C21AGVoices

The New Year is not yet one week old but that’s not stopping market “experts” from predicting what’s in store for 2009. The calls on housing and mortgage rates run the gamut: Home prices have farther to fall Home prices have touched bottom Mortgage rates will dip Mortgage rates will rise Put it all together and […]

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Even though its effective date is April 1, 2009, mortgage applicants should start seeing Fannie Mae’s new fee structure from lenders beginning this Monday, January 12. The reason why Fannie Mae’s mandatory loan fees are hitting lender pricing so far in advance is because lenders can take up to 30 days to package and sell a loan […]

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In late-November, the Federal Reserve pledged $600 billion to buy mortgage-backed securities.  The announcement drove down mortgage rates and started the Refi Boom. Then, the Federal Reserve made a second series of statements after its scheduled meeting last Tuesday, causing mortgage rates to plunge again.  This started the Refi Boom’s second wave. Because of the surge […]

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The Federal Open Market Committee voted to cut the Fed Funds Rate by at least three-quarters percent on Decmber 16, 2008.  The benchmark rate now rests in a range of 0.000-0.250 percent. In its press release, the FOMC identified three key economic sectors in which activity has weakened since October. The FOMC noted that: The U.S. job market […]

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A mortgage is a contract between a lender and borrower, defining the terms by which a home loan must be repaid.  The paperwork, signed by both parties, includes provisions for things like: The interest rate The length of the loan The amount of money to be borrowed But, like all loans, a mortgage loan can […]

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When choosing a room’s paint colors, Interior Designers follow the 60-30-10 Rule. The 60-30-10 Rule says that color usage in a space should be based on percentages: 60% of the room should be a dominant color 30% of the room should be a secondary color 10% of the room should be an accent color It’s a […]

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For the 78 consecutive days, gas prices fell nationwide through December 3rd.  At $1.81 per gallon, the average price at the pump is less than half what it was at its peak in July. And although gas prices vary by locale, the cost of a fill-up is worthy of national news. The main reason why […]

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According to the government, American businesses are cutting staff at an accelerated pace, most recently paring 533,000 jobs this past November. It’s the largest one-month decline since December 1974 and raises the year-to-date job losses to 1.9 million workers. However, there is a silver lining in the data for all Americans — both employed and […]

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As the weather turns cooler and home heating systems get fired, it’s important to safeguard your home from carbon monoxide gas. Often called the “slient killer”, the odorless and colorless gas accidentally poisons about 170 Americans each year. The video above from CBS News tells the story of 2 such deaths. Throughout the 5-minute piece […]

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Business television and newspapers have made deflation a hot topic this week and, since Monday, Google has tracked 13,000 mentions of it. Deflation is a recurring cycle in which the prices of goods and services fall. Isolated to one industry or sector, falling prices is the natural result of competition. For example, when DVD players were […]

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