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2015 

  Every year on Feb. 2, thousands of eager people convene on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, PA, to find out if groundhog Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow, which means winter will last another six weeks. Here are some interesting tidbits about this famous U.S. tradition. The annual ceremony...
01/30/2015
Not long ago, FHA home loans were something of a niche product that appealed mostly to low-income buyers. But when the housing bubble burst in 2008, the federal program suddenly became a common way to finance property.    Even today, FHA mortgages can be appealing to those who don’t qualify for ...
01/26/2015
Whether you watch football or not, the Super Bowl has become an annual event in many households. (Any excuse to throw or go to a party, right?) Here are some numbers gathered byCelebrations.com. 19 - Average number of guests invited to a Super Bowl party $118 - Average amount spent on a Super Bo...
01/25/2015
Looking to buy a home, but your credit isn’t as good as you would like? That’s going to make getting a mortgage a tough task, but it doesn’t mean you’re completely out of luck. Before you have a reasonable chance of being approved for a conventional mortgage, you need a FICO score of at least 62...
01/25/2015
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born Jan. 15, 1929, and on the third Monday of every January, we celebrate his life and what he stood for. Although the day has been a federal holiday since 1986, in 1994 Congress designated it as a national day of service - "a day on, not a day off." The Corpora...
01/17/2015
  As one of the largest financial decisions in a person's life, buying a home requires discretion, sensibility and budgeting. The following tips will keep you on the right path as you look to purchase your first place.   1. Keep score   The better your credit score is, the better your mortgage t...
01/14/2015
Did you have a bad credit event in recent years? Do you have less than two years in the same career field? Is your monthly income less than three times your proposed payment? Fear not, when your financial picture doesn't fit neatly into the box, you may still qualify with some lenders. Here's how...
01/13/2015
Housing economists and would-be homebuyers are finding reasons for optimism as 2015 nears. To be fair, the bar's set pretty low after a tough year for housing. However, there are some genuinely encouraging signs that next year will be better for prospective buyers. Economic recovery and an impro...
01/12/2015
For many first-timers, the biggest obstacle to home ownership is the required down payment. That's why down payment assistance programs were created. Consider that a family trying to buy a $200,000 house (which is pretty modest in many locations) will probably need three percent to 20 percent do...
01/11/2015
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  Buying now is twice as affordable as renting, but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier for young buyers to get into the market As it’s gotten more affordable to own a home, the exact opposite has taken hold for renters. American homebuyers making the national median income and purchasing the typi...
01/10/2015
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Christopher Pataki

Hockessin Delaware Real Estate
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The goal of this blog is to inform consumers who are buying, selling and investing in real estate.