Altamonte Springs, FL Real Estate News

  Consumer spending is alive and well, it seems -- unwelcome news for today's home buyers.  Wednesday, the Census Bureau will release its March Retail Sales figures and the report is expected to show higher sales receipts for the 9th straight month. A strong reading like...   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Retail Sales Report Should Spell Higher Mortgage Rates For Wednesday   04/14/2011

    Most people spend about one-third of their life in the bedroom. So, how healthy is yours? In this 5-minute piece from NBC's The Today Show, you'll learn about dust mites, mold and the other hidden health risks in your bedroom. Some may be compriming your sleep, and others your well-being. The interview is comprehensive and covers a lot of....   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: How Healthy Is Your Bedroom? 04/11/2011

The difference between APR and actual note rate is very confusing, especially for First-Time Home Buyers who haven't been through the entire closing process before. When shopping for a new mortgage loan, you may notice an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) advertised next to the note rate.  The inclusion of an APR is actually mandated by federal law in order to help give borrowers a standard rule of measurement for comparing the total cost of each loan. The APR is designed to....   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: What's The Difference Between Interest Rate and Annual Percentage Rate (APR)? 04/11/2011

  Mortgage rates may be a function of free markets, but real estate taxes are a function of government. And, depending on where you live, your annual real estate tax bill could be high, low, or practically non-existent. Compiling data from the 2009 American Community Survey, the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan educational organization in Washington D.C., published property taxes paid by owner-occupied households, county-by-county. The report shows huge disparity in annual property taxes by region, and by state. As a percentage of....   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: How Does Your Real Estate Tax Bill Compare To Other Parts Of The Country? 04/08/2011

  The Federal Reserve released its March 15 meeting minutes Tuesday. The notes revealed a Federal Reserve split between optimism and caution for the U.S. economy. The minutes' official name is "Fed Minutes". It's a periodic publication, published 3 weeks after each meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. The FOMC meets...   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: March Fed Minutes Show Inflation Risks And Rate Hikes On The Horizon   04/06/2011

  Which is better -- a fixed-rate mortgage or an adjustable-rate mortgage? It's a common question among home buyers and refinancing households in Florida. The answer? It depends.  Fixed-rate mortgages give the certainty of a known, unchanging principal + interest payment for the life of...   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Plan To Sell Within 5 Years? Consider An Adjustable-Rate Mortgage.   04/06/2011

  Whether you barbecue for friends or family once annually, or through all 4 Orlando seasons, it's important to keep a clean gas grill. A well-maintained grill will help your food taste its best -- no matter what you're cooking up. Cleaning a gas grill is...   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: How To Clean A Gas Grill   04/05/2011

Most people are surprised to learn what appraisers actually look at when determining the value of a real estate property. A common misconception homeowners generally have is that the value of their home is determined after the appraiser has completed their physical property inspection. However, the appraiser actually already has a good idea of the property's value by the time they have scheduled an appointment to stop by the property. The good news is that you don't have to...   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: What Do Appraisers Look For When Determining A Property's Value? 04/03/2011

  As part of the Census Bureau's data collection activities from 2005-2009, a number of interesting charts have been published at http://census.gov. The data should not be....   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: How Does Your Work Commute Compare To Other Cities? 04/03/2011

Friday is a pivotal day for mortgage markets and conforming mortgage rates across Florida. At 8:30 AM ET, the government will release its March Non-Farm Payrolls report. More commonly known as "the jobs report", the monthly Non-Farm Payrolls is a market-mover and home buyers would do well to pay attention. Depending on....   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Lock Now? Friday's Job Report Expected To Push Mortgage Rates Up.   04/03/2011

  Standard & Poors released its Case-Shiller Index for the month of January this week. The index is a home valuation tool, measuring the monthly and annual changes in home prices in select cities nationwide. January's Case-Shiller Index gave a poor showing. As compared to December 2010, home values dropped in 19 of the Case-Shiller Index's 20 tracked markets. Only Washington, D.C. gained. The results were only modestly better on an annual basis, too. 18 of 20 markets worsened in....   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: January 2011 Case-Shiller Index : Weak And Flawed   04/03/2011

