C21AGVoices

Image by Smabs Sputzer via Flickr Consumer Confidence fell this month for the first time in three months, reflecting Americans’ concern for the economy, housing, and the financial system. The reading isn’t much of a surprise given our collective exposure to a near-constant stream of negative news. Before long, the reports become a self-fulfilling prophecy. […]

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Image by TheTruthAbout… via Flickr Comparing July’s conforming mortgage rates to today’s average rates, there’s a 1.5 percent difference in favor of homeowners. Rate drops like that make big differences in a household budget.  Look at these before-and-after payments, based on rates from the chart: $150,000 mortgage ($144 savings/month) July 2008: $958 monthly February 2009: […]

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A real estate trade group reported Tuesday that Pending Home Sales ticked higher in December 2008.  A “pending home sale” is a home under contract to sell, but not yet closed. The group positions Pending Home Sales report as a predictor of future activity, suggesting that home sales will spike 60 days hence. This is good […]

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Super Bowl Weekend traditionally marks the start of the Spring Buying Season in real estate. Anecdotally, real estate agents will tell you that buyer activity tends to tick higher at this time of the year. Meanwhile, with mortgage rates still trolling near all-time lows and Congress debating a first-time homebuyer tax credit, 2009 may bring […]

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The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged last week.  It remained within a target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. In its press release, the FOMC reiterated most of the key points from its December 2008 statement, including: The U.S. employment outlook continues to deteriorate Consumers and businesses continue to cut […]

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When a homeowner sells his home and decides to buy a new one, there are 3 basic options for the residence — sell it, keep it, or rent it. In doing that, new mortgage guidlelines make it more important than ever that people sell and setttle their old home before they settle on their new […]

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Don’t let the plunging median sales price fool you — December’s Existing Home Sales data has home sellers smiling. Just one month after falling below the 5-million unit trend line, sales volume roared back by 300,000 homes in December, surprising housing analysts and making a case that this spring’s Buying Season could be a competitive […]

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After a weak holiday shopping season, annual retail sales declined in 2008. It marks the first annual Retail Sales decline since the government started tracking the data 40 years ago. It also gives credence to the notion that the U.S. economy is suffering through a deeper recession that previously thought. A pullback in spending — […]

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Ironing boards can be bulky and awkward — especially in a cramped laundry room or a small apartment.   Instead of fumbling with a folding board for a quick press, look to the Touch-Up Topper instead. The Touch-Up Topper is a heat-resistant, portable ironing surface that rolls or folds for storage.  Using sewn-in magnets, the […]

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Another week, another headline screams how mortgage rates have falled to an all-time low. Freddie Mac published its weekly mortgage rate survey Thursday and found that the “average” mortgage rate is now 4.96 percent, the lowest since the survey started in 1971. But, if we look beyond the headline, we find that there’s another part of […]

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