home equity line of
NYS Banking Department-Home Equity Line Of Credit Survey Interest Rate Information Home Equity Line Of Credit Markets Albany Buffalo Long Island New York Metro Rochester Syracuse Westchester Co, NY Definition of terms used in this survey. New York State home equity line of credit Average Highest Lowest 6.72 8.25 1.74 Albany Institution Telephone Date Rate Fees and Conditions Adirondack Trust Co 518-584-5844 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (no floor); no yrly fee; $10,000 min Central National Bank 800-449-6842 12/23/05 8.25 P+1.25% (no floor); no yrly fee; $7,500 min Citibank 800-627-3999 12/23/05 7.25 P+0.25% (no floor); no yrly fee; $25,000 min Citizens Bank, N.A. 800-922-9999 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (no floor); $50 yrly fee; $10,000 min First Niagara Bank 518-270-3200 12/23/05 7.75 P+0.75% (no floor); no yrly fee; $10,000 min HSBC Bank USA 800-975-HSBC 12/23/05 5.99 P+1.25% (1.25% floor); 4-mo intro; no yrly fee; $10,000 min KeyBank 888-KEY-1234 12/23/05 7.69 Range: P+0.69% to P+1.44% (no floor); $99 fee; $5,000 min M&T Bank 800-724-2440 12/23/05 5.49 P+0.95% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $15,000 min Pioneer Savings Bank 518-274-4800 12/23/05 6.75 P-0.25% (no floor); no yrly fee; $2,000 min TrustCo Bank 518-436-9043 12/23/05 7.50 P+0.50% (no floor); no yrly fee; $7,500 min Buffalo Institution Telephone Date Rate Fees and Conditions Bank of Akron 716-542-5401 12/23/05 2.49 P-0.25% (no floor); 4-mo intro; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Bank of America 800-299-2265 12/23/05 7.49 P+0.24% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Chase Bank 800-CHA-SE24 12/23/05 7.50 Range: P+.50% to P+5.00% (no floor); $50 yrly fee; $5,000 min Citibank 800-627-3999 12/23/05 7.25 P+0.25% (no floor); no yrly fee; $25,000 min Citizens Bank, N.A. 800-922-9999 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (no floor); $50 yrly fee; $10,000 min Evans National Bank 716-549-6000 12/23/05 1.74 P+0.00% (no floor); 3-mo intro; $99 yrly fee; $7,500 min First Niagara Bank 877-722-9842 12/23/05 8.00 P+0.75% (no floor); no yrly fee; $10,000 min HSBC Bank USA 800-975-HSBC 12/23/05 5.99 P+1.25% (1.25% floor); 4-mo intro; no yrly fee; $10,000 min KeyBank 888-KEY-1234 12/23/05 7.69 Range: P+0.69% to P+1.44% (no floor); $99 fee; $5,000 min M&T Bank 800-724-2440 12/23/05 6.20 P+0.95% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $15,000 min Long Island Institution Telephone Date Rate Fees and Conditions Astoria Federal S&LA 800-278-6742 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; $25 yrly fee; $10,000 min Bank of America 800-299-2265 12/23/05 7.49 P+0.24% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Bank of New York 212-495-1784 12/23/05 4.25 P+0.99% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $5,000 min Chase Bank 800-CHA-SE24 12/23/05 7.50 Range: P+.50% to P+5.00% (no floor); $50 yrly fee; $5,000 min Citibank 800-321-2484 12/23/05 7.25 P+0.25% (no floor); no yrly fee; $25,000 min HSBC Bank USA 800-975-HSBC 12/23/05 5.99 P+1.25% (1.25% floor); 4-mo intro; no yrly fee; $10,000 min North Fork Bank 877-694-9111 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (no floor); no yrly fee; $25,000 min Queens County Svgs Bk 718-433-4368 12/23/05 7.00 Range: P+0.00% to P+4.25% (no floor); $500-$600 fee; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Ridgewood Svgs Bk 718-240-4800 12/23/05 7.25 P+0.25% (no floor); no yrly fee; $10,000 min Washington Mutual Bank 800-788-7000 12/23/05 8.00 Range: P+0.75% to 3.75% (no floor); $45 yrly fee; $10,000 min New York Metro Institution Telephone Date Rate Fees and Conditions Astoria Federal S&LA 800-278-6742 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; $25 yrly fee; $10,000 min Bank of New York 212-495-1784 12/23/05 4.25 P+0.99% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $5,000 min Chase Bank 800-CHA-SE24 12/23/05 7.50 Range: P+.50% to P+5.00% (no floor); $50 yrly fee; $5,000 min Citibank 800-321-2484 12/23/05 7.25 P+0.25% (no floor); no yrly fee; $25,000 min HSBC Bank USA 800-975-HSBC 12/23/05 5.99 P+1.25% (1.25% floor); 4-mo intro; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Independence Community Bank 800-732-3434 12/23/05 7.25 P+0.25% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Manufacturers