You probably have heard the concept of making extra principal payments to reduce interest and payoff your mortgage early. The concept may be simple, but it is often overlooked and rarely practiced. A typical promissory note amounts to incredible interest over thirty years. For example, on a thirty year $100,000 loan at 9%, you will [...]
Washington DC is a great area to live. In spite of being the national capital, it is far from being a congested concrete jungle. Rather it is a sober place with buildings of national and international importance scattered here and there. If you are planning to buy a second home for yourself or you have [...]
The stock market and real estate can be considered the two major areas of investment. They both allow investors to participate in long term appreciation of values. Which one is a better investment? It is a personal choice, but due to the current economy real estate investment is a better choice. Understanding the difference between [...]
There is a difference between getting Pre-Qualified & Pre-Approved. A Pre-Approval is a document from the lender that confirms to the borrower a loan up to a certain amount based on a completed loan application, credit check, and possibly tax returns and employment verification. This Pre-Approval goes much further with a seller when submitted with [...]
Some are wondering if now is a good time to even invest in any type of real estate. Some are worried about the current state of the markets, the economy and current job situation. There is good reason to worry, however, if you have the financial backing now is a good time to invest. The [...]
Mortgage rates are at the lowest they have been in several years. The markets have also been very slow. But they are starting to show some improvement and now may be the time to buy real estate in the Washington, DC area. Real estate investors as well as others are in a very good position [...]
It has been an eye opening experience the last few years about jobs and real estate. Many had rose colored glasses on and kept telling themselves that everything would be alright. Others were just not motivated enough to think beyond today. Those two groups likely lost homes and/or businesses. While still others took a stand [...]
Like a lot of larger cities, Portland’s real estate community has divided the largest city in Oregon into 8 regions. These regions serve as guiding points for real estate agents and home buyers when searching for real estate to buy. Each region has its pros and cons in terms of real estate value and other [...]
Idaho is a beautiful state. According to Wikipedia, it is the seventh least densely populated state. That should make it fairly attractive to someone who wants a rural lifestyle and perhaps wants to buy a lot of land. Even living in the city in Idaho has some advantages. You never see the largest cities in [...]
As everyone knows, property deeds and land parcels have been around for many, many years. As the years have gone by, some property deeds have been disputed by property lines. Sometimes, the story of a property gets blurry over time. Because of this, title insurance is a very important piece of insurance when buying new [...]
The Washington, DC area is experiencing a yo-yo effect when it comes to the real estate markets. The average price per square foot is approximately $441. That is an increase of 28% compared to the same time last year. However, at the same time, home sales decreased 7.5% for the same time period compared to [...]
Not only are costs associated with real estate higher than in the past so are energy prices. Even if mortgage rates are lower than they have been in several years, the difference can be offset by the cost of electricity alone. It won’t do you any good to save $300 on a mortgage payment with [...]
Good news for the real estate markets. New building permits are on the rise and will be a boost for the markets next year. New construction coupled with low mortgage rates will help the struggling real estate industry tremendously. Just when it seems that things could not get any worse, a light can be seen [...]
Even though prices and interest rates for homes are at an all time low, the number of foreclosed homes is slowly piling up. That’s because the number of foreclosures take a while to process the paperwork. Lenders are making sure that all paperwork is done correctly in the wake of the financial crisis. On average [...]
It’s about time to have a little bit of good news where the Washington, DC real estate market is concerned. Washington, DC is one of only a handful of metropolitan areas that had the best annualized performance for the year 2011. This is good news as many others areas saw depreciation values drop even further. [...]
With so many homes on the market today to choose from, it is very easy to find a home that fits your needs exactly. But, what if something has gone wrong during the buying stage and you are unsure about buying the home after all. Where do you stand and what are your options? It [...]
The Christmas Holiday season is coming up fast. Should you keep your home on the market or not? Many are asking this question. It really is a personal choice in the long run, but it can spell disaster if you do take it off the market. Of course the holiday season is a very busy [...]
Since Washington, DC and the surrounding areas have such a large and diverse population, there is something for everyone. Of course, most people will want something that is comfortable to them and their lifestyle. Here are a few of the hottest markets in the real estate arena: Anacostia Waterfront – This is the fastest growing [...]
Today’s economy is not a bowl of cherries. The nation has suffered a severe hardship the last few years and we are not out of the woods yet. Did you know that home prices have dropped more in this current depression than they did during the Great Depression of the 1930′s. That is staggering. This [...]
Everyone believes their property is worth more than others may think. This is because you pay for it, you live in it and it is worth a lot to you. But, these factors aside, do you really know what it is worth if you decide to sell it? Or, if you are looking to buy [...]
The dreaded words, “bad credit” is now heard from a lot more people than it used to be. Bad credit used to have a connotation that you just didn’t pay your bills. That is not the case in today’s world, necessarily. The latest economic crisis has hit home to many very hard. It’s not because [...]
Certainly, it is a well known fact by now that the economy struck many homeowners hard in the last year or so. There are now an overabundance of foreclosed property in the Washington, DC area as well as other parts of the United States. The lenders don’t want to and can’t keep these homes on [...]
With the year 2012 just around the corner, many are wondering what the future will hold for the real estate market in the Washington, DC area and other parts of the country. Even though it will probably not be an extremely good year, it is also not supposed to be quite so bad as the [...]
Prices on Tenanted property such as apartment houses are in a good range and more people are considering investing in this type of property. It is a really good way to get a good return on your investment and the rent on the tenants will most likely pay the mortgage on the property. There are [...]
Open houses are excellent ways to be able to visit several houses as well as locations to see if anything piques your interest. It is much easier to visit open houses than it is sometimes to make appointments with home owners for a certain time on a certain day. But, what is it that you [...]
When it comes to real estate, and it doesn’t matter if you’re buying, selling, or leasing, you just can’t beat the knowledge and experience that comes with a local expert. In real estate, the local expert is going to be a local real estate agent. Real estate agents make their living by helping people buy, [...]
There is an interesting article on Inman News that discusses data from Trulia highlighting areas that make second or even third price reductions to real estate listing prices. What is interesting to note is that real estate in Baltimore MD came in fourth with 48% of properties listed requiring a second or third price reduction [...]
Have you ever noticed the advertisements, perhaps neighborhood signs that say ‘we buy homes for cash’? They even promise to complete the transaction as soon as possible - some even suggesting seven days. It may sound tempting to investigate offers such as these, but there is a trap for the unwary. The people who deal [...]
Due to the economic downturn, many business owners believe this is an ideal time to purchase commercial real estate in Baltimore and elsewhere and are seeking the best values and best terms. But, before jumping into this endeavor, keep the following in mind: Ask for recommendations from other business owners who have bought property. Commercial [...]
Winter is often considered a relatively slow time of year when it comes to buying and selling real estate. In colder regions, trekking through snow and ice to visit open houses isn’t the way most people tend to spend their free time. Winter weather conditions can also make packing up and moving into a new [...]
