Real Estate

Clean Crawlspace May Increase Home Value

Thursday, 02 September 2010 12:27 Phoebe Chongchua

The name makes it sound like a place that you crawl in; however, most of us would probably rather pass on the crawl or even a walk-through of this area because of the lack of cleanliness. A crawlspace is typically a shallow area beneath your home between the soil and first floor. It can be very useful and even enticing to buyers if it's kept up. On the other hand, a crawlspace can become a refuge for unwanted creatures, fungus, and termites.

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Last Updated ( Friday, 03 September 2010 09:33 ) Read more...

Housing Tax Credit Closing Extension Helps Some; Others Finding Market Ripe With Good Deals

Monday, 19 July 2010 00:00 Phoebe Chongchua

It's not a lot of time, but a three-month homebuyer limited tax-credit extension will help some. "I think it was one of relief by lots of homebuyers who had loans and real estate transactions in the pipeline and couldn't close by the June 30th deadline. The extension gives them the opportunity to finish up their deals and close by September 30th," says Lucien Salvant, National Association of Realtors spokesperson.

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Last Updated ( Sunday, 18 July 2010 17:59 ) Read more...

Making Your Home Appealing On A Budget

Friday, 16 July 2010 23:38 Phoebe Chongchua

With the uncertainty of the economy, many people are looking for ways to cut back. When it comes to selling their home, homeowners often don’t want to put much money into getting it ready for the sale. While that’s certainly understandable, properly preparing a home before listing it goes a long way to helping attract serious buyers and offers.

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Last Updated ( Friday, 16 July 2010 23:42 ) Read more...

Mortgage Rules Change

Friday, 02 July 2010 18:51 Phoebe Chongchua

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported recently that mortgage applications decreased according to their weekly survey (ending 6/18/10). However, some banks are hiring mortgage lenders—a sign that banks are optimistic that requests for housing loans will increase.

J.P. Morgan Chase is planning to hire 1,200 loan officers, according to CNNMoney.com. Christine Holevas, a spokesperson for the bank said, "We may not be inundated with applications tomorrow, but we are confident the need will be there." Despite any slight downturns, expected increases in the mortgage business are estimated to go from $725 billion in 2010 to $916 billion by 2013, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

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Last Updated ( Friday, 02 July 2010 18:58 ) Read more...

Buyers Want Homes In Walking Distance to Amenities

Friday, 02 July 2010 18:47 Phoebe Chongchua

Park the car and put on the walking shoes. Homebuyers are ranking a home’s walking distance to schools, stores, neighborhood parks, and more as high on the list of influences to buy a home. Buyers are interested in purchasing a house that allows them to get around without the car.

According to one study of 90,000 homes in the U.S., being able to walk to nearby amenities can increase the value of the home by as much as $3,000 and if there is “location efficiency”—a calculation that measures transportation costs—the number of foreclosures in a neighborhood is impacted.

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Last Updated ( Friday, 09 July 2010 16:37 ) Read more...

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