and Traders Trust Co 800-724-2440 12/23/05 5.49 P+0.95% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $15,000 min North Fork Bank 877-694-9111 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (no floor); no yrly fee; $25,000 min Queens County Svgs Bk 718-268-6801 12/23/05 7.00 Range: P+0.00% to P+4.25% (no floor); $500-$600 fee; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Washington Mutual Bank 800-788-7000 12/23/05 8.00 Range: P+0.75% to 3.75% (no floor); $45 yrly fee; $10,000 min Rochester Institution Telephone Date Rate Fees and Conditions Bank of America, NA 800-299-2265 12/23/05 7.49 P+0.24% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Canandaigua National Bank 585-394-4260 12/23/05 7.75 P+0.75% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Chase Bank 800-CHA-SE24 12/23/05 7.50 Range: P+.50% to P+5.00% (no floor); $50 yrly fee; $5,000 min Citibank 800-627-3999 12/23/05 7.25 P+0.25% (no floor); no yrly fee; $25,000 min Citizens Bank, N.A. 800-922-9999 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (no floor); $50 yrly fee; $10,000 min First Niagara Bank 716-434-6621 12/23/05 7.75 P+0.75% (no floor); no yrly fee; $10,000 min Five Star Bank 888-624-2300 12/23/05 7.25 P+0.25% (no floor); 0% 3 month intro; no yrly fee; $7,500 min HSBC Bank USA 800-975-HSBC 12/23/05 5.99 P+1.25% (1.25% floor); 4-mo intro; no yrly fee; $10,000 min KeyBank 888-KEY-1234 12/23/05 7.69 Range: P+0.69% to P+1.44% (no floor); $99 fee; $5,000 min M&T Bank 800-724-2440 12/23/05 6.20 P+0.95% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $15,000 min Syracuse Institution Telephone Date Rate Fees and Conditions Alliance Bank 800-310-6275 12/23/05 1.99 P-0.26% (no floor); 4-mo intro; no yrly fee; $5,000 min Bank of America, NA 800-299-2265 12/23/05 7.49 P+0.24% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Chase Bank 800-CHA-SE24 12/23/05 7.50 Range: P+.50% to P+5.00% (no floor); $50 yrly fee; $5,000 min First Niagara Bank 877-722-9842 12/23/05 8.00 P+0.75% (no floor); no yrly fee; $10,000 min Fulton Savings Bank 315-592-4201 12/23/05 6.00 P+0.00% (no floor); 12-mo intro; no yrly fee; $5,000 min HSBC Bank USA 800-975-HSBC 12/23/05 5.99 P+1.25% (1.25% floor); 4-mo intro; no yrly fee; $10,000 min KeyBank 888-KEY-1234 12/23/05 7.69 Range: P+0.69% to P+1.44% (no floor); $99 fee; $5,000 min M&T Bank 800-724-2440 12/23/05 6.20 P+0.95% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $15,000 min Solvay Bank 315-468-1661 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (4.00% floor); no yrly fee; $2,500 min The Oneida Savings Bank 315-363-2000 12/23/05 5.25 P+0.00% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $7,500 min Westchester, Co Institution Telephone Date Rate Fees and Conditions Astoria Federal S&LA 800-278-6742 12/23/05 7.00 P+0.00% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; $25 yrly fee; $10,000 min Bank of America, NA 800-299-2265 12/23/05 7.49 P+0.24% (no floor); .25% disc w/auto debit; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Bank of New York 212-495-1784 12/23/05 4.25 P+0.99% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $5,000 min Chase Bank 800-CHA-SE24 12/23/05 7.50 Range: P+.50% to P+5.00% (no floor); $50 yrly fee; $5,000 min Citibank 800-321-2484 12/23/05 7.25 P+0.25% (no floor); no yrly fee; $25,000 min First Niagara Bank 877-722-9842 12/23/05 8.00 P+0.75% (no floor); no yrly fee; $10,000 min HSBC Bank USA 800-975-HSBC 12/23/05 5.99 P+1.25% (1.25% floor); 4-mo intro; no yrly fee; $10,000 min Manufacturers and Traders Trust Co 800-724-2440 12/23/05 5.49 P+0.95% (no floor); 6-mo intro; no yrly fee; $15,000 min Wachovia Bank, NA 800-922-4684 12/23/05 7.25 Range: P+0.00% to 2.00% (no floor); no yrly fee; $8,000 min Washington Mutual Bank 800-788-7000 12/23/05 8.00 Range: P+0.75% to 3.75% (no floor); $45 yrly fee; $10,000 min Rates are subject to change without notice and may vary from branch to branch. Although the rates reported here have been obtained from the financial institutions themselves, the accuracy of the information cannot be guaranteed by the publisher. 2005: Bankrate.com All rights reserved. | Home Search | Site Map | | Interest Rates | | Credit Cards | MortgageRates | Home Equity Lines of Credit | | Home Equity Loans | New Auto Loans | Used Auto Loans | Last Modified Friday, December 23, 2005 FastCounter by bCentral
