Statistics are what you make of them, but sometimes, they can provide good perspective. For example, from its peak in 2005 to its trough in late-2007, the number of “used” homes sold nationwide plunged. In 2005: Roughly 7 million homes sold annually In 2007: Roughly 5 million homes sold annually Through all of 2008, though, [...]

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Image by Getty Images via Daylife I admitted earlier that I had totally jumped on the Phillies Bandwagon during the playoff season of Major League Baseball. You may remember that when I was 14 years old, the 1964 Phillies had thrown away a 6 1/2 game lead in the race for the pennant by losing [...]

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The Federal Open Market Committee adjourns from its scheduled 2-day meeting today at 2:15 P.M. ET and the markets are eagerly awaiting the central bank’s press release. In it, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is expected to address the U.S. economy, the future of credit, and the new Fed Funds Rate. It’s this last point to which mortgage [...]

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In the widest definition possible, amortization (pronounced: am-ohr-tih-ZAY-shun) is the scheduled process by which a loan’s principal balance pays down to $0. The opposite of an amortizing loan is an interest only loan for which there is no scheduled principal repayment schedule. With respect to mortgages, amortization is what determines how much of a monthly payment goes [...]

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Photo courtesy of Creativecommons.org Every town has a few memorable places to grab a bite to eat, a place you can take your family, watch a game, down your favorite cheesesteak. Northeast Philadelphia is no exception. Here are a few places to check out for some good cooking: Nick’s Roast Beef-2212 Cottman Ave. Nick’s is famous [...]

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As the stock market dips then jumps then dips again, it’s important to remember that markets are unpredictable and nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop the analysts from trying. An obvious example comes from May of this year.   As the price of oil crossed $120 per barrel on its way to an [...]

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Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is a mortgage lender’s insurance policy against highly-leveraged homeowners.  It’s typically required when homeowner equity is less than 20 percent at the time of closing. With PMI defaults up 40 percent over last year, though, private mortgage insurers are taking big losses. They’re also taking outsized steps to prevent additional claims going forward [...]

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Image by wallyg via Flickr I’m a home town sports fan. I follow the Philadelphia, Eagles and the Sixers regularly. I suffer with them through all of the almost wons and the agonizing seasons because that’s what Philadelphia sports fans do. But I have to admit I’m not much of a baseball fan.  When I [...]

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Buyers are returning to the housing market. Each month, The National Association of REALTORS® tracks homes under contract to sell, but whose closing has not yet happened.  It calls them “pending sales” and publishes a monthly report to quantify them.  The Pending Home Sales report is important because it’s meant to predict future home sales activity.  [...]

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With home heating costs expected to increase 20 percent over last year, The Today Show offers 10 tips to reduce home heating costs this winter. The advice ranges from the well-known to the obscure, but every little bit is meant to put money back in homeowners’ pockets: Replace your air filter monthly Drain a quart [...]

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