How well do you conserve water? The government's EPA estimates that the average family of four uses 146,000 gallons of water per year, at a cost of $700. With just a few small changes, however, that cost could drop by as much as 28%. You'll save on more than just your water bill, too. You may save on District of Columbia taxes. This is because water management is often handled at the municipal level and as water usage grows, so does the need for costly investment in water treatment and … [Read more...]
Mar
27
New Home Sales Slip In February
March 27, 2012 By 1 Comment
Sales of "new homes" fell to the lowest levels in four months last month. According to the Census Bureau's monthly New Home Sales report, 313,000 new homes were sold in February 2012 on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, representing a 1.6% drop from the month prior. A "new home" is a home for which there has been no prior owner nor tenant. At first glance, the data looks negative for the housing market; a suggestion that the well-publicized housing market recovery may be slowed. … [Read more...]
Nov
09
This Holiday Season, Think Twice Before Saving 15 Percent At The Register
November 9, 2011 By 1 Comment
With Halloween behind us, retailers are in the Holiday Spirit. Businesses know that consumers spent a median $556 on holiday gifts last year and they want this year to be just as strong. That's why it's barely November and, already, Black Friday ads clog our mailboxes and the airwaves. Retailers want our dollars and they're offering great deals to early shoppers. There's one discount a smart shopper should think twice, however -- the ever-present "Open A Charge Card Today And Save 15%" … [Read more...]
Sep
29
Case-Shiller Index : 85% Of Tracked Cities Showed Home Price Improvement In July
September 29, 2011 By 4 Comments
Standard & Poors released its monthly Case-Shiller Index this week. The Case-Shiller Index measures home price changes from month-to-month, and year-to-year, in 20 select U.S. cities. It also reports a "national" index; a composite of the values in said cities. The most recent Case-Shiller Index shows a 0.9% rise in home values from June to July 2011. Home values were higher in 17 of the 20 tracked cities. Only Phoenix and Las Vegas fell. Denver was flat. Also noteworthy is that, of … [Read more...]
Sep
27
Existing Home Sales Jump; Home Supplies Falling
September 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Are home resales rebounding? According to the National Association of REALTORS®, Existing Home Sales rose 8 percent in August from the month prior, and 19 percent as compared to August of last year. "Existing homes" are homes that are previously owned; ones that cannot be considered new construction. A total of 5.0 million existing homes were sold last month on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. This is slightly better than the 12-month home resale average, a statistic partially … [Read more...]
Sep
23
Building Permits Rising Nationwide; Housing Starts To Follow
September 23, 2011 By 1 Comment
Single-Family Housing Starts fell for the second consecutive month, dropping to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized 417,000 units in August 2011. A "Housing Start" is defined as a home on which ground has broken. We shouldn't put too much faith in the findings, however. Although housing starts were lower last month, as noted by the Census Bureau, the margin of error in the August Housing Starts report exceeded the actual result. From the official report: August's Published Results : … [Read more...]
Sep
13
Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Starting To Adjust Higher
September 13, 2011 By 1 Comment
For the first time in a year, homeowners with adjusting mortgages are facing rising mortgage rates. The interest rate by which many adjustable-rate mortgages adjust has climbed to its highest level since September 2010, and looks poised to reach higher. This is because of the formula by which adjustable-rate mortgage adjust. Each year, when due for a reset, an adjustable-rate mortgage's rate changes to the sum of fixed number known as a "margin", and a variable figure known as an "index". … [Read more...]
Sep
08
After A Pause, Mortgage Guidelines Resume Tightening
September 8, 2011 By 1 Comment
Mortgage guidelines appear to be tightening with the nation's largest banks. In its quarterly survey to senior loan officers nationwide, the Federal Reserve uncovered that a small, but growing, portion of its member banks is making mortgage approvals more scarce for "prime" borrowers. A prime borrower is described as one with a well-documented payment history, high credit scores, and a low monthly debt-to-income ratio. Of the 53 responding "big banks", 3 reported that mortgage … [Read more...]
Sep
01
With The Jobs Report Looming, Mortgage Rates May Rise
September 1, 2011 By 5 Comments
If you're shopping for a mortgage rate, today may be a good day to lock one down. That's because Friday morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Non-Farm Payrolls report for August 2011. The "jobs report" tends to have a big influence on mortgage bonds and mortgage rates in District of Columbia. The jobs report is a monthly issuance, providing sector-by-sector analysis of the U.S. workforce. It also report the national Unemployment Rate. Wall Street expects the August … [Read more...]
Case-Shiller Home Price Indices Post Highest Growth Rates Since 2006
Reasons To Attend Your Own Home Inspection
Dominic Morrocco of M Squared Real Estate makes the Annual Inman 100 Roundup
Post-Fiscal Cliff, Mortgage Markets Turn Attention To Jobs Data
Homebuilder Confidence Rises For 9th Straight Month
M Squared Introduces Open House Touch, Mobile Responsive Open House Management
How To Maintain Adequate Homeowners Insurance Coverage
Pending Home Sales Index Leaps To Multi-Year High
M Squared Welcomes Claire Angela Welsh
Which Is Better : 15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Or 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage?
Simple, Inexpensive Ways To Prep Your Home For Sale
More Bullish Data : Housing Starts Climb 3.6%
Federal Reserve : New Economic Stimulus May Be Warranted
Bank Repossessions Slip For 24th Consecutive Month
When It Pays To Refinance Your Mortgage -- Literally
