Cold, Hard Numbers: 0
0: Amount that Freddie Mac is factoring in credit score for refinancing. In early January the GSE announced that it would eliminate the minimum credit score requirement for borrowers wanting to...
View ArticleBiggest Down Payments in the Country Found in New Jersey
According to LendingTree, the national average down payment on a home today is 12.29 percent. However, in New Jersey borrowers are putting down nearly 1.5 percent more than that, making down payments...
View ArticleWestern States Working Through Foreclosure Backlog Quicker than Eastern
Although the foreclosure pipeline is still jammed across the country, out west states are “digesting” their backlog more quickly than their eastern counterparts. In fact, in three of the hardest-hit...
View ArticleMarket News: Stock Market Indicates December Jobs Report “Not Good Enough”
Most people were pretty excited to hear about the December jobs report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. After all, in December 2011 the unemployment rate dropped to its lowest point in nearly...
View ArticleTraining & Education: 3 Tips for Taking Good Pictures for Listings
When you list a home for sale, including pictures is vitally important. Most potential buyers will not bother to investigate a property for sale if they cannot at least get a first look via the...
View ArticleTraining & Education: Housing Planning and Retirement
One of the most complicated aspects of retirement is planning how and where to live. In the past, many people simply focused on building as much equity in their home as possible so that the home could...
View ArticleCold, Hard Numbers: 20
The percentage down payment on a loan proposed by federal regulators from the FDIC, the U.S. Treasury, HUD, the Federal Reserve, the SEC and the FHA. Lenders have protested that requiring this much of...
View ArticleInvestors Wonder If Profits Can Continue Rising in Face of Slow Economic Growth
Though you might not know it from the tone of the media these days, business is booming in the corporate sector. In fact, later this week fourth quarter profits are due to be released and analysts...
View ArticleD.C. Housing Inventory Lowest Since 2005
Not since 2005 has the Washington D.C. housing inventory been so sparse. According to a report by Real Estate Business Intelligence, 22 percent fewer homes were for sale in December 2011 than during...
View ArticleHAMP Success Tally Slowly Growing
It’s taken some time to get off the ground, but the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) may finally be gaining some traction. According to a new report released yesterday by the U.S. Treasury...
View ArticleBEREL Travel Diaries: Aquatic Adventures in Vegas
When you think of Las Vegas, you probably think of a lot of wild things, including gambling, drinking, partying and a lot of nearly-naked, bejeweled ladies wearing feather headdresses. Then, if you’re...
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