Florida Real Estate Listings
Google Directory - Regional > North America > United States > Florida > Business and Economy > Real Estate Directory Help Search only in Real Estate Search the Web Real Estate Regional > North America > United States > Florida > Business and Economy > Real Estate Go to Directory Home Categories Appraisers (6) Architects (4) By County (67) By Locality (368) Commercial (6) Florida Keys (13) For Sale By Owner (2) Fort Myers-Naples (31) Gainesville Metro (8) Horse Farms (1) Jacksonville Metro (26) Miami-Fort Lauderdale (41) Mortgages (2) Orlando Metro (69) Panama City Metro (20) Pensacola Metro (20) Rentals (5) Residential (7) Tampa Bay Area (103) West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce (33) Related Categories: Regional > North America > United States > Business and Economy > Real Estate (413) Regional > North America > United States > Regions > South and Southeast > Business and Economy > Real Estate (44) Web Pages Viewing in Google PageRank order View in alphabetical order The New York Times: Florida Real Estate Listings - http://www.nytimes.com/top/classifieds/realestate/locations/florida/index.html Listings for vacation rentals, home rentals, condos and homes for sale in South Florida, Orlando, Tampa, the Keys, and throughout the state. May require free registration. Maronda Homes - http://www.maronda.com/ Developer of new home communities in areas including Orlando, Melbourne, Jacksonville and Tampa as well as in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Map of projects with links to site plans and floorplans. Employment. Florida Housing Data Clearing House - http://www.flhousingdata.shimberg.ufl.edu Provides a number of sources of housing data in formats that may be used as a basis for local planning, state-level policy-making, and increased public understanding of housing supply and demand. Reports and data. Florida Living Network - http://fl.living.net/ Search by full or partial name, city or town, and specialty. Search returns names, addresses and phone numbers of all agents and brokers licensed by the state of Florida. Link to clickable national map and comparable sites in other states. Casto Southeast - http://www.castosoutheast.com/ Developer of retail and mixed-use projects in Sarasota and statewide. News, history, map of projects. All Florida Realty Services, Inc. - http://www.allfloridarealty.com/ Provides real estate services with offices through much of the state. Information on property listings and purchase process. ELSA Home Inspections, Inc. - http://www.elsahomeinspections.com Provides residential inspections. Includes company overview, services, rates, FAQs. Serves several metro areas across the state. Prudential Florida WCI Realty, Inc. - http://www.prudentialfloridawcirealty.com/ Residential and commercial real estate, with more than twenty offices in the southern half of Florida. Investments Real Estate & Management - http://www.irm-orlando.com/ Information for buyers and sellers, along with related service. Includes list of agents and online chat. Offices in Orlando and Aventura. Real Connection - http://realestatece.com/ Details on continuing education and licensing courses through distance learning. United Country Investment Realty - http://www.unitedcountryinvestment.com Offers residential and commercial services. Search MLS, view company profile. Offices in Odessa, Melborne Beach and Wauchula. The Meek Companies - http://www.meekcompanies.com/ Developer of medical office buildings, diagnostic centers, healthcare parks and dental offices. Florida Luxury Real Estate - http://www.floridaluxuryrealestate.us/ Guides to homes priced at more than a million dollars organized by city and area. Photos, prices, capsule descriptions, links to brokers. Paid submissions. Compass Realty Advisors - http://www.compassadvisors.com Full service commercial brokerage with offices in West Palm Beach and Naples. Specializing in office lease negotiations, marketing, and site selection. Location details. Buyer's Broker of Southwest Florida - http://buyersbrokerswflorida.com Representing buyers of new homes with offices in Naples, Boca Grande, and Sarasota. Atkinson Realty and Auction, Inc. - http://www.atkinsonrealtyandauction.com/ Certified appraiser and auctioneer with locations in Sun City, Leesburg and Bradenton. Eve Realty - http://www.everealty.com Family owned and operated agency with offices in Lighthouse Point and Okeechobee. Includes featured listings, agent roster, company profile. Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web. Submit a Site - Open Directory Project - Become an Editor Modified by Google - ©2004 Google Advertise with Us - Jobs, Press, Cool Stuff...
