Fast and Furious, Mortgage-Style
The ability of lenders to come up with creative new products that seize would-be borrowers’ attention is never-ending. Anything to get a customer in the door.
Sellers, Buyers Have It Wrong on Renovations
Most would-be homebuyers want to move into a house that’s pristine. Most sellers? “Eh, let ‘em fix the place up after they move in.” But each approach is a bit wrongheaded.
One House, Forever
Imagine if your first house lasted your entire lifetime – that you’d never have to leave, uprooting your family in the process, and that you could even pass the place down to your descendants. Here’s how to do it.
SCOTUS Sides with Tax Delinquents
Every homeowner pays property taxes. At least, they should. But sometimes, people can’t – or won’t – pay the piper, and the tax collector comes calling.
Move-Up Buyers Often Overpay
If you brought a wad of cash with you from the sale of your old house, chances are pretty good you overpaid for your new place. A new study sheds light on how much.
Pay Cash or Extend the Loan Term?
Cash is always king. But if that’s not an option, is a 40-year mortgage a good way for homebuyers to jump over the affordability hurdle?
Has Trump Name Has Dinged Condo Values?
According to a new report, people who have purchased apartments in Trump-developed condominiums haven’t done so well, perhaps thanks to the former president’s legal troubles.
Too Many Counteroffers Spoil the Pot
The toughest part of buying a house isn’t finding the ideal place or locking down financing. It’s actually making the offer – not just the monetary part, mind you, but deciding what to include and what to leave out.
The Loan Pricing Fracas, Explained
Everyone from members of Congress to federal housing officials to industry leaders to ordinary Realtors and mortgage brokers see different sides of the story.
Listing Write-ups By AI
If there’s anything most real estate agents dread – and that most don’t do very well – it’s writing the descriptive, narrative ads for the houses they list. A new wave of tech promises to help.
Real Estate Still Proves Fertile for Fraud
I hate to keep beating a dead horse – but then, real estate fraud is far from a dead horse. In fact, people are being taken in by crooks more than ever.
Money Does Grow on Trees, After All
Every parent, myself included, who has uttered the immortal words “money doesn’t grow on trees” was dead wrong, at least when it comes to residential real estate.
Tenants Face Numerous ‘Junk Fees’
When it comes to junk fees, nobody can hold a candle to landlords. Not even mortgage lenders. Now, the Biden administration is pushing landlords to cut back these charges.
Home Prices Rose Little, But Made Big Contribution to Inflation
In February, overall house prices registered their smallest year-over-year gain since September 2021. Even so, housing’s share of the Consumer Price Index rose at an accelerated pace.
Home Warranties Called ‘Lousy Deals’
If your client is thinking of buying a house that comes with one, you’re likely better off asking the seller to credit you with the cost of the warranty at settlement.
Tips for Apartment Renters
Even though rents have stabilized in some markets, and even dropped a bit in others, many tenants either don’t make enough money to pay what landlords are asking or don’t meet the credit qualifications.
Remodeling ROI Not Always Great
Hopefully, owners who chose to remodel their bathrooms are enjoying their new spa-like retreats. If they were hoping to sell their homes for more, they likely won’t come out ahead.
Other States’ Listings Services Stick with Old Tech
Whether old-fashioned or tech-savvy, though, some agents are being held back from the best, newest versions of their greatest tool: their local multiple listing service, or MLS.
Fraud, Fraud, Everywhere Fraud
While late-night TV scams and robocall schemes are coming under increased scrutiny by state and federal officials, new real estate-related swindles continue to come to light.
Loan Comparison Sites Not All Fair
Uncle Sam’s chief financial watchdog agency has fired a warning shot across the bow of consumer-facing comparison sites and mobile apps that steer consumers to the lenders that pay the sites the most.
