ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2011
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While most mortgage web sites offer a glossary containing hundreds of real estate and lending related terms, we wanted to highlight the top terms that most borrowers will hear several times throughout the approval and home buying process. Understanding the "Shop Talk" between the various industry...
05/30/2011
Home affordability moved higher last quarter, buoyed by stable mortgage rates and falling home prices in Florida and nationwide. The National Association of Home Builders reports that Q1 2011 Home Opportunity Index reached an all-time high for the second straight quarter last quarter. Nearly 3 ...
05/28/2011
Home values dropped for the sixth straight month in March 2011, according to the Federal Home Finance Agency's Home Price Index. The Home Price Index is a government-sponsored home value tracker. The HPI report is the latest in a string of "falling home values" stories -- a trend that's troubli...
05/27/2011
Sales of newly-built homes surprised Wall Street, jumping 7 percent to an seasonally-adjusted, annualized 323,000 units last month. In addition, the supply of new homes dropped to 6.5 months — a 2-month decrease from October 2010 and the best reading in a year. The report runs counter to recent r...
05/27/2011
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Mortgage rates across the state are near year-to-date lows, but locking them in this week may be difficult. As Memorial Day nears, and Wall Streeters get a head-start on the long weekends, trade volume in the mortgage bond markets will dip. When bond volume drops, mortgage rates get jumpy. It's...
05/24/2011
If you've spent time making your garden look great this spring, you'll want to spend time helping it stay that way through the summer. This brief video will teach you how to keep your yard pest- and weed-free using eco-friendly products and nature, itself -- all without the use of dangerous c...
05/24/2011
Even though many lenders are still quoting quick 10 minute pre-qualifications over the phone or online, a true mortgage approval that holds any weight is one that has been issued by an underwriter who has had an opportunity to review all of the necessary documents. With a constant stream of new l...
05/24/2011
The housing market recovery stalled last month. At least temporarily. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, Existing Home Sales slipped 1 percent in April from the month prior, falling to 5.05 million units on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. The reading is exactly in-line w...
05/24/2011
The Federal Reserve released its April 2011 Federal Open Market Committee meeting minutes Wednesday. In the hours since, mortgage markets have worsened; rates in Florida are higher by 1/8 percent this morning, at least. The "Fed Minutes" is published 8 times annually, three week after each sche...
05/24/2011
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Single-family housing starts dropped by 21,000 units in April on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. The Housing Starts report measures the number of homes on which new construction "broke ground". It's tracked by the U.S. Department of Commerce which releases new data monthly. Single-family ho...
05/24/2011