http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog Discover St. Louis! Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:44:38 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A “Short Sale” is when the sale of the property does not net the seller enough funds to pay the full mortgage and the mortgage company discounts the note.  These properties are often nearing foreclosure and the mortgage company would rather discount the mortgage than go through the costly and ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/07/02/the-risks-and-rewards-of-a-short-sale/ If you are in the market or considering a purchasing your first home you should consider the economic factors and market conditions.  Forecasters are telling us that mortgage rates will continue to fall slightly before stabilizing.  We hear regularly that the housing market is at or near the bottom and ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/03/19/buying-power-for-first-time-homebuyers/ The American Society of Interior Designers Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council launched the nation's first green residential remodeling guidelines. The REGREEN Guidelines provide resources and tools to make home remodeling projects more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The guidelines are organized into the 10 most common remodeling projects. “Consumers overwhelmingly ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/03/17/remodeling-projects-go-green/ THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS'® Chief Economist Lawrence Yun has been named among the top 10 economic forecasters by USA Today. Yun is ranked fifth on the list and is responsible for NAR’s real estate statistics and economic forecasting. The annual list recognizes accuracy in forecasting. “NAR is proud of USA ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/03/17/nar-economist-among-top-forecasters/ Daily Real Estate News  |  March 17, 2008 In an effort to boost market liquidity, the Federal Reserve lowered the discount rate to 3.25 percent from 3.5 percent and launched a new lending program through which money will be moved from securities dealers to the securitization markets. The effort — the latest ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/03/17/fed-slashes-rates/ Daily Real Estate News  |  March 13, 2008 Falling home prices spell opportunity for buyers, even if they already own a home and don’t want to be a landlord. Here are three smart ways to invest in today’s housing market. Trade up. Now’s the time to buy a larger home in a better ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/03/17/tap-todays-housing-opportunity/ Flat Existing-Home Sales Likely Before Gradual Recovery WASHINGTON, March 06, 2008 - The volume of existing-home sales is expected to hold steady through late spring, with a gradual recovery during the second half of the year as the mortgage situation improves in high-cost areas, according to the latest forecast by the ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/03/14/latest-housing-forecast-from-national-association-of-realtors/ Daily Real Estate News  |  March 13, 2008 Foreclosures in February were down 4 percent from January, but the rate of foreclosures remain high year-over-year. The February rate was up 57 percent from February 2007. “The year-over-year increase this February was significantly higher than the 19 percent year-over-year increase in February 2007, ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/03/13/foreclosures-dip-but-remain-high/ Daily Real Estate News  |   February 25, 2008 Is housing about to enjoy a spring thaw or will it remain in the deep freeze? Some observers are optimistic. "I think this is the best buyer's market that has existed in a decade, maybe longer," says Russell Shaw, in his 30th year with ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/02/26/housing-market-ready-to-rebound/ Daily Real Estate News  |   February 22, 2008    Source: Reuters News, Lynn Adler (02/21/08) Yale Professor Robert Shiller, whose Case-Shiller 20-city home price index has become an industry standard, says people shouldn’t fear gradually falling home prices. "There's nothing troubling about a gradual correction of home prices. If we keep our incomes ... http://www.findingstlouishomes.com/blog/2008/02/22/dont-fear-falling-prices/