Freestyle Real Estate

Setting Clear Expectations Helps Create a Streamlined Short Sales Approach

RISMEDIA, September 10, 2010—Anyone that works in the real estate industry knows that a short sale transaction can take months to be approved and closed. While short sale approvals can be completed in a short timeframe, the reality is that…

FHA Short Refinance Option Now Available

RISMEDIA, September 10, 2010—In an effort to help responsible homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than the value of their property, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today will begin providing an additional refinancing option for underwater…

Growing Number of Homeowners Becoming Landlords

RISMEDIA, September 10, 2010—(MCT)—A growing number of homeowners are finding out what it means to be a landlord after failing to sell their homes in today’s economy. With home prices down nationwide, many don’t want to take a huge loss

HUD Offers $110 Million in Grants to Clean Up Lead Hazards

RISMEDIA, September 9, 2010—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it is making approximately $110 million in grants available to help eliminate dangerous lead-based paint from lower income homes and to protect young children from lead poisoning.…

FHFA Establishes New Housing Goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

RISMEDIA, September 8, 2010—The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has sent a final rule to the Federal Register establishing new housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) for 2010-2011. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008…

Growing Number of Homeowners Becoming Landlords

HUD Shares Plans for New Reverse Mortgage Option

RISMEDIA, September 7, 2010—The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced that it intends to make modifications to its Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) product, a reverse mortgage loan insured by the federal government, to make it more attractive and cost effective…

Exceeding Expectations, Pending Home Sales Rise 5.2%

RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—Following a sharp drop in the months immediately after the expiration of the home buyer tax credit, pending home sales have modestly risen, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking…

Refinancings Soar as Mortgage Rates Remain Low

RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—(MCT)—For anyone under the age of 57, mortgage rates are now the lowest they’ve been during your life. This fact isn’t lost on a growing number of homeowners who have started a new wave of refinancings.…

HUD Announces First Look Program to Help Communities Stabilize Neighborhoods Hard-Hit by Foreclosure

RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced an unprecedented agreement with the nation’s top mortgage lenders to offer selected state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations a “first look” or right of first…

Simple Tips to Update Your Home and Create a Relaxing Sanctuary

RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—(MCT)—Some rooms scream “Help!” Others say nothing, and that’s a problem, too. Take the typical bedroom. Michael Payne has seen thousands. “The bedroom tends to get forgotten—you spend all your money elsewhere in the house,” said…

FHA Gives Home Buyers One Month Window to Lock in Low Insurance Premium

RISMEDIA, September 2, 2010—“The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is giving homeowners and buyers until October 4, 2010 to lock in a low monthly insurance premium,” said Gibran Nicholas, chairman of the CMPS Institute, an organization that trains and certifies…

5 Best Places to Find a Foreclosure Bargain

RISMEDIA, September 1, 2010—With a number of real estate markets still reeling in the midst of the nation’s economic crisis, bargains persist for savvy investors looking to add to their portfolios of rental properties. Prices have even gone low enough…

Real Estate Veteran Offers Cure for Home Seller’s Blues

RISMEDIA, September 1, 2010—With existing U.S. home sales diving to 15-year lows and millions of homes stagnant on the market, home sellers are suffering increasing anxiety, uncertainty and financial stress. To address these symptoms, motivational author Joan Gale Frank…

Appraisal Institute’s New Guide to Home Buying Offers Uniquely Unbiased View

RISMEDIA, August 31, 2010—A home buying guide published recently by the Appraisal Institute teaches home buyers when to buy, how to find a real estate agent, how to choose the best home on the market and more—all from the uniquely…

What Seniors Should Know before Modifying Mortgage

RISMEDIA, August 30, 2010—(MCT)—Maria Olmo doesn’t like her chances of paying off her new, 40-year mortgage. “I’ll die before it’s paid off,” said Olmo, who got her 30-year mortgage modified because she was at risk of losing her home to…

Home Buyers Are Ready to Move from the Sidelines: Survey

RISMEDIA, August 30, 2010—Are more Americans positioning themselves for home purchase? Although May’s data showed that home sales were down 26.8% as the home buyer tax credit concluded, a new survey conducted by Relocation.com suggests some families are opting for…

Repurposing Rooms Makes Home Feel New Again

RISMEDIA, August 28, 2010—(MCT)—While today’s real estate market is keeping many home buyers on the sidelines, there’s no need to feel stuck in your house. You can still move out and up within your own home. The latest lifestyle trend…

Some Homebuyers Are Holding Back, but Market offers Bright Spots Too

RISMEDIA, August 27, 2010—(MCT)—Everywhere you look, July was not ideal for real estate—that’s one thing on which the economists and the statistics agree. Sales figures released recently for the first month in 19, not invigorated by government tax credits, offered…

Kitchens Remain among Most Popular Remodeling Projects

RISMEDIA, August 26, 2010—(MCT)—Kitchens have long been among the most popular remodeling projects. But with fewer clients requesting kitchen upgrades during this recession, one kitchen designer has turned the economic slowdown to her advantage.

