Archive for December, 2011
2011′s final mortgage rates remain at historic lows
Rates on conforming, 30-year, fixed-rated mortgages (FRM) averaged 3.95 percent, with an average 0.7 point, the week ending Dec. 29, 2011, up from last week’s all-time record low of 3.91 percent. According Freddie Mac’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey the [...]
NAR: Four years of homes sales 14% less than reported
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS - The National Association of Realtors (NAR) takes its role as a leading source for housing information very seriously, and toward that end, NAR
Goats and golden geese, investors contribute to crashes, recoveries
Investors get it coming and going. They are speculating sinners after markets crash, but saintly saviors when demand for good times are here again. To wit. The Federal Reserve
One person’s gift card trash is another’s gift card treasure
If that stocking hung by the chimney with care, was chock full of gift cards from here and from there, you can unload them for nearly their cost,
That (2011) was the year that was in news
AOL - As the year winds down, the events of 2011 become water cooler conversation. Reflections of what happened in the world beyond one's front door take the
Underwater homeowners renting out to move up, over or down
• Silicon Valley's Julie Larsen Wyss, a broker associate with Intero Real Estate Services, recently met a couple who wanted to buy one of her listings, but had
Short-term rentals ever more popular, but not without risks
Short-term rentals have become increasingly popular in the past few years, thanks to the growth in online rental portals like HomeAway.com and Airbnb.com. Short-term rentals, often second-home and vacation-home
Mortgage rates continue to set new lows
Rates on conforming, 30-year, fixed-rated mortgages (FRM) averaged 3.91 percent, with an average 0.7 point, the week ending Dec. 22, 2011, a new all-time low, down from the
Facebook red-faced, settles FTC consumer deception charges
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION - The social networking service Facebook has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their
D.C.’s Theater of the Absurd: SEC sues former Fannie, Freddie execs for mortgage securities fraud
While taxpayers were pumping $150 billion into Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to rescue them from collapse, Fannie and Freddie executives allegedly lied to investors, the public and
Retail holiday workers find little joy in housing costs
Christmas just wouldn't be the Christmas without the workers you love, but many workers essential to the holiday shopping season can't afford to buy a home where they
Mortgage co-signing pros, cons
If you are unable to meet mortgage lenders' tight underwriting guidelines, teaming up with a co-signer can be a solution. Co-signer vs. co-borrowers According to the Federal Housing Administration
Take this gift and shove it … where lousy gifts go
WTF? Another @*#&!% beeswax candle? Jesus Christ. Happy birthday to you. Hey, here's a thought that counts: being stuck with another crummy gift you can't give away. If, in some wassail-induced
Mortgage rates expected to remain stable for months
Fixed rate mortgage (FRM) interest rates for 30-year conforming loans should remain affordable, at or below 4.50 percent for the coming months, according to interest rate experts. The Santa
American Dream more sustainable with smaller carbon footprint
The latest study extolling the intrinsic value found in green homes puts energy efficiency at the top of the list of features buyers most desire. The Yahoo! Home Horizon
CFPB unveils simplified credit card disclosure form
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently rolled out a plain-English credit card agreement prototype designed to simplify the credit card agreement you trigger when you first
Power up your passwords with more protection against hackers
On your next double dinner date, look around the table. Three of you are vulnerable to hacker attacks because you didn't use much imagination creating online passwords. Consumer Reports
Video: Gift cards only almost as good as cash
It's just about that time of year when harried holiday gift shoppers begin to stock up on gift cards to take the guesswork out of giving. Gift cards typically
What ‘dubstep’ sounds like to your parents
The extra amplification built into this video is part of the gag, but, to save your hearing, turn the volume down before playing. Also, if you don't know dubstep
Mortgage fraud focus overlooks predatory lending evils
The government recently announced it has started a high-level task force to prevent mortgage fraud. This sounds great, but is mortgage fraud really a big worry? The Office of the
