When it comes to real estate, the internet is a beautiful thing. It has revolutionized the real estate industry. Instead of spending countless hours [and dollars in gas] driving around looking at homes, the vast majority of buyers now sit and click throug...

Location, location and location – it is the first rule of real estate that we all learn. While we have all had this rule hammered into our collective psyche, another rule is arising in this current dismal real estate market – the look twice rule. ...

Flip that home and make big bucks. Buy a fixer-upper and clean up. This is the common theme of more than a few television shows and they make it look pretty easy. The real questions, of course, are whether this can actually be done and whether you should ...

To say the current real estate market is a mess would be a slight understatement. We haven’t seen problems like this since the Great Depression. This is particularly true with banks, which are failing or on the cusp of doing so. Bears Stearns. IndyMa...

The mortgage market in the United States is an interesting one because of the presence of semi-government entities in it. Freddie Mac is one such entity and a critical one to keeping the mortgage market moving. Freddie Mac is actually a nickname for t...

In this era of more people buying homes in foreclosure and dealing with a third party (the one that holds the mortgage) there can be unexpected issues that will leave the buyer scratching their heads wondering if the home really was for sale. This was my...

Buying home is both an emotional and financial decision. You want to stick to your budget, but you eyes can get mighty big when you see some homes. This is particularly true if you are a first time buyer and are looking at model homes. Let’s start w...

One of the basic tools used by financial advisors is to show their clients the advantages of homeownership versus renting. As you’ve probably heard, renting always seems to come out as the bad option. Many are starting to question whether that is still ...

The real estate market has typically been touted as a stable field where your investment will grow slowly, but surely, over time. And then the 21st century came and everything went nuts. The real estate market from the year 2000 through 2010 is shapin...

Selling or buying a home is one of the biggest transactions you will ever enter into during your life. As with most transactions of this sort, a contract is required. Ah, but what if you are not a lawyer? Let’s start off with the basics. A contract i...

When you list your home on the market, you have to realize potential buyers are going to go over it with a fine tooth comb. This means you need to make repairs before hand. Since you probably aren’t rolling in money, prioritizing repairs is often import...

The real estate market is bouncing back from a legendary hot period by going ice cold. Money has dried up, home values are bombing out and foreclosures are at unheard of levels. Is there any silver lining to the current real estate market? Is there an...

The real estate market is slightly cold these days across much of the country. If you hope to sell your home for a decent price, you need some factor that makes it stand out from similar homes around you. While the real estate market is down, energy p...

One of the time tested strategies in real estate is to buy the “ugly duckling” on the block and then improve it to reap appreciation gains. The key to maximizing your gain, of course, is to minimize your cost. This means you need to know the secret to...

The sky is falling! Talk to practically any homeowner these days and you would swear that Armageddon has arrived. While the real estate market is a mess, homeowners need to take a deep breath. Are there homeowners who are in deep trouble because the ma...