Real Estate Loans
Real Estate Center RECON Newsletter Name: E-mail: Subscribe Unsubscribe It's Free. Texas Cities... Texas Real Estate Confidence Index 4th Qtr 2005 % Chg Last Qtr .60 -0.04 Apartment Complex Sold SAN ANTONIO (mysanantonio.com) – Blue Star Apartment Management Inc. has purchased Sutter’s Mill Apartment Homes at 11955 Parliament St. from Delta Court Apartments LLC and Tabor Villa LLC of San Francisco for an undisclosed price. More RECON » Holiday Gift Speaks Homebuyer's Language COLLEGE STATION, Texas Have a friend, neighbor or relative who is in the market forbuying or selling a house this holiday season? The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University has a unique gift idea for less than $10 a glossary of realestate terms that makes real estate transactions easier to understand. More » More News Releases » Events Calendar Season's Greetings ! The Real Estate Center will be closed from December 22, 2005 until January 2, 2006 for the holidays. Instructor Training Courses , May 18-19, College Station, Texas.The Legal Update and Ethics instructor training courses include credit for the required 3-hour Legal Update course and the required 3-hour Ethics course. In addition, each instructor training course will include a brief orientation to the teachers manuals for each course as well as a discussion of training issues.Registration will open in January 2006. More Event Information » What's New • Software Directory Updated • Austin Recovers • Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac? • Homeownership Programs • Urban Big Boxes • Is Texas Land Overpiced? • Housing Affordability Index Revised • Property Tax Court Cases • Brokerage-Related Cases • Growth of Texas Cities • Depreciable Land Improvements • Monthly Review of the Texas Economy (Oct.) • Texas Homebuyers Get More Home . . . • Video: Real Estate is an Attractive Investment • Video: Texas Foreclosure in Perspective • Real Estate Confidence Drops Slightly • Family Violence Victims . . . • Numbers Pop Housing Bubble Talk • It’s Going to Cost More to Keep Cool • Consumers: "More Informal Space" • Hang on After Boarding the Homebuying Ride • Beware of ‘Gotchas’ in Home Warranties • Can’t Stand the Heat, Retire Some Place Else • Hallelujah for Hardware Heaven • Why Builders Say Your House Costs So Much • Signing Away Mineral Rights Forever • Lust for Luxury • Young Buyers Making Big Impact • Home Threats are Closer Than You Think • Lamenting Fragmenting Publications Tierra Grande is our quarterly magazine with timely research and analysis of the trends and events shaping Texas real estate today. Experts on appraisal, housing , finance, law, demography, economics, investment and other areas share insights unavailable anywhere else. Terminology associated with home buying or renting can intimidate anyone. When one party’s native languageis Spanish and the other’s is not, communication can be extra challenging.The Real Estate Center’s newly revised English-Spanish Real Estate Glossary addresses this problem by defining 700 real estateterms in English and Spanish. Now also a software program on CD. Thinking about a real estate career? Click here for a free online copy of Obtaining a Texas Real Estate License . The report includes the steps to take, types of licenses, qualifications, required educational courses, getting credit for previous class work, who offers classes, fees and much more. The Real Estate Software Directory , updated for 2005, features 977 software packages from 617 companies. Created as a resource for anyone whose business relates to real estate, the directory describes programs that design advertising, evaluate budgets, manage contacts, generate legal forms, help with loans or create web pages. More publications » Solutions Through Research News :: Publications :: Data :: Software :: Education :: Cybersites :: Site Map Mays Business School, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Real Estate Prices
