Real Estate Prices

Hawaii Real Estate Central - Honolulu Board of REALTORS Third Quarter 2005 Median Sales Prices by Area Island of Oahu, State of Hawaii, USA T he Median Prices shown in the chart below are the prices paid for existing residential properties reported sold through our Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system during the stated time period. The columns labeled Change indicate the direction of price change from the prior time period (NC is no change). (Click HERE for the most recent ANNUAL prices.) GEOGRAPHIC AREA SINGLE FAMILY HOMES Change CONDOMINIUMS Change Entire Island $ 615,000 $ 280,000 Metro Oahu (Town) $ 730,000 $ 270,000 Diamond Head $ 930,000 $ 500,000 Hawaii Kai $ 925,000 $ 543,500 Kailua $ 862,000 $ 395,000 Kaneohe $ 690,000 $ 350,000 North Shore $ 880,000 $ 466,500 Central Oahu $ 565,000 $ 280,000 Leeward Coast $ 354,600 $ 160,000 Ewa Plain $ 512,000 $ 270,100 Makakilo $ 587,000 $ 285,000 Waipahu $ 549,500 $ 279,000 Pearl City $ 565,000 $ 242,500 Median Sales Price means the midpoint of sales prices, where half of the sales were at prices above the given amount and half were below. Click OAHU MAP to view the geographical references used above. Honolulu Board of REALTORS 1136 12th Avenue, Suite 200 Honolulu, Hawaii 96816 USA Phone: 808-732-3000 Fax: 808-732-8732 Email: hbradmin@hicentral.com 1995-2005 Honolulu Board of REALTORS. All rights reserved. Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

land for sale, Colorado

Colorado Mountain Land for Sale: Colorado Mountain Properties, Inc. Colorado Mountain Land for Sale: Colorado Mountain Properties Inc Colorado land for sale, Colorado mountain land and property, real estate, ranch land, vacant land, horse properties and acreages in Southern Colorado. The American West has always conjoured up images of freedom and new beginnings. Imagine living...today...in the solitude of a thirty-five acre property in Colorado. Relaxing on your deck, watching the sun sink over the southern Colorado Rocky Mountains. The magic of the natural surroundings fills your senses....the fresh clean air and warm star filled night... just melt away the pressures of our modern world. Here,in the southern part of Colorado, things haven't changed that much. You don't have to go away for the weekend...you can live it...today! Would you like to find a piece of southern Colorado land to call your own? A good sized piece of land, zoned for horses or other domestic animals, with an excellent year round climate..and that is protected from commercial development? We offer "lightly" developed land here in Colorado. Colorado land that has been scrutinized to eliminate surprises...land that offers communities, gently developed in harmony with the landscape...land that has been carefully selected to ensure the perfect balance between amenities and recreational lands....land that may come with sensible covenants in place to protect your investment, yet not restrict your passion for individuality. My name is Gina Gamma, Broker for Colorado Mountain Land Realty, Inc. here in Colorado...and I'd like to help you capture this vision. So if you are looking for a piece of Colorado land or property to call your own and are ready to start enjoying the wonderful lifestyle of Colorado... you will find this Web site a good place to start. To begin that process, visit my frequently asked questions page ...check out the images and descriptions of land currently available ...take a moment to view the websites at the information links page ...think about what you want and then contact me using the information request form ...don't forget to congratulate yourself....as you have already taken the first steps towards achieving your personal goals of not just acquiring land in Colorado...but, of capturing the Lifestyle of Colorado! Thank you for visiting today! I appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance...and...Enjoy your tour! - back to top - Homestead Properties Local Talk FAQ Info Links Information Request Form Colorado Mountain Land Realty, Inc. Vacant Land & Ranches E-Mail Gina Gamma Toll Free: 1-877-LANDPRO Contents of this Web site are for informational purposes only and deemed reliable. However, all property prices, descriptions and other information are subject to verification and possible changes. Web Design By: Artimbo Partner Links Contents of this Web site are for informational purposes only and deemed reliable. However, all property prices, descriptions and other information are subject to verification and possible changes.

