Helpful Hints

In November, Congress extended and expanded the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit program to include a subset of "move-up" buyers -- homeowners that have owned and lived in their home for 5 of the last 8 years. The credit ranges up to $8,000 per buyer. There's now just 7 weeks left to take...
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Although the newspapers reported mortgage rates down last week, they weren't. Conforming mortgage rates were higher by at least 1/8 percent, or roughly $11 per $100,000 borrowed per month. In some cases, rates were up by even more.
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Sometimes, headlines for housing can be misleading and this week gave us a terrific example. On Wednesday, the Commerce Department released its Housing Starts data for January 2010. The data showed starts at a 6-month high. The real story is something different.
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The Fed Minutes is a follow-up document, delivered 3 weeks after an official FOMC meeting. It's a companion piece to the post-meeting press release, detailing the debates and discussions that shaped our central bankers' policy decisions. The Minutes is a terrific look into the Fed's collective mind and, yesterday, Wall Street didn't like what...
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According to the Census Bureau, 2.8 million people commute to work 90 minutes or more each day, in each direction. Now, your daily commute may not be as long, but time spent in cars, trains and buses is time away from work and from family.
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In a statement issued Wednesday, the Federal Housing Authority outlined policy changes to its mortgage assistance program. The shift is meant to both reduce the government group's portfolio risk while strengthening its overall financials. For consumers, the changes mean higher costs.
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November 6, 2009, Congress voted to extend and expand the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit program. There's 100 days left to claim it.
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IRS Video – On How to Claim Home Buyer Tax Credit WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today released the new form that eligible homebuyers need to claim the first-time homebuyer credit this tax season and announced processing of those tax returns will begin in mid-February. The IRS also announced new documentation requirements to deter...
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Qualifying for a reverse mortgage is often easier than qualifying for a traditional mortgage. If you fail to qualify for a traditional mortgage but you meet the requirements of a reverse mortgage, you can take advantage of the benefits offered by the same. Let us find out how different it is to qualify for...
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Median Home pricing in our area is nearing or has hit an all time low that we have not seen in many years. Affordable homes are selling and many buyers are taking advantage of the huge Tax Credits that are being offered through the end of April 2010.
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