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Who’s Buying in Today’s Economy?

By Angela Murphy on November 2, 2009

We’re approaching double digit unemployment rates, Wall Street continues to be undependable, and credit card companies are changing their rules left & right even for the highest credit scoring cardholders. The economy is crazy, so who in their right mind is buying a house?

Tax Credit Bill Expanded to Repeat Buyers

By Angela Murphy on October 30, 2009

Senators agreed Wednesday to extend a popular tax credit for first-time homebuyers and to offer a reduced credit to some repeat buyers.

The tax credit provides up to $8,000 to first-time homebuyers but is set to expire at the end of November.

Senators agreed to extend the existing tax credit for first-time homebuyers while offering a reduced credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years

And, I’ll Need Your Kid’s ACT Score and Signature, Too!

By Angela Murphy on October 27, 2009

Lenders might not be requiring your kid’s signature on the loan, yet..that was an exaggeration on my part (in fun), but underwriting guidelines for lending have tightened to a whole new level of conservative, where there used to be a place for a bit of common sense or reasoning, there isn’t now; not if the loan will be insured or sold in the secondary market.

How do you know when you have the right listing price?

By Larry Schottenstein on October 23, 2009

I am representing a seller with a nice home for sale in Gahanna for $239,900. We started out at $259,900 then lowered it to $249,900. At the current list price his home out competes the vast majority of homes in his price point. The nicer homes are at least $15,000 to $20,000 more, which is [...]

Keeping an Eye Out for Scams

By Carol Pierson on October 20, 2009

Is there any opportunity that is safe from scams? Seems not!  The National Consumer Law Center recently reported that some of the aggressive and abusive lenders from the subprime mortgage market, whose practices helped get us into our current economic mess, are back.  And this time they are trying to run their deals in the reverse mortgage arena.  [...]

While Your Home is on the Market- Protecting Your Privacy

By MaryAnn Shoemaker on October 17, 2009

Is it snooping to open a drawer? Not if the drawer is part of a built-in such as a kitchen cabinet or a dining room china cabinet. Buyers can innocently tug on a drawer to inspect its construction or depth and find important documents that you might not intend for anyone to see. Don’t leave [...]

Opportunity Knocks Given Current Housing Crisis

By Angela Murphy on October 13, 2009

Everyone knows: buy low and sell high and you’ll come out on top.

$8000 Tax Credit Extension

By Angela Murphy on October 13, 2009

Out of USA military extension could pass the House as early as Thursday, October 15th.

$600,000 house gone wrong…

By Carolyn Young on September 29, 2009

I was in a home the other day listed at $600,000 and some change and when my clients and I walked in, the only word from all of us was “wow”. The house was beautifully decorated. Beautifully and DRAMATICALLY and OVERWHELMINGLY decorated. Colors and patterns and crystal chandeliers and sequined furniture. It was not necessarily [...]

Will the $8000 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Be Extended?

By Angela Murphy on September 24, 2009

NEW YORK, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Nearly one in five prospective first-time U.S. home buyers said a possible extension of an $8,000 tax credit would be the primary influence on their decision to purchase a home before the end of 2010, according to a survey by a real estate website. The 18 percent who would [...]