Blog

02
Jan
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

Let There Be Light! 3 Easy Ways to Make over a Room by Adding New Light Fixtures

Light is an important design element that can be used to influence your interior decor in a number of ways. In fact, you can experience a major transformative change on the overall style and ambiance of a room by making a few simple lighting changes. Consider how these ideas can help you to improve the look of your space with great results, and think about ways that you can improve your space by making a few changes. The Addition of Spotlights If you have fine pieces of artwork, decorative display areas or other features that you want to illustrate with…
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31
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips, ,

Looking for Luxury? How to Upsize Your Next Home Without Upsizing Your Costs

Size matters when you are buying a new home. Whether you plan to expand your family, need more room for your stuff, or are concerned with resale value, you want to get the most space for your money. Also, if you want to add a feel of luxury to your home, one of the best ways to do it is to create open spaces rather than cramming all your furniture in rooms so tiny you can barely walk around without knocking something over. Traditionally speaking, the larger a home is, the more it costs. If there are two newly built…
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30
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

You Ask, We Answer: What is Private Mortgage Insurance or ‘PMI’ and How Does It Work?

For many homeowners, their mortgage payment contains more than just principal and interest. A little something called PMI could be representing a significant portion of that payment, and it's important for home buyers to understand this cost. What Is PMI? PMI stands for private mortgage insurance, or sometimes just mortgage insurance. However, it isn't intended to mitigate risk for the homeowner, but rather the bank. Statistics show that when a home buyer puts less than 20% down on a home, he/she is much more likely to default. So, requiring these buyers to carry PMI helps the bank hedge their losses…
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29
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 29, 2014

Last week's economic news included several housing related reports. Housing markets continue to cool as November reports on existing and new home sales fell below expectations. New Jobless claims were lower than expected by 10,000 claims. The details: Existing and New Home Sales Down, FHFA House Price Index Up The National Association of Realtors® reported that November sales of existing homes fell to 4.93 million sales against expectations of 5.18 million sales. October's reading was revised from 5.25 million sales to 5.26 million. This was seen as an anomaly that may have occurred during uncertainty caused by volatile stock markets.…
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24
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

Existing Home Sales Dip to Lowest Level since May

The National Association of Realtors® reported that sales of existing homes dropped to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 4.93 million as compared to expectations of a 5.18 million existing homes sold. Projections were based on October's reading of 5.25 million. November's reading showed a 6.10 percent dip in sales of existing homes and was the lowest reading since May.Fed Chair Janet Yellen said last week that the less than robust housing recovery is due in part to tight lending standards. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors®, said that November's reading was likely an aberration due to…
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23
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Are You Applying for a Reverse Mortgage? Here Are 3 Considerations You’ll Need to Make

If you're a homeowner who is looking to tap in to the home equity that you've spent years building you may be interested in a "reverse mortgage" or "home equity conversion mortgage". While these unique financial tools aren't for everyone, if you qualify for a reverse mortgage you'll find that this might be the perfect financial solution which allows you to pay off your existing mortgage, or for some other regular expenses that you have. Let's take a closer look at how reverse mortgages work, including how to qualify, what happens to your existing mortgage and what a reverse mortgage…
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