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Does Investing In Real Estate Make Sense Any More?

The talking heads on TV seem to think an overvalued stock market is racing towards an imminent pullback. It’s a logical assessment. With equities appearing overbought, gold dropping in value and bonds yielding little to no return, you might be wondering just where the hell to stick your money. Should real estate be on the table? Investors seem to think so. When you look at the data a few things jump out: Clearly one sector is lagging the economic recovery - housing. Have American demographics shifted and we’re simply seeing the new “norm” for housing? Is the lag…
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Are Sellers Too Confident In A Not-So-Hot Market?

Public sentiment generally lags reality on almost everything, especially the housing market. 2009 - 2012 will likely be remembered as the Great Recession by historians. Many homebuyers will recall it more fondly; they will remember it as the time they ignored the media cynicism, seized the opportunity and bought a home - A home that was a steal of a deal and paired with once in a lifetime mortgage rates to boot. Most of the intrepid adventurers who braved the skeptics and bought real estate at the bottom stand to profit a pretty penny on the choice. Warren…
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Is the American Dream of Home-ownership, Just a Dream?

The “renter’s nation” is increasingly being used by pundits to describe the US housing market. If you go to the source, middle-class Americans, you’ll get a different story. Despite what you may hear, the myth that we are quickly becoming a “renter’s nation” is just that – a myth. According to Gallup, the numbers clearly suggest quite the opposite. When polled, only slightly over 1/10th of the population completely spurn the idea of home-ownership altogether. Household income is the primary predicator when it comes to opinions on the importance of owning a home. It seems obvious…
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Unlike Shakira’s Hips, Housing Data Can Lie

What difference does a mere $1,000 make on the housing market? Apparently, it makes all the difference in the world. Housing affordability has been a commonly touched subject for us recently. I have written about it several times because it concerns me. I find it to be a disconcerting topic. The housing affordability precipice has also caught the attention of other prominent information sources in the real estate world. Including, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). In a study released in August 2014, NAHB examines the effect of increases in the cost to obtain a mortgage and permit…
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7 Stupid Things To Avoid When Selling A Home

Home prices continue to move higher in 2014. More and more underwater homeowners - trapped in their negative equity, upside down position for years – have a new choice: they can sell their homes the traditional way. You list the home, you negotiate a deal with a potential buyer and you enter into a contract that closes escrow about 30 days later. You know, the way it worked in the good old days. Hundreds of thousands of sellers from 2006 – 2013 are envious. They had additional steps to their selling process. Their…
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[Infographic] Top 25 Elementary Schools in California

Schools play an important factor in home buying decision. Especially if you are planning to start a family or if you already have kids. If you want nothing but the best academic education for your kids, you may like to know about the top schools. Elementary schools fulfills the special needs of student’s life in the first few years of their schooling lives. Elementary schools usually begin at kindergarten and goes till fifth grade. Students are taught to think critically, to strive to attain high standards, to meet the challenges posed by technological advancements…
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[Infographic] The Art and Science of Home Appraisals

On your path to home ownership, finding your dream home is just the start. You need to make sure the loan process goes smoothly and you are able to close your escrow on time. Often, something goes awry and its not uncommon for that "something" to be appraisal. The below infographic goes into the art and science behind home appraisals. We end with giving you inputs on how you can impact the appraisal positively.
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3 Secrets about PMI Your Mortgage Lender is Not Telling You

What if knowing three simple facts could save you thousands and help you ensure your mortgage is in the hands of a true mortgage pro? Valuable info, right? Good, because by the end of this post you will know those facts and be armed with some specific questions you can ask your mortgage lender that are designed to separate a talented loan officer from run-of-the-mill paper pusher. Get a Live Mortgage Quote What is Private Mortgage Insurance? Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), is a tool used to protect mortgage lenders' against loss on loans…
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How to Eliminate Your FHA and Conventional Mortgage Insurance

You have studied your mortgage payment, looking for ways to reduce that monthly number, and one thing keeps jumping out - mortgage insurance. You knew you'd have to pay it when you put less than 20% down, but it's been on that statement every single month for a couple years now. Surely you have paid enough, right? After all, that mortgage insurance is there to protect the bank in case you defaulted and you have made every single payment on time. Your house has also increased in value, you purchased at the bottom…
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Real Cost For First Time Buyers [Infographic]

Let's be honest: the recession that hit the U.S economy only a few years ago hit us all pretty hard. This truth is especially evident for the generation of young adults who recently graduated from colleges across the country-many of whom left their schools with unimaginable amounts of debt and few jobs available to them to take advantage of. As a result of the recession, the U.S. has seen a significant increase in the amount of young adults moving back home to live with their parents after graduation. But despite these facts, very…
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