NY Mortgage Lender

3-MTH Demand Check For Manhattan N’hoods

James Massina — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:46:03 +0000

A: The last check was December 17th, 2011 and before that it was October 17th, 2011. Read full post…

Can A Home Purchase Fit Into Your Budget?

Adam Donohoe — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:54:53 +0000

The housing market is still a buyers market. Theres homes available at rock bottom prices, and you may be thinking that its time for you to become a home owner! The first step is finding out how to budget money for your new home. Through a number of steps you can find out how much home you can afford to still live comfortably and not be crushed by your mortgage.

First, take a look at how much money you make. This should be the after tax amount so you can be sure you wont be short on funds. Ideally your housing costs should not exceed one third of your income to live at a comfortable rate. This includes the mortgage, taxes, and the insurance.

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Videos as Recommendations – What do you think?

Timothy Queale — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:58:59 +0000

My purpose in life is to change the face of the Internet. Make it easier to use, more interactive and dramatically more beautiful. Ryan Priest CCO, Pixelcarve Inc.

Our passion is to create engaging and complete interactive experiences that intimately connect people with brands in unique and memorable ways. Our commitment is to grow your business through innovation, relevance and beauty, because we believe these are the cornerstones of unforgettable experiences that attract and retain clients.

Does mortgage insurance hurt my chances of a HARP refinance?

Adam Donohoe — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:41:15 +0000

On Tuesday, blog.HSH.com reader Diana wrote in with the following comment:

Technically, Diana—or anyone else for that matter—shouldn’t be turned down from the HARP program because of mortgage insurance. MakingHomeAffordable.gov explains that HARP has a policy for applicants with and without mortgage insurance, and that both have the potential to qualify.

I’ve enlisted HSH.com staff writer Gina Pogol to provide a bit more of an explanation:

The necessity of mortgage insurance can make it harder to secure a new loan through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). HARP was

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Bellingham Real Estate Market Update. How Many Home For Sale Have Pending Offers On Them?

Timothy Queale — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:41:22 +0000

Every week we track the number of homes on the market that have offers on them and those that do not and create a ratio we call Pending Ratios. This weeks numbers were great with all areas either remaining stable or up in pendings.

As of Saturday, January 28th, the pending ratio in Bellingham was 22% . Pending is the time frame between when an offer has been mutual accepted between the buyers and the sellers of the home and when the title actually transfers hands.

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State housing agency awards $542,000 to repair, replace substandard housing in the City of Taft

James Massina — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:07:28 +0000

January 25, 2012 by Texas RealEstateRama Category: News Housing & Development The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) and State Senator Judith Zaffirini today announced a $542,000 award to the City of Taft that will help fund home repairs for low income homeowners, helping residents maintain homeownership while providing a significant boost to the local economy.

City officials anticipate the funds will help rehabilitate six homes owned and lived in by income eligible households.

“I am delighted that some of my low-income constituents soon will enjoy the benefits of new or substantially improved homes,” Senator Zaffirini said. “Th

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What is a Home Inspection?

James Massina — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:54:14 +0000

What is done in a home inspection? What is covered?

A home inspection, usually, is a VISUAL inspection of a property, running water & systems when they can be run.

What does that mean?

In general, things the inspector can SEE are checked. Dishwashers, stoves, exterior foundation, pipes that can be seen, walls that can be seen, and electrical outlets are often tested.

What can’t an inspector do? See in the walls or under ground, or remove a wall or floor to see behind. It makes it hard to see if there are problems behind them. Are there leaks in the pipes in the walls or under ground? If he or she can’t see them, it is hard for them to discover.

Roofs are an issue that come up often — what is the age? What

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Mortgage Rates: Low Mortgage Rates Intact After GDP Report Disappoints

Adam Donohoe — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:17:54 +0000

Current low mortgage rates remain intact after a weaker than expected GDP report disappointed investors. While the U.S. economy improved at a faster rate at the end of 2011 and the GDP increased at a 2.8% annualized rate, investors expected a much better outcome which has caused stocks to drop.

