinger, make your home look its best:
The spring home-sales season is almost upon us, and it's time for sellers to prepare the merchandise. You probably know that your property needs to be as clean, clutter-free and in as good repair as possible, inside and out. But you can further distinguish your home from the competition by having your home staged -- or window-dressed -- for sale
- 2007-03-25
- US house sales jump as prices dip
- BBC says sales of homes are increasing:
US existing home sales rose at their fastest rate since March 2004 last month, despite fears of a slowdown in the property market.
- 2007-03-25