In 2010, 27% of first-time buyers received a gift from a friend or relative to use toward their down payment. That’s up from 22% in 2009 and 23% in 2005, according to statistics from the National Association of Realtors. Here is the link to read further:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dont-let-down-payment-gifts-hold-up-your-mortgage-2011-12-19
Take a look at these recent positive reports: Sales of existing homes rose 12% year-over-year; home building spiked nearly 21% compared with 12 months ago; and mortgage rates hit record lows.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/23/real_estate/new_home_sales/index.htm?iid=HP_LN
Here is an interesting article. Out of all of the candidates, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney owns the most real estate, including a townhouse in Boston and a beachfront home in La Jolla, California. Take a look at this link to read more.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2012/real_estate/1201/gallery.candidate-homes/
The video on this site points out some important questions to ask when buying a home – some of which may reduce your costs! Don’t forget to calculate insurance into your housing budget.
http://www2.iii.org/video/buying-a-home.html#.TueZn15GYsw.gmail
With 1/3 of builders saying they have “lost an in escrow sale” due to appraisal issues, both buyers and sellers need to be aware of what they may be facing after agreeing on a contract.
http://eyeonhousing.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/flawed-appraisals-preventing-home-sales/
I am consistently asked my opinion on how accurate the websites are that create home-value estimates. Read this rundown and let me know your thoughts or questions.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204224604577028161126902988.html?
This analysis is helpful in explaining the strong correlation between home equity loans and remodeling over time. Take a look at the graphs and charts to get the full picture.
http://eyeonhousing.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/the-importance-of-home-equity-loans-for-remodeling/
“Zillow says my house is worth….” is one of the most frequent comments I hear when it comes to real estate. This Wall Street Journal article gives a solid analysis of where Zillow and similar sites are both strong and weak.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204554204577026131448329006.html?
Ever wonder about the different reasons for buying or building a “New” home versus an buying an older home? Check out this article for some of the benefits to buying or building NEW.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-would-you-buy-a-new-home-2011-09-26
Some mortgage basics can be located here. For more specifics, let me know how I can help you with your home purchase.
http://www.homeloanlearningcenter.com/MortgageBasics/WhatsinaMortgagePayment.htm
