Fall Fix-Ups For Your Home

Oct 03

Fall Fix-Ups For Your Home

October 3, 2011 By Barry Epstein Leave a Comment

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy It's October and the fall season has officially started. For homeowners throughout District of Columbia and nationwide, the change of season is a well-timed, "preventative maintenance" reminder. As temperatures cool, there are a handful of do-it-yourself projects you should undertake in order to keep your home in tip-top shape through the winter. This 4-minute piece from NBC's The Today Show highlights just a few of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Selling Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Construction and Maintenance, DIY, Fall, Home & Garden, homerepair, Materials and Supplies, Preventive maintenance, The Today Show, washington dc, weatherproof

Sep 30

Despite Low Rates, Pending Home Sales Slip In August

September 30, 2011 By Barry Epstein 1 Comment

Despite the lowest mortgage rates of all-time, home buyers are slowing the pace at which they're buying homes. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, the Pending Home Sales Index fell 1 percent in August. The Pending Home Sales Index measures homes under contract, but not yet sold, nationwide. In this respect, the Pending Home Sales Index is a forward-looking housing market indicator; a predictor of future home sales. It's one of the few … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Selling Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Mortgage loan, mortgage rates, National Association of Realtors, Pending Home Sales, Pending Home Sales Index, real estate, washington dc

Sep 21

A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement (September 21, 2011 Edition)

September 21, 2011 By Barry Epstein Leave a Comment

Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged within its current target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. The vote was 7-3 -- the second straight meeting at which the FOMC adjourned with as many 3 dissenters. Prior to that last meeting, there hadn't been 3 FOMC dissenters since 1992. In its press release, the Federal Reserve presented a dour outlook for the U.S. economy, noting that since its last meeting in August: Economic growth "remains … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Ben Bernanke, Fed Funds Rate, Federal funds rate, Federal Open Market Committee, Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve System, FOMC, Mortgage loan, washington dc

Sep 09

Home Affordability Still Tops Nationwide

September 9, 2011 By Barry Epstein Leave a Comment

Home affordability slipped slightly last quarter, dragged down by rising mortgage rates and recovering home prices in District of Columbia and nationwide. The National Association of Home Builders reports a Q2 2011 Home Opportunity Index reading of 72.6. This means that nearly 3 of 4 homes sold last quarter were affordable to households earning the national median income of $64,200. Q2 2011 marks the 10th straight quarter -- dating back to 2009 -- in which the index surpassed 70. Prior … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Home Affordability, Home Opportunity Index, NAHB, National Association of Home Builders, real estate, United States

Aug 24

New Home Supplies Remain Flat; Builders Not Over-Extending

August 24, 2011 By Barry Epstein Leave a Comment

Sales of newly-built homes slipped in July, falling 1 percent as compared to June. Home buyers closed on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized 298,000 units, the lowest reading since February. The supply of new homes, however, remained flat. July's 6.6 months of supply equaled June's tally and remains near the multi-year low of 6.5 months set in May of this year. The figures suggest a new home market that's finding its balance. Builders are building to meet demand, and not much … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Census Bureau, New Construction, New Home Sales, New Home Supply, Seasonal adjustment

Jul 25

Walk Score Ranks Washington DC #7 Most Walkable City

July 25, 2011 By Barry Epstein Leave a Comment

WalkScore just released their 2011 ranking of America's most walkable cities, ranking Washington, DC as #7. 58% of Washington D.C. residents have a Walk Score of 70 or above. Washington D.C.'s most walkable neighborhoods are Dupont Circle, West End, Downtown. Washington D.C.'s least walkable neighborhoods are Kenilworth, Hawthorne, Barnaby Woods. 90% have a Walk Score of at least 50—and 10% live in Car-Dependent neighborhoods. See which cities are the winners and how your city … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Neighborhood News Tagged With: United States, Walk Score, Walkability, walkable cities, washington dc

Jul 21

Existing Home Sales Fall To 8-Month Low

July 21, 2011 By Barry Epstein Leave a Comment

Home resales slipped for the 3rd straight month, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS®. The Existing Home Sales posted a 1 percent drop from May as the number of homes sold fell to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized 4.77 million units. It's the monthly report's lowest reading since November 2010. The report also showed the national supply of homes for sales rising to 9.5 months -- also its highest reading since November 2010. Home Supply is the amount of time it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Existing Home Sales, Home Supplies, National Association of Realtors, Real estate economics, Seasonal adjustment, washington dc

Jul 20

Housing Starts Surge 9 Percent; Signal A Strong Fall Season

July 20, 2011 By Barry Epstein Leave a Comment

Builders are busy once again. According to the Census Bureau, Single-Family Housing Starts rose to 453,000 on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis in June -- a 9 percent spike from the month prior and the highest reading in 3 seasons. A "Housing Start" is defined as a home breaking ground on new construction. June's reading is largest one-month jump since June 2009. The reading surprised Wall Street despite that the Homebuilder Confidence survey may have foreshadowed the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Building Permits, Homebuilder Confidence, Housing Starts, National Association of Homebuilders, New Home Sales, Real estate broker/agent

Jul 15

Retail Sales Rise For 12th Straight Month In June

July 15, 2011 By Barry Epstein Leave a Comment

The American Consumer will not be deterred. Despite worsening jobless figures and an increase in the Cost of Living, Retail Sales are climbing. In June, for the 12th straight month, retail receipts rose, excluding cars and auto parts. Analysts expected no change from May. Instead, receipts topped $321 billion -- an all-time record. For home buyers and would-be refinancers in DC , this is a bit of unwelcome news. Mortgage rates are rising in the wake of the Retail Sales data … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buying Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Consumer Spending, Cost of Living, Jobs, Retail, Retail Sales

Jul 11

Removing Stains On Walls : Crayon, Mildew And More

July 11, 2011 By Barry Epstein Leave a Comment

Painting rooms in a home can be a do-it-yourself project. Armed with paint, tape, tarp and some brushes, there's nothing you can't re-color. While some rooms call for a complete sand-down, there are some that don't, and for those, Rule #1 is that your walls must be stain-free before adding the next coat of paint. Stains can come in all varieties and the most basic stains can be treated with a damp rag or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. For everything else, you'll need a more cleaning … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Selling Real Estate in Washington, DC Tagged With: Cleaning, Paint, Walls