Before and After the Storm

Before and after the storm

Finding safe refuge during a dangerous hailstorm or hurricane can pose its own set of challenges, but the greater difficulty often presents itself once the storm subsides. How do you handle the aftermath and resulting property damages? 

For homeowners, storm preparedness requires more than keeping a few cases of water on hand, though that is certainly a start. But the need for proper preparation definitely doesn’t apply only to homeowners. Damages can reach well beyond a storm’s physical path to impact all parties involved with a property. What steps can you take as an investor, aggregator, bank, or servicer to protect yourself and your interests this hail and hurricane season? 

The first line of defense is to arm…

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The Single Most Important Contingency to Keep in Your Contract

The single most important contingency to keep in your contract

Removing contingencies from your offer can easily backfire. In fact, there are a few you'll want to keep -- no matter what.

In hot real estate markets like San Francisco or New York, buyers often have to go the extra mile to make their offer stand out. Some buyers offer sizeable down payments, others write strategic offer letters, some even drop cookies at the door.

And in markets where multiple offers are the norm, it’s not uncommon to waive contingencies, which give buyers the right to back out of contracts under certain circumstances.

But not so fast. . .While removing a contingency could result in a faster transaction and be…

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New Home Buyers Unafraid to Jump into the Housing Market

New Home Buyers Unafraid to Jump into the Housing Market

Genworth Mortgage Insurance recently released their inaugural report on first-time homebuyers. Source data dates back to 1994 and analyzes over 20 million records.

The survey tracks home sales to first-time homebuyers on a monthly basis, publishes quarterly, and compares the data against national housing market indicators. It is also singles out and identify homebuyers that purchased their home using a VA loan, USDA loan, FHA loan, or with a low downpayment coupled with mortgage insurance instead of the traditional 20 percent downpayment that has historically been required.

The report found that this demographic accounted for 424,000 single-family home sales, or 38 percent of the…

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Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Fix Up Your Home Like a Flipper

Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Fix Up Your Home Like a Flipper

Flipping homes is a thrill, but don't forget your own home's potential. Enjoy that new-home feeling again with these simple tips.

If you’re anything like me, you may find that it’s all too easy to get caught up in the rush of flipping houses. I’ll admit — buying an old house, fixing it up, and flipping it for a profit is pretty exciting. But if you get too distracted by flipping houses, it’s easy to let your own home fall by the wayside.

While profitable remodeling projects can be more tempting to work on, you can still benefit from tackling projects in your own home. Remodeling your home will not only up its value, but also improve the way you feel about it. After all, who wouldn’t…

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8 Home Issues That Could Cause A Home Sale To Fall Through

8 home issues that could cause a home sale to fall through

Do you know what issues most often turn off buyers or kill a sale? Here are some of the big ones.

From a leaky or aging roof to a positive radon test in the basement, there’s probably a lot on your home sale to-do list. And while, yes, you want your house to look its best for prospective buyers, there are some less-than-obvious issues you should probably address before you list your home for sale on Trulia. Whether you’re selling a home in San Angelo, TX or planning to list your home for sale in Hoboken, NJ here’s the lowdown on some common issues that can cause a home sale to fall through.

8 Home Issues To Be Aware Of Before Listing Your Home

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Who’s to Blame for the Housing Shortage?

Who’s to blame for the housing shortage?

The most pressing problem facing the housing industry today is the tight inventory, and according to Realtor.com, millennials may be partly to blame.

As many young potential buyers move into cities and away from the suburbs, housing construction has been notoriously weak. Cities like New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Los Angeles have seen their suburban areas shrink.

According to Jed Kolko, Chief Economist at job-search site Indeed and senior fellow at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California, the amount of young people living in the Washington D.C. urban area increased by 8.6 percent between 2000 and 2014 as the preferences of young people change.

The difference is…

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Analyzing Down Payment Assistance Programs for Military and Veterans

Analyzing down payment assistance programs for military and veterans

There are a little less down payment assistance programs out there, according to Down Payment Resource. On Monday, Down Payment Resource released its Q1 2017 Homeownership Program Index (HPI). According to the HPI, the number of down payment assistance programs fell by nine to 2,454 from the previous quarter. Around 87 percent of these programs have funds available for eligible homebuyers, unchanged from the previous quarter.

According to the Zillow Housing Aspiration Report, saving for a down payment was the biggest barrier to homeownership, as 70 percent of renters cite not affording a down payment as the top hurdle.

“There are many mortgage-ready renters today, but they don’t…

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What Type Of Mortgage Is Right For You?

What type of mortgage is right for you?

Choosing the right mortgage is daunting, so we’ve demystified common scenarios to help you find the right loan.

Tired of paying rent and ready to become a homeowner? Good news! According to Trulia’s recent rent vs buy report, buying a home remains a cheaper option than renting, thanks to relatively low interest mortgage rates and fast-rising rents. And, even better news, you’ve taken a step in the right direction when it comes to saving money — buying can be nearly 40% cheaper than renting.

But before you start picking out curtains and furniture for that new home, there are some financing decisions that need to be made. Determining what type of…

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I Bought My House Without Ever Seeing It In Person

I bought my house without ever seeing it in person

When Billy Conry’s job transferred him to Colorado in 2014, he and his wife, Liz, were excited to move to a new state and find the perfect new home. Avid outdoor athletes who ski, run, hike, and bike year-round, the couple hoped to find a mountain home that was accessible to the outdoors and nearby trails — bonus if it was a log cabin.

It didn’t take them long to realize they’d be in for a challenge: The real estate market in the Centennial State was extremely competitive. Most of the homes the Conrys found online sold within days. They decided to beat the rush by staying put in their Utah home and pairing their online research with a local real estate agent to find their new home without seeing it…

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Rising Demand, Shrinking Inventory Fuel Median Price Growth

Rising Demand, Shrinking Inventory Fuel Median Price Growth

A new report from the New York State Association of Realtors, or NYSAR, shows that housing trends in the Empire State are a microcosm of the U.S. market. NYSAR’s April housing market numbers show strong buyer demand and an ongoing decline in the number of homes for sale.

This dynamic was fueled a 7.8 percent increase in the April statewide median sales price (to $235,000) and an 11.2 percent drop in new listings compared to a year ago, according to the report. In real numbers, that’s a drop from just over 22,000 new listings to just above 19,600.

There were 18 percent fewer homes for sale in New York compared to last April (about 65,000 compared to about 80,000 in 2016). Inventory…

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