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Altamonte Springs, FL Real Estate News

By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
Last week, the Case-Shiller Index reported home values up 0.8 percent across 20 tracked markets. The public-sector Federal Housing Finance Agency has reached a similar conclusion. Reporting on a two-month lag, the government's Home Price Index shows home values up 0.8 percent in April, buoyed by the expiring federal home buyer tax credit and low mortgage rates.  It's a........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: The Flawed Home Price Index Shows Home Values Up 0.8 Percent
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By Rob Arnold, Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F
(Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc.)
A tough question.  In this "great recession" , so many people are looking for answers right now.  How can I succeed in a market like this?  I for one don't have all the answers.  But I have been fortunate enough to be in a position where I constantly get to watch and speak with real estate people from all walks of life.  Many are struggling and trying to figure out how to turn their ship around.  Many are seeing reasonable success and making a decent living.  And a few are amassing a small fortune right now.  Of the people I see that are succeeding, this is what I see them doing. Foreclosures - but more specifically, properties that are being moved from a position of no equity to a position with equity.  Anybody that bought a property between 2004 and 2007 is probably in a position wher...
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
  Morning television can be "light", but as far as personal finance interviews go, this Suze Orman segment from The Today Show is loaded with practical financial planning advice. Titled "What Should You Do First?", Ms. Orman addressed the........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Household Finances : Which Bills Should I Pay First?  
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
In June, for the first time since December 2009, the U.S. workforce shrank. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economy shed 125,000 jobs last month even as the Unemployment Rate dropped to 9.5 percent. The drop in the........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: June's Jobs Report Wasn't As Bad As The Headlines (And How You Can Take Advantage)
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
An EPA study shows that close to dozen common air pollutants are 2 to 5 times more concentrated indoors versus outdoors, regardless of whether the home is is located in Rural America, or in an industrial zone. The cause is..........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: How To Improve Your Home's Indoor Air Quality
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
The Pending Home Sales Index plunged in May 2010, just one month after the expiration of the federal home buyer tax credit program. The Pending Home Sales Index is........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST: Was The Pending Home Sales Report Really That Bad? It Depends Who You Ask -- Buyer Or Seller.
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
As 2009 was ending, the "experts" were busy making forecasts about the U.S. economy and what to expect in 2010. With respect to the housing markets, two predictions were made again and...........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: The Year Is Half-Over. How Did The Housing Experts Fare On Their Predictions?
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
Standard & Poors released its Case-Shiller Index Tuesday.  The index is a monthly home valuation report from select cities and.........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Case-Shiller Shows Home Price Improvement In 90% Of Cities    
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
All day, every day, conforming and FHA mortgage rates in Florida are in flux.  Rates move in response to hundreds of factors which exact varying levels of influence. Among the biggest influences on mortgage rates is inflation.  When inflation is..........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: The 1 Force That Can Really Change A Mortgage Rate
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
In 2006, in the U.S., a person died in an in-home fire every 2 hours, 42 minutes, on average; someone was injured every 32 minutes. Nearly $7 billion of.........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: How To Use A Fire Extinguisher In Your Home
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
One month after the federal homebuyer tax credit's official expiration, the New Home Sales report turned in its worst showing ever. In May 2010, for the first time in 11 months, the inventory of unsold new homes crossed the 8-month marker, posting an 8.5 month supply overall. Additionally, new homes sales volume fell to.........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Buyers Take The May 2010 New Home Sales Data All The Way To The Bank
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
Today, in its first meeting in 5 weeks, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 9-to-1 to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged.  The Fed Fund Rate remains within its..........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement (June 23, 2010 Edition)
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
The Federal Open Market Committee begins a 2-day meeting today, its fourth scheduled meeting of the year, and fifth overall. The FOMC is the monetary policy-setting part of the government and its primary tool for that purpose is the Fed Funds Rate.  The Fed Funds Rate is........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Making A Mortgage Rate Strategy Ahead Of The Fed's Meeting This Week
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
In 2009, the median size of new homes started was roughly 2,100 square feet. This figure was down from 2,200 square feet between 2005-2007 which, itself, was down from 2,350 in 2004. Homes are getting smaller across the United States. But, as compared to the nation's largest homes, the shrinking is laughable. The Biltmore Estate, built in.........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: The Largest Historic Homes In The United States
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
As its June 30, 2010 closing deadline approaches, the federal home buyer tax credit is back in the news. Unfortunately, the headlines are misleading. Contrary to what you may have read (or heard), the federal home buyer tax credit has......   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST: The Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension Has Not Been Passed Into Law (Yet)  
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
Single-family housing starts plummeted to a one-year low in May, just 30 days after soaring to a 20-month high.  It's no wonder home builders are confused. Against a revised April figure, Housing Starts fell 97,000 units in May, a figure representing almost one-fifth of the......   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Good News For Sellers : Housing Starts Fall To 1-Year Low In May 2010  
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
If you plan to finance your Longwood home with a conforming interest only mortgage, get your loan application submitted no later than this Friday, June 18.  Starting next week, Fannie Mae is..........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST: Loan Application Alert : Conforming, Interest Only Mortgages Guidelines Change Next Week    
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
In May 2010, Retail Sales at non-store retailers -- a category that includes Amazon and eBay -- topped $29 billion, up 16 percent from May 2009. Clearly, Americans are doing an increasing amount of shopping online.  And we're paying our.........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST: Shopping And Paying Bills Online? Here's Methods To Protect Your Online Financial Identity
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
As the mercury rises into the summer months, don't forget to change your home's air filters regularly.  It not only extends the life of your HVAC unit, but can help keep your energy costs down, too. Not all air filters are created alike, however. Don't go...........   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: Change Your Air Filters Monthly (But Don't Go Cheap)
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By Chris Brown- Florida Home Loan Specialist | Certified Mortgage Planner, Chris Brown 407.367.2974
(Chris Brown | Certified Mortgage Planners)
Starting sometime later this year, the monthly cost to carry an FHA-insured mortgage is expected to rise. In a near-unanimous vote, the House of Representatives gave the FHA power to raise the......   Read the COMPLETE BLOG POST HERE: FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Approved To Triple In Cost
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