Monthly Archives: November 2008

Hello again. The president of my company, having earned his degree in Quantitative Economics and Decision Sciences, is well qualified to issue opinions on our local real estate market. His reports have been cited in most local newspapers ( The … Continue reading →

The day after Thanksgiving is a busy shopping day nationwide and, this year, analysts are paying extra attention to sales figures. Dubbed “Black Friday” in reference to red ink representing loss and black ink representing gain, today’s start to the … Continue reading →

Like everything else on Wall Street, mortgage markets are based on supply and demand. When demand outweighs supply, mortgage rates fall. So, Tuesday, when the government unexpectedly announced a $500 billion budget for buying mortgage debt from Fannie Mae and … Continue reading →

In real estate, the term existing home refers to a “used” property; one that can’t be classified as new construction. The number of existing homes sold each month is tracked by the National Association of REALTORS. The report is often … Continue reading →

Business television and newspapers have made deflation a hot topic this week and, since Monday, Google has tracked 13,000 mentions of it. Deflation is a recurring cycle in which the prices of goods and services fall. Isolated to one industry … Continue reading →

This next couple of months represent a good opportunity for local home buyers, with lower prices, and reduced competition. ( Most people are more preoccupied with the Holidays, than with house shopping.) Two things different about this year, vs. the … Continue reading →

When it comes to housing data, there are always two questions to consider: How does this impact buyers? How does this impact sellers? This is why housing data is rarely positive or negative on a universal level — one group … Continue reading →

If the presence of inflation causes mortgage rates to rise, then the absence of inflation should cause mortgage rates to fall. And, in most markets that’s true. Today, it’s not. Despite a deep dip in consumer prices not seen since … Continue reading →

In March 2008, HUD temporarily raised FHA loan limits around the country. Effective January 1, 2009, FHA loan limits revert. FHA home loans are mortgages made by private lenders and insured by the federal government. Historically, FHA home loans have … Continue reading →

Vacuum cleaners are meant clean our homes, but in addition to picking up dirt, dust and mites, most vacuum cleaners also spread harmful bacteria. As revealed in this this 4-minute video from NBC’s Today Show, E. Coli, salmonella and other … Continue reading →