Monthly Archives: March 2014

Are reverse mortgages easy money or just a dumb move?

Posted on March 31, 2014 by KirkTeam

By: Shelly K. Schwartz, Special to CNBC.com Faced with rising medical expenses and longer life expectancies, many seniors are turning to their single largest asset as a source of supplemental income: their home. Indeed, reverse mortgages enable seniors who are … Continue reading →

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A New Weapon for Bidding Wars

Posted on March 28, 2014 by KirkTeam

By LISA PREVOST In response to the fierce competition for homes in healthy metropolitan markets like those surrounding New York City, some mortgage lenders are taking steps to put buyers who must borrow on par with those offering to pay … Continue reading →

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6 Seller Secrets For This Spring’s Real Estate Market

Posted on March 24, 2014 by KirkTeam

By: Truilla Each year, it seems the housing market takes on a different tone – and whether it’s going to be a sellers’ market with inflated prices and bidding wars, or a buyers’ market with tons of choices and low … Continue reading →

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Inventory of homes for sale soars 10 percent in February from a year ago!

Posted on March 21, 2014 by KirkTeam

By: Inman News Rising home prices are bolstering seller confidence, fueling rapid growth in the number of homes for sale in many markets in February, according to a report issued by realtor.com today. Median list prices were up 7.6 percent … Continue reading →

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Short Sales: Why They Can Take So Long

Posted on March 19, 2014 by KirkTeam

By Brendon DeSimone When buyers hear the term “short sale,” they typically think about distressed sellers and good deals — especially in markets where prices have ticked upwards. But the word “sale” can be misleading. In fact, many real estate … Continue reading →

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MBA: Getting a mortgage is easier but just…New programs open options for borrowers

Posted on March 14, 2014 by KirkTeam

By: Mike Fratantoni Mortgage credit continued to trend higher in February, following a steady increase in availability since November 2013, the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association revealed. The mortgage credit availability index edged higher 0.44% to 113.5 in … Continue reading →

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Will Housing Bloom Again This Spring?

Posted on March 12, 2014 by KirkTeam

By: Nick Timiraos The housing market is off to a sluggish start as the spring sales season arrives. In Monday’s WSJ, I wrote about an unexpected culprit: rising home prices. That rising home prices are the latest trial for U.S. … Continue reading →

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Why 2014 is a good year to buy a home

Posted on March 10, 2014 by KirkTeam

By: Amey Stone If you didn’t buy a home in 2013, you may be kicking yourself now. Home prices climbed nationally an average of 13.6 percent in the past 12 months, according to Tuesday’s release of the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller … Continue reading →

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The Housing Market With Nowhere to Go (but Up)

Posted on March 7, 2014 by KirkTeam

By NICK BILTON SAN FRANCISCO — Not long ago the pink house at 1829 Church Street, in the Glen Park neighborhood here, hit the market for $895,000. It sold for $1.425 million — $530,000 over the asking price — in … Continue reading →

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Do you know why buying a home is cheaper than renting?

Posted on March 5, 2014 by KirkTeam

By: Trey Garrison Buying costs less than renting in all 100 large U.S. metros, according to the Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia (TRLA). Rising mortgage rates and home prices have narrowed the gap between renting and buying, though rates … Continue reading →

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