With low mortgage rates still available, there is additional time for consumers to purchase an affordable home. Todays 30 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.500%, 15 year fixed mortgage interest rates are at 2.875% and 5/1 ARM loan rates are at 2.250%. These low conforming mortgage rates are available with 0.7 to 1% origination fee to well qualified borrowers who have maintained a history of good credit.

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Supply Of New Homes At 6.1 Months Nationwide

Timothy Queale — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:52:36 +0000

New Home Sales slowed into the New Year but the market for newly-built homes remains strong. For home buyers in Georgia and nationwide, December’s New Home Sales report is yet one more signal that the housing market recovery may be underway.

According to the Census Bureau, the number of new homes sold in December 2011 slipped 2 percent to 307,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis nationwide.

A “new home” is a home that is considered new construction; a home for which the buyer will be the first owner and tenant.

As compared to December 2010, last months’ sales volume fell seven percent. It’s a

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More Canadian Seniors Are Carrying Debt Into Retirement: Mortgages and Lines of Credit

James Massina — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:58:19 +0000

There was an article in the Globe and Mail today discussing a recent report by TD Bank. The report indicates that more Canadians are carrying debt into retirement. The report also states that the amount of debt for Canadians aged 45-65 is increasing. Quotes from TD Bank representatives state that this comes as a surprise to them.

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Three Common Tax Misconceptions about Home Ownership Explained

Adam Donohoe — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:35:54 +0000

One of the benefits of owning a home is the deductions that homeowners can use when filling out their annual tax forms. While there are several tax benefits to owning your own home, some of these benefits are greatly exaggerated and some of them are simply misconceptions that are untrue. Here are some of the more common tax misconceptions and exaggerations that are out there so you can be aware of them.

Misconception #1: The interest that I pay on my mortgage provides me with a tax break.

For the majority of homeowners, the mortgage interest does provide a break on their taxes which you won’t get if you are renting. B

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Increased Workstation Control Brings Higher Job Satisfaction, Less Stress

Timothy Queale — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:45:04 +0000

Original Post By: Stephen Searer

Most people that have worked in an office would probably agree with a recent study (pdf) that was undertaken “to examine the relationship between workstation features … and the comfort and performance [of employees]“. They found:

Workspace Control

It comes as little surprise that employees would experience less workspace stress when they have more control over their workspace. When thinking through many offices that I’ve seen, employers have often chosen less-expensive models of furniture that often come with less customizability. The stud

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“Reel” Estate Fishing Report for The San Juan Islands

Timothy Queale — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:58:55 +0000

Fishing out in the San Juan Islands has been pretty slow overall. The Black mouth Salmon opener was December 1st and from our reports it was pretty hit & miss. We did have 1 favorable report from over at Point Thompson (north end of Orcas Island) a lucky fisherman hit the jackpot and landed 8 fish in 4 hours ranging from 10-20 pounds, unfortunately they were all native fish and had to be released.

This is pretty typical for the December fishery but as we get to the latter part of January expect the reports to heat up. Alden Bank outside sandy point was hot January 25 to 30th last year.

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Mortgage News 6/1/12 – UK House Prices Will Remain Flat In 2012

Adam Donohoe — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:27:14 +0000

Stagnation Goes On.

Welcome to 2012 then and it looks like the stagnating value of residential properties will continue for most of 2012. Predicting house prices much further ahead is a largely pointless activity, especially given the current economic woes in mainland Europe.

According to the Nationwide Building Society, the average house price is now just under £164,000, thats a level which we havent seen since since early 2004, apart from a brief dip at the beginning of 2009.

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So…How’s the Market Doing? Expect Ticker to Jump

James Massina — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:05:26 +0000

A: So the market managed to pull out 702 new deals in December. This is relatively flat compared to last December but down 17% from December of 2009. The 2009 market was crazy volatile and saw a delayed seasonality as buyers waited for stability before jumping back in – so no surprises there. All in all this seems very normal to me. If Manhattan had a VIX, we would be around 17-18 now. Back in 2009 it was probably over 50. Buyers today expecting to price in future downside risks from events that have not played out yet, are finding this market very frustrating. Just finding well priced quality product is proving difficult. The side effect is more demand for rentals. Read full post…