Jeffrey Samuels's Blog

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Real Estate Broker/Owner - LifeStyle Homes of Hawaii - RB-17709
RECENT BLOG POSTS
80 U.S. metropolitan markets are showing "measurable and sustained growth" this month, according to the National Association of Homebuilders' Improving Market Index. It's good news for the economy and good news for housing.  The NAHB's Improving Market Index is meant to identify U.S. markets in e...
08/09/2012
As another signal of an improving U.S. economy, the nation's biggest banks have started to loosen mortgage lending guidelines. As reported by the Federal Reserve, last quarter, no "big banks" reported stricter mortgage standards as compared to the quarter prior and "modest fractions" of banks rep...
08/08/2012
Planning to make a late-August purchase closing? Keep an eye on your calendar. The last Friday of this month coincides with Labor Day Weekend, which may make for a complicated, end-of-month closing. If you're planning to close on, or around, August 31, 2012, plan ahead. Leavinganything to the pro...
08/07/2012
How well do you conserve water? The government's EPA estimates that the average family of four uses 146,000 gallons of water per year, at a cost of $700. With just a few small changes, however, that cost could drop by as much as 28%. You'll save on more than just your water bill, too. You may sav...
08/06/2012
Mortgage rates couldn't fall forever, it seems. This week, for the first time since mid-June, the 30-year fixed ratemortgage rate climbed on a week-over-week basis, moving 6 basis points to 3.55%, on average, nationwide. According to Freddie Mac, 3.55 percent is the highest average rate at which ...
08/03/2012
According to the S&P/Case-Shiller Index, home values rose 2.2% nationwide, with all 20 tracked markets making month-to-month improvement. On an annual basis, 17 of the 20 Case-Shiller Index markets improved. Despite the positive report, however, our enthusiasm for the May Case-Shiller Index shou...
08/01/2012
Within homes, the kitchen is often the most "used" room in the house. It's a meeting place for meals, for conversation, and for family. Unfortunately, that makes it a meeting place for bacteria, as well. Along with bathrooms, kitchens are the most bacteria-heavy rooms in a home. Kitchens require ...
07/30/2012
Home sales appear headed for a mid-summer breather.  One month after posting a multi-year high, the Pending Home Sales Indexretreated to 99.3 in June -- a strong reading in its own right. A "pending home sale" is a home that is under contract to sell, but not yet sold. June's value of 99.3 marks ...
07/27/2012
The number of newly-built homes sold slipped 8 percent in June from the month prior, says the U.S. Census Bureau in its latest New Home Sales report. The June data shows 350,000 homes sold nationwide on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. The home sale tally fell short of Wall Street expect...
07/26/2012
The housing market's bottom is 9 months behind us. Home values continue to climb nationwide. According to the Federal Home Finance Agency's Home Price Index, home values rose 0.8% in May on a monthly, seasonally-adjusted basis. May's reading marks the sixth time in seven months that home values r...
07/25/2012
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