BREAKING NEWS: Senate Plans to Extend and Expand Tax Credit

RISMEDIA, October 29, 2009—(MCT/The Wall Street Journal)-The Senate has reached a compromise on extending and expanding the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers, a boost the housing industry believes will help it pull out of its two-year-old downturn. ..READ FULL STORY...

30-Year Fixed Rate Still Below 5 Percent for Third Consecutive Week

Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.92 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending October 15, 2009, up from last week when it averaged 4.87 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.46 percent.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20091016_rates.htm

Real Estate Investment 101

It's one of the best of times ever to invest in real estate, but just like buying a home to live in, taking the real estate investment plunge requires lots of foresight.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090924_invest.htm

Pending Home Sales on a Roll, Up for Sixth Straight Month

RISMEDIA, September 2, 2009—Contract activity for pending home sales has risen for six straight months, a pattern not seen in the history of the index since it began in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Continued

First-Time Homebuyers: Now's the Time

The opportunity of a lifetime is at hand - right now. Plenty of homes are available at affordable prices. Interest rates remain low.

And to sweeten the pot, there’s the U.S. tax credit – up to $8,000 for qualified first-time buyers whose income is within IRS-established limits. This is money that never has to be repaid, provided you live in the home for three years. Read more about it.

Mortgage Rates Fall for Third Consecutive Week

Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.14 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending July 16, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 5.20 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.26 percent.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090717_rates.htm

Freddie Mac Calls for Appropriate Comparables

The secondary mortgage market company says in a bulletin that the appraiser's selection of comparable sales is crucial to providing an accurate opinion of value. Click here for complete story:

Investor Report: Residential Lots

It might sound a little surprising, but in investment real estate, residential lots are hot, especially in markets that saw the highest peaks and the worst busts during the past three years.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090619_investorreport.htm

Real Estate Outlook: Mortgage Rates and Inflation

Most of the key economic indicators for real estate continue to be at least moderately positive - home sales are up, prices are stabilizing or up, unsold inventories are down, and even new unemployment filings are down slightly.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090616_realestateoutlook.htm

Buying Condo Now More Difficult: Fully Research The Complex Before You Buy

When the real estate bubble burst, so too, did the dreams of many speculators who were snatching up and flipping condos like hotcakes. Today, buying a condo can still be a great choice but getting financing for it could be a bit more challenging because some financial institutions are "blacklisting" some condo complexes due to high speculator ownership and dropping prices.
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090508_buycondo.htm

Pending home sales up 3.2 percent

The National Association of Realtors says pending U.S. home sales rose from February to March as buyers took advantage of deeply discounted prices and low interest rates.

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The World's 10 Best Places to Live, 2009 Edition

In Mercer Consulting's annual Quality of Living Survey, Europe once again rules the roost. See which locales ranked highest and find out whether any U.S. cities made the cut... read more