For some, finding this spot, "off the beaten path" will be tougher than ......   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Directions and Tips for the Half Day Event 03/30/2011

  On a seasonally-adjusted basis, the Pending Home Sales Index rose 2 percent last month, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. A "pending home sale" is defined as a home under contract to sell, but not yet closed. February's Pending Home Sales Index rebound breaks a 2-month losing streak, and reverses the recent downward momentum in housing. Both Existing Home Sales and New Home Sales volume showed a.....   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE Pending Home Sales Rebound; Suggest Brighter Spring For Housing 03/30/2011

  According to the EPA, the average U.S. household spends close to $500 each year on water and sewage bills. But by making just a few small changes, that figure could drop by as much as $170 annually. It's all in how you use your water. In this 4-minute video from Lowe's, you'll learn basic water conservation techniques that you can immediately put to work..  Some examples: Don't rinse food from dishes before putting them in a dishwasher. Scrape the dishes instead. When brushing your teeth or.......          Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE:        Water Conservation Tips For Your Home And Garden   03/29/2011

  It's a great time for Lake Mary buyers and homeowners to look at the 15-year fixed rate mortgage. According to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the relative "discount" of a 15-year fixed rate loan as compared to a comparable 30-year product is the largest in recorded history. The interest rate spread between the two benchmark products is now 0.77%, nearly double the recent, 5-year average of 0.44%. Despite its lower rates, however, homeowners that opt for a 15-year fixed mortgage should be prepared for higher monthly payments. This is.....   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: 15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages Look Cheap Compared To Comparable 30-Year Fixeds 03/26/2011

  Sales of newly-built homes plunged 17 percent to an seasonally-adjusted, annualized 250,000 units in February, and the supply of new homes rose to 8.9 months in February -- a 1.5 month jump from January. It's the lowest New Home Sales reading in recorded history, according to the Census Bureau, and the third straight report to signal that home values may be slow to... Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: New Home Sales Fall To All-Time, Recorded Low. Maybe. 03/25/2011

  Home sales data is easing so far in this calendar year. Home resales and new construction have dropped to multi-month lows and, in many cities, home supplies are rising. One housing sector that's not slowing, however, is rentals. The rental market is booming. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the average apartment vacancy rate is 6.6% nationwide, down from 8.0% last year. In addition, the number of...   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: 10 U.S. Cities With The Steepest Rent Increases (2010) 03/23/2011

  Existing Home Sales fell 10 percent last month, according to a report from the National Association of REALTORS®. On an annual basis, 4.88 million homes were sold in February -- the first time annualized home resales dropped below 5,000,000 since November 2010. An "existing home" is one that's not considered new construction. And it's not just sales volume that's down. Home inventory is higher, too. At the current pace of sales, the number of...   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Existing Home Sales Unexpectedly Drop In February 03/23/2011

    According to Consumer Reports, Americans waste as much as 25% of the products they purchase. From food to pharmaceuticals, pesky packaging is making it hard for consumers to use "the last drop" of the things they buy and, as such, products are thrown out prematurely. It doesn't have to be that way. Using household tools and basic.....   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Get That Last Drop Of Ketchup (And Other Household Money-Stretchers) 03/22/2011

I am frequently asked, "what is the best loan for me?" While for many -they are a ton of variables... if you are a veteran the answer is quite simple. Get a Florida VA guaranteed home loan - its the preferred loan program for active, non-active, Reserve, National Guard, and retired military of the armed forces because there is no down payment needed and no private monthly mortgage insurance required. VA mortgage loans can be used towards purchasing a home, building a home, or refinancing an existing mortgage. We will discuss what role the VA plays in a VA guaranteed mortgage, the benefits of a VA home loan, who is eligible for a VA loan, and the documentation you will need to...   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Is a Florida VA Mortgage Loan right for me? 03/21/2011