In today’s changing market, many real estate agents are wondering what to do. Some have gone through a cycle of shock, disappointment, fear, and now confusion. What seemed to work in yesterday’s marketplace isn’t working today, so what to do?
The truth is that there are many opportunities in today’s market for success. This article will […]

National Summary (U.S.)
Existing-home sales are projected to trend up in 2008, with pending home sales showing a slight near-term rise, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of REALTORS®. However, a recovery for new-home sales is unlikely before 2009.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the worst part of the credit crunch has already […]

According to a Merrill Lynch report, home prices will drop 15 percent this year, and declines will continue in 2009.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The worst housing financial crisis in decades is only going to get worse, a Merrill Lynch report said Wednesday.The investment bank forecasted a 15 percent drop in housing prices in 2008 and […]

Offset mortgages reduce a borrower’s loan balance with a linked savings account.
 (Money Magazine) — Question: I’ve heard that American lenders are now offering something called an offset mortgage, which is popular in the U.K. Do you think this is a good deal? - Jeffrey S. Kallas, Columbus, Ohio
Answer: It depends. Here’s how it works in […]

Defaults are way up for the year, with once red-hot Sun-Belt markets reporting the worst losses.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The number of foreclosures soared in 2007, with 405,000 households losing their home, according to a report released Tuesday. That’s up 51 percent from the 268,532 homes that were repossessed in 2006.
Total foreclosure filings soared 97% […]

As I sit here and stare out my window at the ever falling snow I have to wonder if it will EVER stop. Now, I know that it is almost sacrilege to make that statement as a local of this community but I can’t help but wish for just a little sunshine!!  Don’t get me wrong, I love the snow and I love this time of year. The endless acres of farmland that are soft, white and fluffy really are quite beautiful and let’s not overlook the fun of skiing, sledding, snow shoeing, etc…all I am saying is what happened to the sun?  Remember that winter in the late 90’s where is snowed a few inches EVERY night but cleared up during the day. It was cold mind you but the sun shone every day which made it one of the best winters ever!!!

Anyway, I don’t mean to gripe and I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. This time two months ago I was certainly singing a different tune but in all honesty, we have received 21 feet of snow in the last 8 weeks essentially…holy smokes!!

That’s the question homeowners are asking in the midst of the worst real estate slump in decades. Our exclusive calculations can help you figure out what your house will be worth in coming years.
(Fortune Magazine) — You can’t blame America’s homeowners for feeling hopelessly confused. From suburban porches and city terraces, they’re gawking at a […]

Whether Wall Street likes it or not, Bank of America’s Ken Lewis is getting a good deal, according to Shawn Tully’s number-crunching.
 (Fortune) — Bank of America’s $4 billion deal to rescue Countrywide Financial is getting decidedly mixed reviews from Wall Street. Investors fret that CEO Ken Lewis is overpaying for a ruined franchise to save […]

  30-year fixed rate at 5.42%; 10-year Treasury yield at 3.63%
Inman News
Long-term mortgage interest rates were flat to slightly lower Friday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield inched up to 3.63 percent.
The 30-year fixed-rate average dipped to 5.42 percent, and the 15-year fixed rate stayed at 4.93 percent. The 1-year adjustable rate held at […]

There’s a growing pot of gold in Silicon Valley’s housing market, a region that could very well become one of the nation’s first major metropolitan areas to take some of the rust out of the housing bust.
Ground zero for high-tech innovation and even higher incomes, Silicon Valley has a growing abundance of homes for sale, […]