Home Mortgage Insurance Home

Looking for the Best Mortgage ESPAÑOL Shopping around for a home loan or mortgage will help you to get the best financing deal. A mortgage--whether it’s a home purchase, a refinancing, or a home equity loan--is a product, just like a car, so the price and terms may be negotiable. You’ll want to compare all the costs involved in obtaining a mortgage. Shopping, comparing, and negotiating may save you thousands of dollars. Skip to content Obtain information from several lenders Obtain all important cost information Obtain the best deal that you can Remember: Shop, compare, negotiate Fair lending is required by law Credit problems? Glossary Mortgage shopping worksheet For more information Obtain Information from Several Lenders Home loans are available from several types of lenders-- thrift institutions , commercial banks, mortgage companies, and credit unions. Different lenders may quote you different prices, so you should contact several lenders to make sure you’re getting the best price. You can also get a home loan through a mortgage broker . Brokers arrange transactions rather than lending money directly; in other words, they find a lender for you. A broker’s access to several lenders can mean a wider selection of loan products and terms from which you can choose. Brokers will generally contact several lenders regarding your application, but they are not obligated to find the best deal for you unless they have contracted with you to act as your agent. Consequently, you should consider contacting more than one broker, just as you should with banks or thrift institutions. Whether you are dealing with a lender or a broker may not always be clear. Some financial institutions operate as both lenders and brokers. And most brokers’ advertisements do not use the word "broker." Therefore, be sure to ask whether a broker is involved. This information is important because brokers are usually paid a fee for their services that may be separate from and in addition to the lender’s origination or other fees. A broker’s compensation may be in the form of "points" paid at closing or as an add-on to your interest rate , or both. You should ask each broker you work with how he or she will be compensated so that you can compare the different fees. Be prepared to negotiate with the brokers as well as the lenders. Obtain All Important Cost Information Be sure to get information about mortgages from several lenders or brokers. Know how much of a down payment you can afford, and find out all the costs involved in the loan. Knowing just the amount of the monthly payment or the interest rate is not enough. Ask for information about the same loan amount, loan term, and type of loan so that you can compare the information. The following information is important to get from each lender and broker: Rates Ask each lender and broker for a list of its current mortgage interest rates and whether the rates being quoted are the lowest for that day or week. Ask whether the rate is fixed or adjustable . Keep in mind that when interest rates for adjustable-rate loans go up, generally so does the monthly payment. If the rate quoted is for an adjustable-rate loan, ask how your rate and loan payment will vary, including whether your loan payment will be reduced when rates go down. Ask about the loan’s annual percentage rate (APR) . The APR takes into account not only the interest rate but also points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that you may be required to pay, expressed as a yearly rate. Points Points are fees paid to the lender or broker for the loan and are often linked to the interest rate; usually the more points you pay, the lower the rate. Check your local newspaper for information about rates and points currently being offered. Ask for points to be quoted to you as a dollar amount--rather than just as the number of points--so that you will actually know how much you will have to pay. Fees A home loan often involves many fees, such as loan origination or underwriting fees , broker fees, and transaction, settlement, and closing costs . Every lender or broker should be able to give you an estimate of its fees. Many of these fees are negotiable. Some fees are paid when you apply for a loan (such as application and appraisal fees), and others are paid at closing. In some cases, you can borrow the money needed to pay these fees, but doing so will increase your loan amount and total costs. "No cost" loans are sometimes available, but they usually involve higher rates. Ask what each fee includes. Several items may be lumped into one fee. Ask for an explanation of any fee you do not understand. Some common fees associated with a home loan closing are listed on the Mortgage Shopping Worksheet in this brochure. Down Payments and Private Mortgage Insurance Some lenders require 20 percent of the home’s purchase price as a down payment. However, many lenders now offer loans that require less than 20 percent down--sometimes as little as 5 percent on conventional