Jeffrey Samuels's Blog

Home resales slipped last month; a slight setback for the nation's housing market's recovery. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, Existing Home Sales fell to 4.55 million units in May 2012 on a seasonally-adjusted annualized basis, representing a 2 percent drop from April. An "exi...

Whether you're moving into a new home and want to make it "yours", or just want to change the feel of your current place, a painting project is an easy way forward. Painting is relatively inexpensive yet it can transform a home's look-and-feel. But how do you make sure you're choosing the best c...

Mortgage rates have resumed their downward trend. According to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the national average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell 5 basis points to 3.66% this week. The rate is available to "prime" borrowers who are willing to pay, on average, 0.7 dis...

Sometimes, the housing data headlines tell just half the tale. The stories on May's Housing Starts figures are proving to be a terrific illustration. Tuesday, the Census Bureau released its monthly Housing Starts report. A "housing start" is a home on which construction has started. The report is...

Building Confidence Rises To 5-Year High by 3500flatfee   Home builders anticipate growth in the market for newly-built, single-family homes.   For June 2012, the National Association of Homebuilders reports its monthly Housing Market Index at 29 -- an increase of more than 100% from one year ag...

Nationwide, the U.S. housing market is showing signs of recovery. Home prices are rising as demand for homes outweighs existing home supply in many metropolitan regions. As is customary in real estate, though, the degrees to which home values change vary by area. In some U.S. markets, the housing...

According to foreclosure data firm RealtyTrac, the number of foreclosure filings nationwide rose 9 percent in May as compared to April 2012. Filing topped 200,000 units for the first time in 3 months. The term "foreclosure filing" is a catch-all term comprising default notices, scheduled auctions...

The number of U.S. housing markets showing "measurable and sustained growth" slipped by 20 in June, according to the National Association of Homebuilders. The Improving Market Index is meant to identify housing markets in which economic growth is occurring as a whole -- not just in the real estat...

With home values slow to rise and mortgage rates at all-time lows, there's never been a more affordable time to own a home. However, there is more to the cost of living than just a mortgage payment. There's the cost of groceries, gasoline and routine medical care, too. Not surprisingly, where we ...

It's a money-saving time to be a home buyer. Historically, mortgage rates of all types -- conventional, FHA, VA and USDA -- have never been lower and low mortgage rates make for low monthly payments.  According to Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rate survey, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage...