After raising the target range for the federal funds rate in 2018, the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee did not raise the Central Bank's key interest rate at its meeting of January 29 and 30. While Committee members did not raise the Fed's key rate, members were divided on the interest rate decision. FOMC Members Divided On Interest Rate Decision Minutes of January's FOMC meeting indicated that member viewpoints varied about how the Fed should deal with the Fed's target interest rate range. One group said that interest rate increases may be necessary if inflation increases above the Federal … [Read More...]
Bridge loans, which are also commonly referred to as interim financing, gap financing or swing loans, help a motivated home buyer to secure financing before their home or investment property sells. Lenders can usually modify these flexible loans to accommodate a person's unique needs. Current real estate market conditions allow savvy investors to make big profits as long as they can move quickly on good opportunities. Low inventories of existing homes and slower than normal construction developments have combined to drive the median home price across the US to $223,900. This represents a 7.6% … [Read More...]
Many new buyers start looking for homes in the spring. The question in 2019 is whether buyers can afford available inventory or want to buy given changes to the tax code and increase in natural disasters. Interest Rates The 30-year-fixed interest rates have been trending lower recently. This reduction in interest rates, coupled with a slowdown in the resale housing market, is working in the buyer's favor in some areas. Talk with your trusted real estate professional and mortgage lender to get the specifics for your area and situation. Affordability Inventories of available homes … [Read More...]
Last week's economic reports included readings on the Consumer Price Index, Core CPI, Retail Sales and Retail Sales excluding autos. The University of Michigan also released its Consumer Sentiment Index. Weekly readings for mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims were also released. Retail Sales Slip in December, Inflation Holds Steady December retail sales were 1.20 percent lower in December; analysts expected no growth as compared to November's retail sales growth of 0.10 percent. Readings for retail sales excluding the automotive sector were also lower in December with a negative … [Read More...]
Now that you have a beautiful new home with a garage, the fun of organizing can begin. When your garage is well organized, everything is much easier. You can get home projects finished faster, get out the door quicker and better enjoy all your sporting activities. Here are some tips to organize your new garage. Make Use Of The Walls A lot of homeowners overlook the wall space when organizing the garage. If your garage has exposed studs, this is actually a benefit in terms of storage space. You can easily create shallow shelves in between the studs using 2 x 4 and shelf brackets. Use … [Read More...]
Your real estate agent will likely give you 24 hours' notice before bringing over interested buyers to see your home. Sometimes eager buyers may request less of an advance, or even ask for a last minute showing. Since you're eager to be accommodating, you may agree to consider such requests. Whether you have 24 hours to prepare for a showing or 15 minutes, these tips will make showings easier for your family. Keep The Family Pet Carrier By The Door Real estate agents advise not leaving your family pet at home during showings. Make it easy to bring along Fido or Fluffy by keeping their carrier … [Read More...]