loans . If a 20 percent down payment is not made, lenders usually require the home buyer to purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI) to protect the lender in case the home buyer fails to pay. When government-assisted programs such as FHA (Federal Housing Administration), VA (Veterans Administration), or Rural Development Services are available, the down payment requirements may be substantially smaller. Ask about the lender’s requirements for a down payment, including what you need to do to verify that funds for your down payment are available. Ask your lender about special programs it may offer. If PMI is required for your loan, Ask what the total cost of the insurance will be. Ask how much your monthly payment will be when including the PMI premium. Ask how long you will be required to carry PMI. Obtain the Best Deal That You Can Once you know what each lender has to offer, negotiate for the best deal that you can. On any given day, lenders and brokers may offer different prices for the same loan terms to different consumers, even if those consumers have the same loan qualifications. The most likely reason for this difference in price is that loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation. Generally, the difference between the lowest available price for a loan product and any higher price that the borrower agrees to pay is an overage . When overages occur, they are built into the prices quoted to consumers. They can occur in both fixed and variable-rate loans and can be in the form of points, fees, or the interest rate. Whether quoted to you by a loan officer or a broker, the price of any loan may contain overages. Have the lender or broker write down all the costs associated with the loan. Then ask if the lender or broker will waive or reduce one or more of its fees or agree to a lower rate or fewer points. You’ll want to make sure that the lender or broker is not agreeing to lower one fee while raising another or to lower the rate while raising points. There’s no harm in asking lenders or brokers if they can give better terms than the original ones they quoted or than those you have found elsewhere. Once you are satisfied with the terms you have negotiated, you may want to obtain a written lock-in from the lender or broker. The lock-in should include the rate that you have agreed upon, the period the lock-in lasts, and the number of points to be paid. A fee may be charged for locking in the loan rate. This fee may be refundable at closing. Lock-ins can protect you from rate increases while your loan is being processed; if rates fall, however, you could end up with a less favorable rate. Should that happen, try to negotiate a compromise with the lender or broker. Remember: Shop, Compare, Negotiate When buying a home, remember to shop around, to compare costs and terms, and to negotiate for the best deal. Your local newspaper and the Internet are good places to start shopping for a loan. You can usually find information both on interest rates and on points for several lenders. Since rates and points can change daily, you’ll want to check your newspaper often when shopping for a home loan. But the newspaper does not list the fees, so be sure to ask the lenders about them. The Mortgage Shopping Worksheet that follows may also help you. Take it with you when you speak to each lender or broker and write down the information you obtain. Don’t be afraid to make lenders and brokers compete with each other for your business by letting them know that you are shopping for the best deal. Fair Lending Is Required by Law The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from discriminating against credit applicants in any aspect of a credit transaction on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, whether all or part of the applicant’s income comes from a public assistance program, or whether the applicant has in good faith exercised a right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in residential real estate transactions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. Under these laws, a consumer cannot be refused a loan based on these characteristics nor be charged more for a loan or offered less favorable terms based on such characteristics. Credit Problems? Still Shop, Compare, and Negotiate Don’t assume that minor credit problems or difficulties stemming from unique circumstances, such as illness or temporary loss of income, will limit your loan choices to only high-cost lenders.If your credit report contains negative information that is accurate, but there are good reasons for trusting you to repay a loan, be sure to explain your situation to the lender or broker. If your credit problems cannot be explained, you will probably have to pay more than borrowers who have good credit histories. But don’t assume that the only way to get credit is to pay a high price. Ask how your past credit history affects the price of your loan and what you would need to do to get a better price. Take the time to shop around and negotiate