Monthly Archives: January 2009

Super Bowl Weekend traditionally marks the start of the Spring Buying Season in real estate. Anecdotally, real estate agents will tell you that buyer activity tends to tick higher at this time of the year. Meanwhile, with mortgage rates still … Continue reading →

The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged today. It remains within a target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. In its press release, the FOMC reiterated most of the key points from its December 2008 statement, … Continue reading →

The Federal Open Market Committee adjourns from its 2-day meeting today. The monetary policy-setting group is expected leave the Fed Funds Rate within its current target range of 0.00-0.250 percent. This is the lowest range for the Fed Funds Rate … Continue reading →

Don’t let the plunging median sales price fool you — December’s Existing Home Sales data has home sellers smiling. Just one month after falling below the 5-million unit trend line, sales volume roared back by 300,000 homes in December, surprising … Continue reading →

When a homeowner sells his home and decides to buy a new one, there are 3 basic options for the residence — sell it, keep it, or rent it. Unfortunately, no matter which path they choose, move-up homebuyers in need … Continue reading →

After improving through 11 straight weeks, mortgage rates finally ticked higher last week. This, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage rate survey. The Freddie Mac survey showed that mandatory mortgage fees rose last week, too. Unfortunately, the bad news for … Continue reading →

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index is a popular measure of domestic home prices, released monthly. The index reports on the largest 20 U.S. markets, painting a broad picture of real estate values nationwide. Despite the Case-Shiller Index’s two obvious flaws … Continue reading →

Another week, another headline screams how mortgage rates have falled to an all-time low. Freddie Mac published its weekly mortgage rate survey Thursday and found that the “average” mortgage rate is now 4.96 percent, the lowest since the survey started … Continue reading →

After a weak holiday shopping season, annual retail sales declined in 2008. It marks the first annual Retail Sales decline since the government started tracking the data 40 years ago. It also gives credence to the notion that the U.S. … Continue reading →

An oft-touted benefit of homeownership is its tax benefits. However, like most IRS-related items, understanding how the benefits work is not always clear. In general, homeowners are entitled to two home-related tax deductions — one for annual mortgage interest paid, … Continue reading →