Everyone needs a vacation at some point, and worrying about your home should be the last thing on your mind while you're out of town. Here are 4 ways to boost home security when you're not around. 1. Enlist The Help Of Others Even if you're only gone for a short amount of time, asking someone you trust to keep an eye on your home can offer a big-time boost in security. Hiring a house-sitter to collect your mail, mow your lawn, and make your house look lived in can be a great option for longer vacations, as physical changes to your property can tip-off burglars that you're out of town. For … [Read More...]
Housing Starts, Building Permits Issued Rise Commerce Department reports on housing starts and building permits issued were released Tuesday. Housing starts rose to 1.189 million in June against expectations of 1.165 million starts and May's downwardly revised reading of 1.135 million starts, Housing starts rose by 4.80 percent on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. This is good news for housing markets, but analysts said that demand for homes continued to exceed available supplies. Building permits issued also rose in June to 1.53 million as compared to May's reading of 1.136 million permits … [Read More...]
Selling your house can be hard. Emotionally, because it's become your home, but also economically. If your home isn't selling, there are usually specific reasons which means there are ways to amend them and make your home more appealing to potential buyers. Here's a short list of reasons why your home might be stalling on the market. You Didn't Spread The Net Wide Enough No longer is it enough for a sign on your front lawn and word of mouth to carry the brunt of your marketing. With the world moving increasingly online, you need to address social media when advertising your home. Think … [Read More...]
Making the decision to purchase a home is one of the most significant investments most people will make in their life, and this automatically means there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before putting any money down. If you're considering making the leap, here are some insights into some of the common questions you might have. How Much Should You Put Down? While many homebuyers have the option of putting as little as 3% down in order to purchase a home, there are benefits to saving up for a down payment and putting in 15 or 20%. Because your interest rate will be higher on a … [Read More...]
Home builder confidence fell slightly in June to a reading of 59 according to the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index. Analysts had expected no change to June's reading of 60. June components of the HMI were also lower. Builder confidence in current market conditions dropped by one point to 63; builder confidence in market conditions over the next six months fell three points to a reading of 66. The reading for foot traffic in new single-family developments dropped one point to 55. Readings over 50 indicate that more builders than fewer are confident about housing market … [Read More...]
Last week's economic news included reports on inflation, retail sales and weekly readings on mortgage rates and weekly jobless claims. Mortgage rates were mixed with average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rising by one basis point to 3.42 percent. The average rate for a 15-year mortgage dropped by two basis points to 2.72 percent, and the average rate for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage rose six basis points to 2.76 percent. Discount points averaged 0.50 percent for 30-year fixed rate mortgages and 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages and 0.40 percent for 15 year fixed rate mortgages. Freddie … [Read More...]