the best deal that you can. Whether you have credit problems or not, it’s a good idea to review your credit report for accuracy and completeness before you apply for a loan. To order a copy of your credit report, contact: Equifax: (800) 685-1111 TransUnion: (800) 888-4213 Experian: (888) 397-3742 Glossary Adjustable-rate loans , also known as variable-rate loans, usually offer a lower initial interest rate than fixed-rate loans. The interest rate fluctuates over the life of the loan based on market conditions, but the loan agreement generally sets maximum and minimum rates. When interest rates rise, generally so do your loan payments; and when interest rates fall, your monthly payments may be lowered. Annual percentage rate (APR) is the cost of credit expressed as a yearly rate. The APR includes the interest rate, points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that the borrower is required to pay. Conventional loans are mortgage loans other than those insured or guaranteed by a government agency such as the FHA (Federal Housing Administration), the VA (Veterans Administration), or the Rural Development Services (formerly know as Farmers Home Administration, or FmHA). Escrow is the holding of money or documents by a neutral third party prior to closing. It can also be an account held by the lender (or servicer) into which a homeowner pays money for taxes and insurance. Fixed-rate loans generally have repayment terms of 15, 20, or 30 years. Both the interest rate and the monthly payments (for principal and interest) stay the same during the life of the loan. The interest rate is the cost of borrowing money expressed as a percentage rate. Interest rates can change because of market conditions. Loan origination fees are fees charged by the lender for processing the loan and are often expressed as a percentage of the loan amount. Lock-in refers to a written agreement guaranteeing a home buyer a specific interest rate on a home loan provided that the loan is closed within a certain period of time, such as 60 or 90 days. Often the agreement also specifies the number of points to be paid at closing. A mortgage is a document signed by a borrower when a home loan is made that gives the lender a right to take possession of the property if the borrower fails to pay off the loan. Overages are the difference between the lowest available price and any higher price that the home buyer agrees to pay for the loan. Loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation. Points are fees paid to the lender for the loan. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. Points are usually paid in cash at closing. In some cases, the money needed to pay points can be borrowed, but doing so will increase the loan amount and the total costs. Private mortgage insurance (PMI) protects the lender against a loss if a borrower defaults on the loan. It is usually required for loans in which the down payment is less than 20 percent of the sales price or, in a refinancing, when the amount financed is greater than 80 percent of the appraised value. Thrift institution is a general term for savings banks and savings and loan associations. Transaction, settlement, or closing costs may include application fees; title examination, abstract of title, title insurance, and property survey fees; fees for preparing deeds, mortgages, and settlement documents; attorneys’ fees; recording fees; and notary, appraisal, and credit report fees. Under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the borrower receives a good faith estimate of closing costs at the time of application or within three days of application. The good faith estimate lists each expected cost either as an amount or a range. Mortgage Shopping Worksheet File for Printing Worksheet (12KB PDF) Lender 1 Lender 2 Name of Lender: ___ ___ Name of Contact: ___ ___ Date of Contact: ___ ___ Mortgage Amount: ___ ___ mortgage 1 mortgage 2 mortgage 1 mortgage 2 Basic Information on the Loans Type of Mortgage: fixed rate, adjustable rate, conventional, FHA, other? If adjustable, see below ___ ___ ___ ___ Minimum down payment required ___ ___ ___ ___ Loan term (length of loan) ___ ___ ___ ___ Contract interest rate ___ ___ ___ ___ Annual percentage rate (APR) ___ ___ ___ ___ Points (may be called loan discount points) ___ ___ ___ ___ Monthly Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) premiums ___ ___ ___ ___ How long must you keep PMI? ___ ___ ___ ___ Estimated monthly escrow for taxes and hazard insurance ___ ___ ___ ___ Estimated monthly payment (Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance, PMI) ___ ___ ___ ___ Fees Different institutions may have different names for somefees and may charge different fees. We have listed some typical fees you may see on loan documents. Application fee or Loan processing fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Origination fee or Underwriting fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Lender fee or Funding fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Appraisal fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Attorney fees ___ ___ ___ ___ Document preparation and recording fees ___ ___ ___ ___ Broker fees (may be quoted as points, origination fees, or interest rate add-on) ___ ___ ___ ___ Credit report fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Other fees ___ ___ ___ ___ Other Costs at Closing/Settlement Title search/Title insurance For lender ___ ___ ___ ___ For you ___ ___ ___ ___ Estimated prepaid amounts for interest, taxes, hazard insurance, payments to escrow ___ ___ ___ ___ State and local taxes, stamp taxes, transfer taxes ___ ___ ___ ___ Flood determination ___ ___ ___ ___ Prepaid Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) ___ ___ ___ ___ Surveys and home inspections ___ ___ ___ ___ Total Fees and Other Closing/Settlement Cost Estimates ___ ___ ___ ___ Lender 1 Lender 2 Name of Lender: mortgage 1 mortgage 2 mortgage 1 mortgage 2 Other Questions and Considerations about the Loan Are any of the fees or costs waivable? ___ ___ ___ ___ Prepayment penalties Is there a prepayment penalty? ___ ___ ___ ___ If so, how much is it? ___ ___ ___ ___ How long does the penalty period last? (for example, 3 years? 5 years?) ___ ___ ___ ___ Are extra principal payments allowed? ___ ___ ___ ___ Lock-ins Is the lock-in agreement in writing? ___ ___ ___ ___ Is there a fee to lock-in? ___ ___ ___ ___ When does the lock-in occur—at application, approval, or another time? ___ ___ ___ ___ How long will the lock-in last? ___ ___ ___ ___ If the rate drops before closing, can you lock-in at a lower rate? ___ ___ ___ ___ If the loan is an adjustable rate mortgage: What is the initial rate? ___ ___ ___ ___ What is the maximum the rate could be next year? ___ ___ ___ ___ What are the rate and payment caps each year and over the life of the loan? ___ ___ ___ ___ What is the frequency of rate change and of any changes to the monthly payment? ___ ___ ___ ___ What is the index that the lender will use? ___ ___ ___ ___ What margin will the lender add to the index? ___ ___ ___ ___ Credit life insurance Does the monthly amount quoted to you include a charge for credit life insurance? ___ ___ ___ ___ If so, does the lender require credit life insurance as a condition of the loan? ___ ___ ___ ___ How much does the credit life insurance cost? ___ ___ ___ ___ How much lower would your monthly payment be without the credit life insurance? ___ ___ ___ ___ If the lender does not require credit life insurance, and you still want to buy it, what rates can you get from other insurance providers? ___ ___ ___ ___ This brochure was prepared by the following agencies: Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of Justice Department of the Treasury Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Housing Finance Board Federal Reserve Board Federal Trade Commission National Credit Union Administration Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Office of Thrift Supervision These agencies (except the Department of the Treasury) enforce compliance with laws that prohibit discrimination in lending. If you feel that you have been discriminated against in the home financing process, you may want to contact one of the agencies listed above about your rights under these laws. For more information on home lending issues, visit ( http://www.consumer.gov ), write to the Federal Citizen Information Center, Pueblo, CO 81009 or visit the Center’s Web site at ( http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov ). The following brochures are available from the Center: A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Lock-Ins A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Refinancing Buying Your Home: Settlement Costs and Helpful Information Consumer Handbook on Adjustable Rate Mortgages Guide to Single Family Home Mortgage Insurance Home Buyer’s Vocabulary Home Mortgages: Understanding the Process and Your Rights to Fair Lending How to Buy a Home with a Low Down Payment How to Dispute Credit Report Errors The HUD Home Buying Guide What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit Home | Consumer information | Publications | Brochures | Accessibility | Contact Us Last update: January 22, 2004

Buy House

- Drought - AFA - USOC - CC Hockey Williams had to buy house, handle influx of big money (09/04/05) By FRANK SCHWAB THE GAZETTE ENGLEWOOD - Cornerback Darrent Williams was drafted April 23 by the Denver Broncos. He had three months and five days to get his life together in a new city before he reported to training camp. A few days after he was drafted, Williams had a lot on his mind, aside from the defensive and special-teams playbooks he had to learn. He had to find a house, furnish the house, get a car, hire a financial advisor and maybe buy his mom a house and a car, among other things. "It's different," Williams said. "I never had to look into buying a house or anything like that." His signing bonus was $1.275 million and his base salary is $230,000 this year. Williams said the hardest