For the seventh consecutive month, foreclosure activity in the U.S. was dominated by a tiny subset of states. As reported by RealtyTrac.com, more than half of September’s foreclosure-related activity occurred in just 4 states: California Florida Nevada Michigan These states represent just 22.05 percent of the total U.S. population. Overall, foreclosures are up 29 percent [...]

When you own a home with a spouse or partner, the issue of what’s mine, what’s yours, and what’s ours can be a divisive one. Each household has its own money management methodology and, according to financial talk-show host Suze Orman, most leave significant room for improvement. In this 4-minute piece aired on NBC’s The [...]

Mortgage markets worsened last week as investors responded to a recovering global economy. Despite briefly touching their lowest levels since May, mortgage rates ended the week dramatically higher. It’s the second straight week that rates soared on a Friday. For several months, Wall Street has been in limbo; undecided whether the economy is truly showing [...]

According to the Freddie Mac weekly mortgage rate survey, the relative cost of a 5-year ARM is dropping versus its 30-year fixed-rate cousin. During the first 5 months of 2009, the products ran neck-and-neck. Today, they’re a half-percent apart. On a $200,000 home loan, that’s a difference of $60 per month. Adjustable-rate mortgages aren’t for [...]

An escrow account is a designated savings account into which funds get deposited for a specific purpose. With respect to real estate and home loans, escrow accounts are used to pay real estate tax bills and homeowners insurance payments. Escrow accounts are managed and disbursed by lenders. When a homeowner “escrows” his mortgage, along with [...]

Beginning November 17, 2009, the FHA will make it harder to qualify for its popular Streamline Refinance program. Available exclusively to homeowners with existing FHA home loans, the streamline program is meant to help homeowners reduce mortgage payments as simply as possible. As such, the program carries minimum eligibility requirements. In fact, the FHA Streamline [...]

Buoyed by a generous tax credit, affordable homes, and low mortgage rates, the Pending Home Sales Index posted its seventh consecutive monthly gain in August. It’s the longest winning streak in the index’s history and the highest reading in 2-1/2 years. It’s also another signal that the housing market is in recovery. “Pending home sales” [...]

Mortgage markets rallied for most of last week, but ended Friday on a sour note. After touching their lowest levels since Memorial Day, mortgage rates spiked to close out the week. Despite pricing getting worse by 1/4 percent Friday afternoon, however, mortgage rates still managed to fall for the second consecutive week. There were two [...]

It’s a sensational headline — “The Sellers’ Deadly Sins” — but the message is clear. Home sellers make mistakes that not only cost themselves thousands, but sometimes cost the sale, too. NBC’s The Today Show lays it out cleanly in this 5-minute video: How to respond to an “insulting offer” How to handle the first [...]

The government’s First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit program expires November 30, 2009 — a scant 60 days from today. Considering it can take up to 60 days to close on a home, first-time buyers have 2 weeks at most to find a home. Buyers not under contract by October 15 have little chance of meeting [...]