Monthly Archives: September 2009

For the second month in a row, 18 of the 20 Case-Shiller real estate markets posted higher home values. It’s the 6th consecutive strong showing for the benchmark private-sector housing index. Combined with falling home supplies and rising sales figures, … Continue reading →

Getting approved for a mortgage is about to get harder. For the second time in less than 3 months, Fannie Mae announced changes to its mortgage guidelines. In its official announcement, Fannie Mae details the updates, meant to reduce the … Continue reading →

The traditional, 6-socket surge protector is a ubiquitous product in American homes. It also happens to be rife with design flaws, the most glaring of which is the socket layout. Traditional surge protectors are built for skinny-plugged devices only. Few … Continue reading →

As reported by the National Association of REALTORS®, the number of Existing Home Sales dipped last month, ending the metric’s 5-month winning streak. Newspaper headlines today are overwhelmingly negative on housing. You’d almost believe this year’s housing recovery had ended. … Continue reading →

The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate within its target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. It also reiterated plans to support the mortgage market to the tune of $1.5 trillion. In its press release, the FOMC … Continue reading →

As reported by the government, home prices are rising nationwide, up 0.3 percent in July. Furthermore, versus November 2008, the Home Price Index has clawed back to unchanged. The housing market appears to be holding its own. However, we have … Continue reading →

The Federal Open Market Committee starts a 2-day meeting today in Washington. The scheduled get-together ends at 2:15 PM ET Wednesday after which the FOMC will issue a press release to the markets. Consider locking your mortgage in advance of … Continue reading →

Lawn care needs change with the season. How your cut it, how you water it, and how you feed it depends on the weather and the forecast. In the video above from YouTube, the gardening expert clearly covers how to … Continue reading →

Housing Starts on single-family homes took a step backwards last month, falling month-over-month for the first time since January. A “housing start” is new home on which construction has started. Don’t let the slowdown fool you, however — the housing … Continue reading →

According to the country’s home builders, the housing market is looking good. Each month, the National Association of Home Builders releases its Housing Market Index report, a survey geared at taking “the pulse of the single-family housing market”. Respondents report … Continue reading →