part probably was buying his house. Assistant defensive backs coach Jimmy Spencer gave Williams the name of a real estate agent shortly after he was drafted, which helped. Williams had never been to Denver, although he got some advice on the area from Broncos running back-Tatum Bell, a former college teammate. Williams stayed in the dorms during his first three years of college at Oklahoma State, then moved into an apartment his last year, so buying a house was a major step. "It was real hectic," Williams said. "I've never purchased anything really in my life, especially not a house. And now there's the mortgage and the payments and the loans and all the crazy stuff you have to go through." Williams said he looked at about 20 places before settling on a townhouse in Parker. "It was fun at first but it got old," Williams said. "I'm like `I'm tired of this. I just want to buy this and get it over with.'" Williams also had to buy a car and make a few other important purchases, but he said the other thing - aside from working out with the team, learning the playbook and going through the offseason camps - that stressed him out was hiring a financial advisor. "That was real stressful because these guys call you every day like they're your best friend now," Williams said. "You don't even know these guys. But everybody acts like they got your best interests. It's all about the money so you have to be careful with it." Williams eventually hired the same financial adviser employed by Broncos second-year receiver Darius Watts. Williams had his flat screen plasma television hooked up before he left for the Broncos' headquarters on the day the team reported to training camp. He still has some things on his to-do list - he is in the process of getting his mom a house but he was caught up enough that he could concentrate on his job. "I got moved in and everything, so I don't have to worry about anything," Williams said. "I can focus on football until the season is over."

Home Loans Debt Consolidation

VA Loans (Veteran's Affair Loan) contact us home Useful VA Loan Information More than 29 million veterans and service personnel are eligible to receive VA loans. The federal government recently improved the VA loan program, which makes the program even more attractive to our nation's veterans. The changes enacted in Dec. 2004 have increased the loan limit to $359,650, tied the future loan limit to a fluctuating index, and reinstated VA adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). The VA ARMs will feature interest rate adjustments on an annual basis, which will be limited to a maximum increase or decrease of 1 percentage point. In addition, the interest rate increases are limited to a maximum of 5 percentage points over the life of the loan. The increase in the VA loan guaranty amount comes at an appropriate time for the nation's veterans. While national home prices have appreciated nearly 75 percent since 1995, the VA guaranty amount has only experienced one increase of approximately 18 percent since that time. The U.S. national average purchase price for a single-family home reached $264,540 in October 2004, according to figures released by the Federal Housing Finance Board. This figure is more than 10% over the maximum that lenders were previously willing to provide for a VA loan. With the new VA loan guaranty increase, most lenders will be willing to loan a maximum of $359,650, which indicates that more veterans will now be able to afford a home at the national average purchase price. Veteran's Affair Loan Advice If you are looking to get additional advice regarding a VA Loan, or if you want to speak with someone about prequalifying or even refinancing your home with a VA Loan, you can visit the VA Mortgage Center . They specialize in Veteran's Loans and can assist you through the entire process. They can even prequalify you online. The VA mortgage Center is not associated with the Government's Veteran's program, but they do specialize in VA Loans and can help you get the best rates and advice on your loan. You can also visit the Veteran's Affair Home Page which is the official site for Veteran's Affair Programs. This site will give you additional information regarding the loan, but will not be able to actually help you obtain or get pre-approved for a loan. However, you can find some financial forms at the Veterans Affairs Administration site. Other VA sites: Veterans can more advice on VA Loans and VA Refinances from bankrate . The site can help answer any questions you may have including interest rate questions as well as advice you on whether or not a refinance is your best option. Other sites such as Military Connections.com have some information regarding various benefits and you can find a VA Benefit List that gives Veteran's a list of benefits including information about VA Loans. The VA site also has information about the GI Bill or you can get information about Canada's Veterans Programs . Mortgages VA Loans Home Loans Debt Consolidation Refinancing Apply Now!