“If I couldn’t remodel as many…

Painting Key Features of Home Exterior Provides Affordable Remodeling Option

RISMEDIA, August 25, 2010—Painting the exterior of a home can be a time-consuming and expensive proposition. But if you are budget-minded—and who isn’t these days—don’t despair. “A little ingenuity can go a long way towards giving your home a beautiful…

School Performance Can Increase Home Value and Buyer Interest

RISMEDIA, August 24, 2010—While millions of Americans throughout the nation prepare for traditional back to school activities, some families are searching for affordable housing based on local schools or desirable school districts. In some cases, proximity to quality schools is…

Obama Administration Housing Scorecard Shows Continued Progress in Housing Market, but Challenges Remain

RISMEDIA, August 23, 2010—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury has released the August edition of the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard (www.hud.gov/scorecard), a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing…

New Rules Limit Too-Low Estimates of Closing Costs

RISMEDIA, August 20, 2010—(MCT)—Facing new penalties if they lowball estimates of upfront mortgage costs, lenders and brokers appear to be coming clean about how much borrowers will pay. As a result, the so-called good-faith estimates that mortgage providers must give…

School Performance Can Increase Home Value and Buyer Interest

Harvard Researcher Shares Insights on Housing Comeback

RISMEDIA, August 19, 2010—(MCT)—As director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard, Nicolas Retsinas has had a front-row seat for the real estate market’s dramatic boom and bust. After 12 years at the center, Retsinas left the director’s…

Weekly Mortgage Rate Report: Rates Fall to New Lows

RISMEDIA, August 19, 2010—Mortgage rates fell to new lows this week, according to the LendingTree Weekly Mortgage Rate Pulse, a snapshot of the lowest and average mortgage rates available within the LendingTree network of lenders.

On August 17, lenders…

‘Fundamental Change’ for Fannie and Freddie, Geithner Says

RISMEDIA, August, 18, 2010—(MCT)—With sweeping financial reform legislation enacted, the White House and Congress now must focus on fixing the mess created by the failed housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It’s a complex challenge with high stakes…

Housing Starts Rise 1.7 Percent in July

RISMEDIA, August 18, 2010—Nationwide housing starts inched up 1.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 546,000 units in July from a downwardly revised figure in the previous month, according to U.S. Commerce Department figures released today. The…

The Real Estate Book Introduces New Search Tool for House Hunters on the Go, Launches App for iPhone, iTouch, iPad

RISMEDIA, August 18, 2010—More Americans are relying on their mobile devices to access information, quickly and easily. The number of people who sought local information on their smart phones grew 51% last year, with the fastest growing method of…

The Year of the Short Sale: 7 Tips to Finding Your New Home at Discount

RISMEDIA, August 17, 2010—Real estate professionals nationwide are calling 2010 “the year of the short sale,” where homeowners who owe more on their properties than what they are worth sell at deeply discounted prices—with the blessing of their lender.

Here…

What State Has Highest Closing Costs? Bankrate.com Releases 2010 Closing Costs Survey

RISMEDIA, August 17, 2010—A new study released by Bankrate, Inc. reveals that the costs associated with buying a home may are on the rise. Bankrate’s 2010 Closing Costs Survey reveals that the average origination and title fees on a $200,000…

Government to Spend $3 Billion to Help Homeowners

RISMEDIA, August 17, 2010—The White House said recently it would spend an additional $3 billion to help distressed homeowners in the states with the highest jobless rates to pay their mortgages.

The latest round of funding pushes the total…

More and Better Predatory Loan Servicing Fraud

RISMEDIA, August 17, 2010—As the vast majority of applicants for loan modification have learned, HAMP, the Home Affordable Modification Program, is little more than a thinly disguised mechanism through which to conclude the foreclosure process on behalf of financial…

Tax Credits Lead to Area Home Sales Bump

RISMEDIA, August 17, 2010—(MCT)—Home sales during the second quarter of this year increased — in some cases significantly — in all but one of 12 west-central Wisconsin counties compared with the same period last year. But that doesn’t mean good…

Nearly Half of the Homes on the Market in July 2010 Had Prices Cut, According to ZipRealty

RISMEDIA, August 16, 2010—The number of price-reduced homes on the market increased 5.3% in July 2010 as compared to June, according to a monthly review of MLS-listed properties within 26 of the country’s largest housing markets conducted by the national

Homeownership and Stable Communities Go Hand-in-Hand

RISMEDIA, August 16, 2010—Homeowners who are more active in their communities benefit from improved education opportunities and report higher levels of self-esteem and happiness when compared to renters, according to leading research. A new report from the National Association of…

Beware of Foundation Problems When Getting Your Home Ready for the Market

RISMEDIA, August 14, 2010—Selling a house isn’t easy these days. There are a huge number of homes on the market, and buyers are easily scared off if they encounter problems that may negatively impact resale value. Among the many issues…

Broad Stabilization in Second Quarter Metro Area Home Prices with Strong Sales

RISMEDIA, August 13, 2010—The real estate trend in firming home prices solidified in the second quarter with more metropolitan areas showing increases from a year ago, aided by a surge in home sales driven by the home buyer tax credit,…

Obama Administration Announces Additional Support for Targeted Foreclosure-Prevention Programs to Help Homeowners Struggling with Unemployment

RISMEDIA, August 13, 2010—The Obama Administration recently announced additional support to help homeowners struggling with unemployment through two targeted foreclosure-prevention programs.

Through the existing Housing Finance Agency (HFA) Innovation Fund for the Hardest Hit Housing Markets (the Hardest…