Today's Real Estate News and Advice

Updated: October 3, 2008

 Acquiring Knowledge about Your Marketplace
Think of your marketplace as your playing field, not unlike an athlete views a football field, basketball court, or hockey rink. The better you know every inch of that playing field, the more you can exploit it to your advantage. FULL STORY->

Long-Term Mortgage Rates Barely Move this Week
Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.10 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending October 2, 2008, up from last week when it averaged 6.09 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.37 percent. FULL STORY->

Hot Market: Midland Texas A Throwback to the Good Old Days
Home prices are up 16 percent over last year at this time. The average time on the market is less than a month and homes are scarce, forcing workers to seek out trailer park rentals. Sound familiar? FULL STORY->

Is Your Fence Preventing Buyers From Seeing Your Beautiful Home?
Curb appeal is the first impression buyers get when they see your home. But sometimes they don't even get a chance to see your actual home because their eyes first land on the fence that surrounds it. FULL STORY->

Affordability Options For First-Time Buyers
First-time home buyers who want affordable homes may want to take a hard look at fixer-uppers, smaller homes and cheaper commutes to work to save on the costs of buying and owning a home. FULL STORY->

The African-American Guide to Real Estate Investing
Ms. Larryette Kyle-DeBose's boook, "The African-American Guide to Real Estate Investing," is the subject of this week's interview series with Peter L. Mosca. FULL STORY->

Building America's Next Major Economic District
Find a community, a region or a market buoyed by job and population growth, investor interest and one that is also a tourism draw, and you have a recipe for development success. For Historic Real Estate Inc., these three components, and more, have led them to Houston and the site for building an exciting new economic district known as the WaterLights District. FULL STORY->

Affordability Options For First-Time Buyers
First-time home buyers who want affordable homes may want to take a hard look at fixer-uppers, smaller homes and cheaper commutes to work to save on the costs of buying and owning a home. FULL STORY->

The African-American Guide to Real Estate Investing
Ms. Larryette Kyle-DeBose's boook, "The African-American Guide to Real Estate Investing," is the subject of this week's interview series with Peter L. Mosca. FULL STORY->

Legal Error by Arbitrator is Not Subject to Review
Like many contracts, the standard California real estate purchase agreement, produced by the California Association of Realtors® (CAR), contains an arbitration clause. If initialed by both buyer and seller -- it is completely voluntary -- the parties agree that any irresolvable dispute between them will be settled by arbitration rather than in the courts. FULL STORY->

Market Conditions
With so much of the U.S. economy hanging in the balance, where do the Presidential candidates weigh in federally insured limits on bank-deposit accounts? FULL STORY->

Building America's Next Major Economic District
Find a community, a region or a market buoyed by job and population growth, investor interest and one that is also a tourism draw, and you have a recipe for development success. For Historic Real Estate Inc., these three components, and more, have led them to Houston and the site for building an exciting new economic district known as the WaterLights District. FULL STORY->

Reaching out to Prospects – Effective First Follow up Phone Calls
The first follow up phone call is made immediately after a prospect leaves the model home. This call is designed to set you apart from the competition. The goal of this call is to thank a prospect for visiting the model home and put her on notice that you intend to follow through to determine buying interest. The phone call is short and to the point. FULL STORY->

Market Conditions
With the House voting 228-205 against the Bush Administration bailout plan, many critics are left wondering how the economy will react. FULL STORY->

Choosing an HOA Contractor
Anyone who does or advertises to do repairs, remodeling, alterations or new construction is usually required to be registered with the state contractor licensing board. Here's some tips on selecting your next contractor. FULL STORY->

Home Security Tips
Now that you've settled into your dream home, isn't it time to start thinking about the security of your home? For many homeowners, security is an afterthought but this year one out of every six homes will be burglarized and burglars only need about sixty seconds to break into a home, that's according to crime reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. FULL STORY->

Bigfoot, Canada's Election Promises and Housing
Canadians are more likely to believe that Bigfoot exists than trust in election promises, says a recent survey. That hasn't stopped the political parties from pledging money and tax breaks for a variety of programs, including some housing issues. FULL STORY->

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