Many people are reconsidering their living situation in the wake of COVID-19. If you’ve been considering moving to a more rural neighborhood, then you may be eligible for a USDA loan! What is a USDA Loan? USDA loans are zero down payment mortgages for certain rural and suburban homebuyers. Who is Eligible? Eligibility requirements for USDA loans vary, so it […]
Author: Erik Kinsley
NO SIGN OF INFLATION IS HELPING TO PUSH RATES LOWER ON HIGH VOLATILITY
Published Date 8/31/2020 Yesterday Jerome Powell made it official. After days of clues and hints, the Fed has changed the way it views unemployment and inflation. It is the death of the Phillips Curve that economists have believed in for years, that as employment increases, so too is the outlook that inflation will follow. It hasn’t […]
THINGS YOUR NEIGHBORS DON’T TELL YOU
So you think you know your neighbors, right? They politely pull up your garbage cans when you’re out of town, walk over with misdelivered mail, and are quick to wave when you enter your driveway. But what are a few things they may NEVER tell you? Family Handyman’s Jenny Stanley and Alexa Erickson name a few facts […]
Be on the ALERT for a growing Real Estate Scam
Published Date 7/6/2018 Today’s homebuyers can unwittingly become targets of scams, as evidenced by a report today by NBC in which it describes how a couple was robbed of their life savings. Citing this as a mere sampling of what can happen, real estate experts say everyone shopping for homes need to stay vigilant. The […]
Factory Orders Up 0.4% In May
Published Date 7/5/2018 TODAY’S MORTGAGE RATE SUMMARY HOW RATES MOVE: Conventional and Government (FHA and VA) lenders set their rates based on the pricing of Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) which are traded in real time, all day in the bond market. This means rates or loan fees (mortgage pricing) moves throughout the day, being affected by […]
Keeping Your Head Above Water When Investing In Real Estate
Semantics are alive and well with real estate. You either buy, or you invest. Right? Well, let’s admit there is a slight nuance here. You plan to live in what you “buy,” but the idea of investing carries the connotation of renovating and making a quick buck. Today’s consumers are much more interested than ever to try […]
What NOT To Do Yourself Before Selling Your Home
Published Date 6/26/2018 It’s not all that uncommon. You tried to fix something in your house using all the analytic skills you apply to other parts of your life, inspired by how easy it looks on HGTV. With all the best of intentions, however, what seemed simple turned into an obviously less-than-expert job. In fact, […]
Realtor Knowledge And Research Are Key When Appraisals Come In Low
Published Date 6/25/2018 As the real estate market continues to sizzle, driving prices ever higher, it’s not unusual for appraisals to be a sticking point. Just because you’ve asked $300K for your home and got an offer at $320K doesn’t mean the appraiser can justify the value all the parties agreed to, however. There may […]
WILL DRIVERLESS CARS AFFECT THE FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE?
It’s happening right under our noses, but few of us know it. The newest commercial parking facilities are being designed with autonomous cars in mind — the ones that drive themselves. Some developers are even going so far as to explore ways to repurpose existing parking garages. The question follows: how could autonomous vehicles change […]
US RETAIL SALES POST BIGGEST GAIN IN SIX MONTHS
__ Published Date 6/14/2018 TODAY’S MORTGAGE RATE SUMMARY HOW RATES MOVE: Conventional and Government (FHA and VA) lenders set their rates based on the pricing of Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) which are traded in real time, all day in the bond market. This means rates or loan fees (mortgage pricing) moves throughout the day, being […]