While spring is traditionally thought to be the prime season for home buying, people buy and sell homes throughout the year. The need to relocate for a new career, health reasons or the urge for new life experiences can happen at any time. Selling a home can be stressful. Add in harsh weather conditions and [...]
For many Jacksonville residents, the garage is far more than a spot to park the car — it’s become more of a catchall for every outdoor item the family owns. Floridians spend a ton of time outside, so they often have to store their surfboards and windsurfers in addition to the normal gardening and lawn [...]
The average down payment for 30-year fixed rate mortgages dropped to 15.73 percent of the home's value in the third quarter this year, down 2.74 percent from the second quarter, according to a report from LendingTree. A news release about report, which detailed the average down payment percentages by state, highlighted the relationship between down [...]
The VA loan program was created in 1944 by the U.S. government as a benefit to veterans for their service to our country. VA loans are not made by the Veteran’s Administration rather the VA provides a partial guarantee to the lenders that provide them. This allows for favorable program features and terms for the [...]
Many homeowners choose to get their properties appraised before selling a home. Having an appraisal can help sellers determine how to price their homes to avoid asking for too much or too little. Appraisers examine a variety of factors when valuing a home, including market conditions, the surrounding neighborhood and the home itself. So when [...]
The housing recovery is expected to grow at an annualized rate 0.6 percent through the third quarter of this year, then gain momentum and prices are projected to grow 3.7 percent between the third quarters of 2013 and 2014 until settling down to 3.3 percent annual increases over the next three years according to Fiserv, [...]
Given all the tools the Internet and modern innovation make available to consumers in general, some may wonder whether they truly need an agent to help sell their home. If having doubts, homeowners looking to sell should consider what a professional brings to the table. For starters, MSN Real Estate notes real estate agents are familiar with all [...]
Low mortgage rates have made buying a home more affordable and turned rentals into an attractive option for investors. Throughout the downturn in the housing market, average investors, sometimes pooling their money, have bought foreclosures at a sharp discount and turned them into rentals. Many homeowners also have purchased a second home and rented [...]
What is the best price for a piece of real estate? Mortgage lenders, appraisers, and real estate brokers use what is called the "fair market value" (FMV). FMV has been defined as "the price that a buyer is willing to pay and the seller is willing to accept, when both parties are knowledgeable about the [...]
No one wants to spend a fortune when it comes to selling a home, but most want to spruce up a few areas to make their property more appealing to potential buyers. There are several types of small improvements individuals can make that can transform the look of a home without forcing them to break [...]
