Monthly Archives: April 2008

The Fed lowered the Fed Funds Rate by a quarter-percent to 2.000% this afternoon. Because it is tied to the Fed Funds Rate, Prime Rate also fell by a quarter-percent. Prime Rate is now 5.000%. Holders of home equity lines … Continue reading →

The Federal Open Market Committee adjourns from its two-day meeting at 2:15 P.M. ET today. Markets expect the Fed to lower the Fed Funds Rate by 0.250 percent in its press release but it’s not what the Fed does that … Continue reading →

RealtyTrac released Q1 2008 foreclosure statistics and the data follows an interesting statistical phenomenon most commonly known as the “80/20 Rule”. The 80/20 Rule states that 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes. In this … Continue reading →

Temperatures are rising as we head into May, but your energy bill doesn’t have to. This classic video from The Weather Channel reminds us that ceiling fans can help to reduce energy bills all year long. The key is to … Continue reading →

Newspaper headlines rarely tell the full story and today’s papers provide a terrific example. From the Baltimore Sun (and others): New-home sales lowest since 19918.5% March decline exceeds forecasts; prices also tumble As always, there’s more to the story than … Continue reading →

More than 130 million Americans will receive tax rebates this year as part of Congress’ $168 billion economic stimulus package. Payments begin in about two weeks and range from $600 for individuals to $1,200 for couples, plus an additional $300 … Continue reading →

The National Association of REALTORS released its Existing Home Sales report for March 2008. An “existing home” is one that is not considered new construction. A sub-headline in the report showed that the median sales price of all homes sold … Continue reading →

As mortgage lenders limit how much money they will lend and to whom, co-signing home loans is growing in popularity. “Co-signing” a home loan is when a third-party — usually a parent or relative — promises to make repayments to … Continue reading →

Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and 1 out of 15 homes has elevated levels of the radioactive gas seeping into it. Despite the risks, however, radon is a potential problem that many homeowners ignore. … Continue reading →

In the world of real estate, Days On Market is the number of days between when a home lists for sale and when it goes under contract. It is often abbreviated as DOM. Average Days on Market is a similar … Continue reading →