Archive for the ‘Real Estate’ Category

Some Tips if You’re Thinking About Buying the Family Homestead

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Do you ever miss the feeling you get when you go to your parents' house?  Somehow those weird ceramic owls that your mom made in the 1970s and those awesome stickers that you used to decorate your dresser all worked in creating that comfort that you only can get when ...

Texas-The Housing Mecca of the Nation?

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

Forbes recently reported what a lot of us Texans already know: that the Lone Star State is a great place to live.  In fact, out of the 40 major metropolitan areas surveyed, four out of the top ten cities in which to buy a home were in our great state. Noting ...

The Housing Market is Moving Towards Recovery!

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

Interesting news is coming out of California these days: home sales are beginning to increase.  According to a Bloomberg article, the Golden State may have found the bottom of the market and is now moving towards a form of recovery. Here's the deal: Calfornia led the way for a number of ...

The Buzz From Real Estate Agents on the Housing Market

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

I recently had the opportunity to attend Real Estate Connect, a conference that gives real estate, technology and other professionals a place to come together and talk about issues in our industry.  During the conference, I had the chance to talk with realtors from around the U.S. and Canada, and ...

Fannie and Freddie, Government Meddling, and the Celebrity Status of the Mortgage Industry

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Fannie and Freddie.  You've probably heard their names so often lately that some might think that they're the newest celebrity twins and are expecting to see their pictures on the cover of US Magazine.  Too bad that's not the case. A recent Reuters article gave a great explanation about Fannie and ...

The Collapse of IndyMac Bank Didn’t Have to Happen

Friday, July 18th, 2008

There are some times when I just have to shake my head.  One of those days was last Friday, when the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) issued its press release regarding the closure of IndyMac Bank and its transfer to the FDIC. In that release, OTS Director John Reich was quoted ...

High Gas Prices and Their Silver Lining in Real Estate

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Do high gas prices have a silver lining for folks selling their homes? They certainly can, according to a recent AP article in MSNBC's online real estate section.  Homes in urban centers and those located near commuter options such as subways and light rail systems are seeing more traffic (pardon the ...

The Internet: A Powerful Tool in the Real Estate Industry

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Some studies are showing that as many as 80 percent of potential homebuyers begin their search for a new property online.  In one recent survey, 500 men and women were interviewed in order to see what role gender played in the process. I was interested to learn that almost half of the ...

Who Should We Blame for the Mortgage Industry’s Problems?

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Don't you think it's fascinating that some members of Congress are doing their darndest to drag down the mortgage industry-when in fact, they may have benefited from some of the "wrongdoing"? Senator Dodd (D-Connecticut) is the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, and has been at the forefront of those calling ...

Time is Running Out to Get the Perfect House

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

Just last week in my blog I suggested that now might be the best time to take advantage of low interest rates.  While the Fed hasn't made any adjustments in the federal funds rate, and is unlikely to do so until early next year according to market experts, interest rates ...