Dawn Rivera's (califdawn) Blog

July 3 2009 Due to the turmoil in the real estate market, a Florida couple is raffling off their luxury home in Fort Lauderdale for only $10 a ticket. After the drawing is held, the deed and title to the home will be transferred to the lucky winner (with no mortgage), and a portion of the proceed...

After a recent spike seen in mortgage rates, some consumers are wondering whether they've missed their chance to refinance into an ultra-low rate. Fear not: While the conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a daily average of 5.81% last Thursday 06/18/09, it averaged 5.53% on Tuesday 06/23/09,...

Are Tighter Appraisals Hurting Home Sales? June 26 2009 No comments Subscribe Make sure your home is in top condition so you have a better chance to get a good appraisal......... Less than a week after putting his newly renovated house on the market, "Rick" accepted a full-price offer of $242,900...

Happy thursday!  here is some more info on the existing home sales. Some good some bad news. Sales of existing homes showed another gain in May, benefiting from favorable affordability conditions and a first-time buyer tax credit, according to the National Association of Realtors®. May's increase...

Hi loyal readers, here is some new market info for you.  Record low mortgage interest rates boosted pending home sales for the third consecutive month, with some benefit now from the first-time buyer tax credit, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a f...

Hi all, I just heard June is National Homeownership Month! and, like many other consumer advocates, I urge consumers to get informed as they prepare to buy a home. Today, there are a growing number of obstacles for home buyers, including a higher credit score standard and more restrictions on cre...

  If your buying a home, you'll probably be signing up for homeowner's insurance as well.  In fact, many lenders will require that you purchase a homeowner's policy before your mortgage can be approved.   Most homeowner's insurance policiesnincludenboth property and liability coverage.  The prope...

Buying a home is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. you want to protect yourself and your investment during the purchase transaction with title insurance.  If you own the land that the house is on, you have a strong right to the property.  But if others have rights to it through lie...

Hi all, I just wanted to say that while the market is a bit slow, it is a great time for first time buyers, or even home owners looking to upgrade, to get amazing deals!  The economy is slow right now but it will not stay that way and you do not want to wait until it is too late to cash in on the...