Jan 27, 2010

Decorating Together

Audiences - male and female - now lap up hours of TV programming about renovating, decorating and DIY-ing. Magazines and web sites explore every aspect of home design. And big-box retailers offer surprisingly stylish furniture and home accessories at bargain prices.

Read more from Melissa Rayworth, Associated Press.

Jan 25, 2010

What a Mortgage Will Really Cost

Starting Jan 1, shopping for a mortgage has just gotten simpler.

Lenders are now required to use easy-to-understand forms providing basic loan terms and good-faith estimates of closing costs. And closing agents are required to provide a settlement statement that clearly compares borrowers' final and estimated closing costs.

Read more from
Amy Hoak, wsj.com.

Jan 21, 2010

What is Escrow?

What is an escrow account? Should I or should I not escrow? What are the benefits of establishing an escrow account? These questions and many more are answered.

Read more from Fannie Mae.

Jan 18, 2010

SmartBuy Program

As part of the SmartBuy purchase program from Freddie Mac, HomeSteps is offering:

- 2 yr home warranty
- up to 3.5% closing costs
- up to 30% savings on appliances


Read more from Freddie Mac, HomeSteps.

Jan 14, 2010

New Rules Help Borrowers at Closing

Plenty of home buyers have found themselves at the closing table, ready to sign the myriad documents that will officially make them new homeowners only to get nasty sticker shock. What was originally supposed to cost them, say, $2,500 in closing costs, has turned into $3,000.

Read more from Lisa Scherzer, SmartMoney.

Jan 11, 2010

Top Selling Communities

Always looking for new info & trends to pass on to you, here are the top selling single family home communities in east Orlando in the past 30 days:

- Avalon Park 11 homes sold for average of $208,000 (avg 60 day close)

- Waterford Lakes 11 homes sold for average of $181,000 (avg 74 day close)
-
Waterford Trails 7 homes sold for average of $181,000 (avg 83 day close)

See all east Orlando sales in past 30 days.

Jan 3, 2010

Selling in the New Year

So you want to sell a home in 2010? Think Jan, not Jun. Not only are prices expected to keep falling, cutting into sellers' profits the longer they wait, but demand will be strong early in 2010 from first-time and move-up buyers looking to qualify for tax credits that expire 4/30/2010.

Read more from Paul Owers, Sun Sentinel.

Jan 1, 2010

Down Pymt Assistance Program

The City of Orlando’s Down Payment Assistance Program is available to eligible very low and low income first time homebuyers for the purchase of a home within the city limits of Orlando. Depending on gross household income, assistance may be $10,000, $20,000 or $30,000.

Read more from City of Orlando’s Down Payment Assistance Program.