The Real Estate Voice

What Are The Nation's Best Affordable Suburbs?   Nationwide, home affordability has received a serious boost from the combination of falling home prices and falling mortgage rates.  Today, because of the sagging economy, in most parts of the country, the cost of owning a home versus renting one i...

The Key Fact Missing From Today's Existing Home Sales Headlines   In reading the headlines this morning, you'd think that last month's Existing Home Sales figure signaled more trouble ahead for the housing market.  Quite the contrary. Beyond the attention-grabbing headlines is the real story;  th...

The information below is reprinted with permission from Kai Audett.  Kai is a Wells Fargo mortgage specialist with over 18 years in the real estate and mortgage business.    Tax Credit for Home buyers First-time home buyers who purchase homes from the start of the year until the end of November ...

In Mesa, Arizona, Wednesday, the President presented the Homeowner Affordability and Stability plan, a multi-pronged effort to support the housing market. The story made the front page of nearly every newspaper in the country. The president's plan is sweeping: Incent mortgage servicers to work wi...

How The Stimulus Package Indirectly Led Mortgage Rates Lower   The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law Tuesday in Denver, Colorado.  Also on Tuesday, stock markets fell near their November 2008 lows. The two moves are related. With each new stimulus; with each poten...

Wouldn't You Know It? As Consumer Confidence Falls, Home Sales Rise Posted: 13 Feb 2009 11:12 AM CST Consumer Confidence fell this month for the first time in three months, reflecting Americans' concern for the economy, housing, and the financial system. The reading isn't much of a surprise given...

Friday, Fannie Mae rolled-back one of its least popular mortgage guidelines updates of the last 12 months. Effective March 1, 2009, real estate investors can once again own and finance up to 10 individual properties.  The restriction reversal does come with new minimum requirements, however.  Hom...

    As Americans move from net spenders to net savers, it seems that we're all looking for ways to save some extra cash.  As part of its ongoing "Save-a-Buck" series, NBC's The Today Show offers some pointers. Among the tips, there's a split between common sense items and I-never-thought-of-that ...

Super Bowl Weekend traditionally marks the start of the Spring Buying Season in real estate.  Anecdotally, real estate agents will tell you that buyer activity tends to tick higher at this time of the year. Meanwhile, with mortgage rates still trolling near all-time lows and Congress debating a f...

Home Buyers Are Out In Full Force   A real estate trade group reported Tuesday that Pending Home Sales ticked higher in December 2008.  A "pending home sale" is a home under contract to sell, but not yet closed. The group positions Pending Home Sales report as a predictor of future activity, sugg...