01 Mar 2019
By noelkelman

Down Payment Money Saving Mistakes

Real Estate, ,
Are you saving up money for a down payment? Saving money to put down on a home is always a smart idea, but there are right ways and wrong ways to go about it. Understanding how to best save for a down payment will go a long way toward ensuring you're ready when you finally find the house of your dreams. Here are four down payment money saving mistakes to avoid. 1. Not Saving Enough It's very admirable to have a goal of saving exactly 20% for a down payment. However, this is a common mistake new home buyers make.…
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27 Feb 2019
By noelkelman

Case-Shiller: December Home Price Growth Slowest in 4 Years

Real Estate, ,
Case-Shiller Home Price Indices reported the slowest rate of U.S. home price growth since November 2014. According to the 20-City Home Price Index, Home prices grew by 4.20 percent year-over-year and were 0.20 percent higher in December as compared to November. The 20-City Home Price Index fell short of analysts' expected gain of 4.80 percent year-over-year. Case-Shiller's National Home Price Index reported home prices increased 4.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018. While home price growth is sluggish, home prices continued to rise faster than wages. This creates obstacles to affordability for many would-be home buyers. Fears about rising…
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26 Feb 2019
By noelkelman

Managing Finances Before Applying For A Mortgage

Real Estate, ,
Are you planning on using a mortgage to help cover the cost of a new home? If so, you will want to prepare your finances and figure out how you will manage all those wallet-draining monthly expenses. Let's take a look at how to run a quick financial health check to ensure you are ready to apply for a mortgage. Update (Or Start) Your Monthly Budget First, it is essential to get the basics out of the way. If you haven't already, it's time to start a monthly budget to keep track of your income and expenses. Once you have…
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22 Feb 2019
By noelkelman

FOMC Meeting Minutes: Why Fed’s Rate Policy Reversed Course

Real Estate, ,
After raising the target range for the federal funds rate in 2018, the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee did not raise the Central Bank's key interest rate at its meeting of January 29 and 30. While Committee members did not raise the Fed's key rate, members were divided on the interest rate decision. FOMC Members Divided On Interest Rate Decision Minutes of January's FOMC meeting indicated that member viewpoints varied about how the Fed should deal with the Fed's target interest rate range. One group said that interest rate increases may be necessary if inflation increases above the Federal Reserve's…
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21 Feb 2019
By noelkelman

Inexpensive Updates That Will Appeal To Buyers

Real Estate, ,
While you could spend tens of thousands of dollars or more completing a home makeover, there are more than a few budget-minded ideas that you may consider. Add Color To Molding And Trim One cool idea in home décor and interior design is to get rid of the standard white trim and molding and to add color to these areas. Neutral hues like grays and browns have universal appeal, or you can give your space a more contemporary look by adding black to these areas. Generally, you will want a more neutral color like a creamy beige on the walls…
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20 Feb 2019
By noelkelman

5 Simple Tips To Make Your Home Showings Easier

Real Estate, ,
Your real estate agent will likely give you 24 hours' notice before bringing over interested buyers to see your home. Sometimes eager buyers may request less of an advance, or even ask for a last minute showing. Since you're eager to be accommodating, you may agree to consider such requests. Whether you have 24 hours to prepare for a showing or 15 minutes, these tips will make showings easier for your family. Keep The Family Pet Carrier By The Door Real estate agents advise not leaving your family pet at home during showings. Make it easy to bring along Fido…
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15 Feb 2019
By noelkelman

3 Ways To Help Your Kids Deal With The Move

Real Estate, ,
Kids of all ages often have a hard time dealing with moving. They may not be able to understand why the family can't stay in the same place forever. Even with explanations, children often can't readily envision how amazing the new place will be. Here are some ideas for helping your kids deal with the move. 1. Make It Easy To Stay In Touch For a lot of kids, a big sore spot with moving is having to say goodbye to friends and schoolmates. They may even feel like you're intentionally wresting them away from their friends. To demonstrate how…
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14 Feb 2019
By noelkelman

5 Tips To Price Your Home To Sell For Top Dollar

Real Estate, ,
Many home sellers are confused about how to price their home to sell. It's definitely challenging to try and find that sweet spot between pricing it low enough so it flies off the market without undercutting the home's value. Emotions play into the decision, too. If the seller has a lot of sweat equity in the home, or the property is the only place the children have ever called home, owners may tend to place a higher value on the house. Here's how to correctly price a home to sell in any market. Rely On Your Real Estate Agent Your…
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