C21AGVoices

According to statement issued at the conclusion of today’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting, committee members decided against raising the target federal funds rate. Mixed economic conditions, slower economic growth in the 4th quarter and low inflation contributed to the decision against raising rates. The target federal funds rate was raised in December to a range of 0.25 to 1.59 percent after remaining at 0.00 to 0.25 percent for several years. While rising fed rates were expected to cause a hike in mortgage rates, mortgage rates fell after December’s rate hike.

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What Is A Counter-Offer? The video puts this in more visual terms, but basically, a seller can respond to a buyer’s offer with changes – a “counter” – that improves the terms.

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The cooler months of winter often seem like the best time to hibernate into your house and wait for spring to appear, but it can actually be a prime opportunity to start looking for a new home. If you’re not interested in waiting until next season, here are a few reasons you may want to get started on your home search a little earlier than expected.

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When it comes to diving into home ownership for the first time, it can seem like there are so many things you just don’t know. Whether you’re getting advice from your real estate agent, your friends or your family, there are so many things that seem like common sense that they might be lost in the mix of details.

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Last week’s scheduled economic news included releases from the National Association of Home Builders, Housing Starts, and Existing Home Sales. Weekly reports on new jobless claims and mortgage rates were also released.

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Small backyards are not the detriment that sellers seem to worry about. By putting in some work, any homeowner should be able to turn the smallest backyard into a selling feature by highlighting its assets.

Here are some surefire ways to change a cramped backyard into a cozy, outdoor paradise.

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There can be many downsides to both renting and buying, depending on what side of the coin you are on, but if you’re leaning towards purchasing a home it can have added benefits for your bank account that renting does not.

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Home builders maintained December’s confidence level according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Housing Market Index for January. The latest reading of 60 mirrored December’s reading, but was two points lower than expected. Readings of more than 50 indicate that more builders were confident about housing conditions than those who were not.

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In addition to weekly reports on mortgage rates and new unemployment claims, last week’s economic news included the Fed’s Beige Book report, retail sales and consumer sentiment. January’s Empire State Index showed an unexpected dip and Consumer Sentiment increased for January.

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As you’ll see in this video, unless you have a buyer’s agent remember that the agent works for the seller. Make a point of asking him or her to keep your discussions and information confidential.

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