RIS Media Pending home sales increased in March and are well above a year ago, another signal the housing market is recovering, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

  Article by: JIM BUCHTA , Star Tribune Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac want lenders to act within 30 days of getting a short sale offer. The short sale process could get a lot quicker starting this summer under new … Continue reading → Continue reading →

  By Tara Nelson One of the first things many homebuyers look for are the unmistakable signs of something called ‘pride of ownership.’ As a whole, it’s a relatively intangible concept: there are just homes that have it – reeking … Continue reading → Continue reading →

  By Tara Nelson My doctor recently confided in me that physicians have a golden rule when it comes to gettingan accurate estimate of how much alcohol their patients drink on a daily basis. They take whatever number of drinks … Continue reading → Continue reading →

  Closing on a house can be joyful or horrific. Follow this advice for a smooth settlement. By Polyana da Costa of Bankrate.com You finally found the house of your dreams. You signed a contract and got approved for a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Mark your calendars! Start making plans! The 2012 Nationwide Open House Weekend is this weekend – April 28th and 29th. With record breaking housing affordability conditions, this event will be better than ever. Contact your local real estate office for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

February pending sales up 9.2% from year ago By Inman News The National Association of Realtors is predicting existing-home sales will jump 7 to 10 percent in 2012 to the highest level in five years, based on an “uneven but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Over the past several years, millions of homeowners have had billions of dollars in mortgage debt forgiven, either through foreclosure, refinancing or short sales. It’s important for real estate professionals and homeowners to understand that mortgage debt forgiveness has significant … Continue reading → Continue reading →

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson If you sat down and tried to call up a mental picture of a smart home buyer, the person in your mind’s eye might be sitting in front of the computer, calculator at hand, running numbers and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson We humans have a natural craving to simplify the complex. This same instinct, which explainswhy legends, films and fairytales from every culture tend to boil down to heroes vs. villains, also explains why so many buyers and … Continue reading → Continue reading →