Ira Freireich's (bestbroker) Blog

In a down real estate market where supply outstrips demand, a person can generally sell a house faster by lowering the price. But there are other ways to enhance a home's attractiveness besides lowering the asking price. If you're looking to sell your home in this cool real estate market, here a...

According to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) report released recently, nationwide housing affordability during the first quarter of 2011 rose to its highest level in the more than 20 years it has been measured.The HOI indicated that 74.6 perce...

  1. Compare The Cost Of Moving To Remodeling. Moving is expensive, typically involving a 6 to 7% commission on the sale of your current home, plus another 2-4% for closing, moving, and other costs. If you like the present neighborhood then look into what improvements you could make with 8-10% of...

Recent news has highlighted the severity of the renewed downturn in prices of single-family homes, but Capital Economics says although condominiums will not escape altogether, over the next year or so condo prices are likely to fall by less than their single-family counterparts. According to a m...

With the help of your real estate agent – and these tips – you can become a savvy home buyer without breaking your budget. 1. Get pre-approved for your home loan: This means, fill out a loan application and go through the process of securing financing. When you’re ready to seriously evaluate rea...

Many homeowners believe their homeowner's insurance policies will cover them for practically any damage sustained to the house or contents. The reality is that homeowner's policies contain many exclusions and restrictions on coverage that can leave you with a coverage gap. Here are five common m...

For all the attention policymakers have placed on the Fed's actions over interest rates, the cost of borrowing is far from the problem. Money is cheap. So the assumption is that people, banks and companies will spend more, therefore helping the economy grow. But that doesn't always work. Sometime...

  A second mortgage, the second loan secured against the home, and second in importance to the first, means that should the borrower not be able to pay off the loan in full and the bank or money lender repossessed the home to recoup their losses, the first loan would be paid off first and the mon...

When it comes to looking at homes for sale, many first-time buyers often find the task as one that can be both exciting and generally overwhelming. Keep a few things in mind both before and during your search, which may help you to narrow things down and could potentially provide better results....

March saw another increase in pending home sales, with contract activity rising unevenly in six of the past nine months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 5.1 percent to 94.1 in March fro...