4 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Foreclosure

Foreclosures can offer big bargains, but buyers need to be careful that they don’t get over their heads in purchasing a home that may need more repairs than they bargained for.

Foreclosures are usually sold as-is, and homes that are left vacant standing too long can have a lot of maintenance problems. Read more

What is a Good Real Estate Investment?

A “good real estate investment” can mean different things to different people. For this article, the definition of a good real estate investment is:

A real estate ownership interest, whether a personal residence or rental property, that increases one’s net wealth by a fair rate of return on their invested cash equity; for the corresponding amount of risk they are taking by owning a relatively high risk asset.

What that means is that if you are going to put your invested cash equity into real estate, your net worth should improve by a greater amount than if you invested in a similarly risky asset. Read more

Mortgage rates hit record low: 30-year fixed nears 4%

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Mortgage rates hit yet another record low this week amid ongoing economic concerns both at home and in Europe.

The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate loan fell to 4.09% this week, its lowest level in 60 years, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac. Last week, the 30-year fixed averaged 4.12%. The average rate for a 15-year fixed mortgage — a popular option among those who wish to refinance — sunk to 3.30%, down from 3.33% last week, Freddie reported.

“Continued investor concerns over the state of the European debt markets kept U.S. Treasury bond yields low and allowed mortgage rates to ease once more this week,” said Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac in a statement.

The low rates have done little to boost the beleaguered housing market, however. While mortgage applications increased 6.3% last week, only 23% of applicants intended to use the loan to buy a home, according to a weekly mortgage survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The remainder of applicants were homeowners seeking to refinance existing, higher-rate mortgages.

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USC Ranked #4 in Top Ten List For “Most Affordable College Town”

RISMEDIA, November 16, 2010—Every fall, parents wave goodbye as their college-bound kids pack up their belongings, make the drive down university lane and prepare for football games, mid-terms and freedom. While college living is often associated with dorms and campus housing, many parents are opting to purchase a home rather than spend money on rent or dorm fees. According to a recent survey conducted by Coldwell Banker, there is a significant number of “parent investors” buying homes for their kids to live in while attending the university. Read more

Renovation of 2723 Monroe Street – Update #4

Check out this Before & After video of the “Transformation of 2723 Monroe Street”:

For more details on 2723 Monroe Street, visit this page. Read more