John Mulkey, Housing Guru

By
Services for Real Estate Pros - TheHousingGuru.com
RECENT BLOG POSTS
For all the hoopla and talk surrounding the “debt ceiling,” Washington is ignoring the debt crisis.  What we’re seeing is political pandering, not leadership, and both parties are equally guilty.  While Republicans promised to provide leadership and to restore fiscal sanity, they’re too cowardly ...
05/09/2011
Considering a Condominium?  Thom Abbott, an Atlanta real estate broker and owner of Thomas Ramon Realty @ Palmer House Properties, provides an excellent comparison of the pros and cons of condominium living in "Condo Considerations," this month's "Experts" article on TheHousingGuru.com.  A wealth...
05/08/2011
It’s Official: Housing has Entered a Double-Dip   An article on World Property Channel reports that Clear Capital’s Monthly Home Data Index shows a national decline in home prices 0.7 percent below the previous lows of March 2009.  The new numbers now make it official; housing is in a double-dip....
05/05/2011
While HAMP, the administration’s foreclosure prevention program, has been a dismal failure, efforts in Pennsylvania demonstrate that government can create modification programs that work.  And while the Pennsylvania program is dramatically more effective, it’s also much less costly to taxpayers a...
04/26/2011
Lipstick on a Pig – Understanding the Dangers of Rehabbed Foreclosures   With millions of homes having been lost to foreclosure and millions more to come, savvy “investors” may purchase some of the best deals with the intention of turning them for a quick profit.  Unfortunately, some of those “in...
04/08/2011
As the April 15 tax day approaches, there is still some confusion surrounding the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit.  And while there were thousands of fraudulent claims made by those attempting to cheat the government, a large number of taxpayer legitimately failed to understand how the tax credit...
03/27/2011
  New Guidelines for the Remediation of Chinese Drywall Only Add to the Confusion   Several months ago I posted a BLOG describing how government bureaucrats were avoiding involvement with the issue of tainted drywall; and a couple of agencies have now acknowledged their responsibility to provide ...
03/24/2011
  As home prices continue to decline, in many cities it’s cheaper to buy than rent.  A recent study done by Deutsche Bank shows that for the first time in more than 2 decades, buying a home costs less than renting, especially for those purchasing in large metropolitan areas.  And while it’s unlik...
03/19/2011
  When I ran my own homebuilding company—following a couple of unpleasant experiences—I developed a rule that I would only build or remodel for “nice” people.  Building or buying a home should be fun, and it can be if the right choices are made up front.  Having previously spent more than a decad...
03/19/2011
Reverse mortgages, through heavy advertising on TV, have become quite popular in the past few years; but they fail to disclose that reverse mortgages can take a bite out of your assets.  Just as any other type of loan, there are pitfalls and dangers to the uninformed.  That’s why anyone consider...
03/13/2011