Last week's economic releases included reports on Non-Farm Payrolls, ADP payrolls, and the national unemployment rate. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released. Public and Private Sector Jobs Show Mixed Readings ADP Payrolls reported 235,000 private sector jobs added in February as compared to January's updated reading of 243,000 jobs added. Analysts estimated 205,000 private sector jobs would be added, but this was based on the original reading of 234,000 jobs added. February was the fourth consecutive month when private sector job growth exceeded 200,000 … [Read More...]
Do you find yourself staring out the window, longing for an early sunrise, hot days and late evenings? With spring just around the corner, it might feel like summer is a lifetime away. However, the good news is that you can be productive around the home while you wait for summer to arrive. Let's take a quick look at three easy do-it-yourself projects that will keep you busy until the summer sun is shining. Add A Splash Of Spring-y Color As long as you are willing to do the prep work, painting is one of the most straightforward home improvement projects you can undertake. It is also the best … [Read More...]
Often times, home buyers can be disappointed when they find their dream home only to discover they are not able to get a mortgage to purchase the property. There are methods that potential buyers can use to ensure this does not happen to them. One of the options is to ensure you obtain a pre-qualification from your lender. It is important to understand the difference between a pre-approval and a pre-qualification. While both are helpful, they do not carry the same weight. What are the differences between these options? A pre-qualification allows a borrower to determine how much money they may … [Read More...]
Selling your home is one of the most stressful things you'll ever go through and one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. However, there's a lot more to selling your home than just sticking a sign out in the front yard. Most likely, your home will need a little work before it is perfect. Therefore, you'll have to decide whether you need to take care of home improvement issues yourself or, to sell with the expectation that the buyer will be the one to do so. We put together a few pros and cons to doing it each way to make your decision a little easier. Do The Improvements Yourself … [Read More...]
When you are considering purchasing a home , understanding the lending guidelines regarding a down payment is important. Here are a few key tips to consider: Gifting of a Down Payment There are some programs that will allow you to use a gift for your home down payment. However, before you assume this, make sure you talk to your loan officer. Generally speaking, the lender will require the person making the gift to provide a letter stating the money was a gift and does not require repayment. Windfalls as a Down Payment When people hit the lottery or come into money through an inheritance, … [Read More...]
Last week's economic releases included readings on new home sales, pending home sales and Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. Construction spending and consumer sentiment reports were also released, along with weekly readings on average mortgage rates and new jobless claims. New Home Sales Drop in January New home sales were reported at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 593,000 sales in January according to the Commerce Department. Analysts expected a rate of 693,000 sales based on December's upwardly revised rate of 643,000 sales of new homes. January's reading was 7.80 percent lower than for … [Read More...]