Real estate horror stories - Dec. 2, 2002 Enter Ticker Symbol Search CNN/Money Autos Real Estate Money's Best Home Markets & Stocks News Jobs & Economy World Biz Technology Commentary Personal Finance College Credit and Debt Insurance Interest Rates Retirement Tax Center Ask the Expert Five Tips The Good Life Millionaire in the Making Money 101 Moneyville Retirement Planner Savings Calculator Asset Allocator Mutual Funds Money Magazine Video CNN TV Fortune 500 Best Employers Money 101 Portfolio Calculators Real-time Quotes Last 5 Quotes SPONSORED BY include virtual="/fn_adspaces/markets-stocks/last_five_quotes/sponsor.88x31.ad" -- CNN/Money Email newsletters RSS Mobile news Money archives Buy story reprints Find a Mortgage SPECIAL OFFER Personal Finance Your Home Real estate horror stories There's never been a national bust but keep an eye on your backyard. December 2, 2002: 11:57 AM EST By Leslie Haggin Geary, CNN/Money Staff Writer New York (CNN/Money) - During the past three years, real estate has been a shelter in the storm. Since 2001, home prices have gained about 6.3 percent annually, according to the National Association of Realtors . And in dozens of hot markets , from San Francisco to Providence, RI to Topeka, KS, homeowners have seen double-digit price increases over the past year. Next to the seeming flimsiness of stocks, real estate looks rock solid. For the past 40 years, home sales prices have outpaced inflation by one or two percentage points per year, and there has never been a national decline in real estate values. But that's just part of the picture. When you drill down to local markets, instead of steady rises, you may find vertiginous spikes followed by stomach-churching drops. What's more, when busts hit, it can take years -- maybe even a decade -- for individuals who bought at the top of the market to recoup their investment. To see how grim it can get, we looked at annual sales figures for 138 metro areas across the country during the past three decades to spot where local bubbles burst, what drove prices into the cellar and how long it took for property owners to recoup their money. Here are some of the factors that can kill a real estate boom. Population shifts It's obvious. Jobs equal workers. Without work, residents leave, and home sales dry up. Consider the case of southern California. Once home to a thriving defense industry, military cutbacks hit the region especially hard in the early 1990s. Some 1 million individuals left the area, according to Ingo Winzer, president of The Local Market Monitor , a real estate consulting firm that tracks housing prices nationwide. In Los Angeles, home prices shed 21 percent of their value between 1989 and 1996, with the typical house selling for $172,900. (The peak was $214,800 in 1989 following a five year, 77-percent jump.) An exodus can hit smaller communities, too. Syracuse, NY once boasted 250,000 residents back in the 1950s, when it was a thriving industrial city. No longer. Many of those jobs are gone and Syracuse lost a full 10 percent of those inhabitants from 1990 to 2000, when its population dropped to 147,000 residents. Home prices, not surprisingly, fell too. Half of all property owners in the county who sold homes in 1997, for example, sold at a loss. Vacant buildings were not uncommon. (At one point, there were more than 1,000 empty dwellings.) Local recessions Ask housing experts about local busts and one of the first places they'll mention is Houston, TX. When the oil market was kicked in the teeth back in the mid-1980s, home prices in this city tumbled fast. In just three years, from 1985 to 1988, the typical home price dropped by 21 percent -- or from $78,600 to $61,800. Related Stories • Did you pay too much for your house? • Real estate or stocks? • Milking the bubble • Rev up your resale value "Prices fell so much that people owed more on than their mortgages than their homes were worth," said David Weil, an economics professor at Brown University. " They'd drive to the bank and drop off their keys to their homes and just leave." Houston isn't the only city where home prices have fallen when the local economy languishes badly. Take the stock market crash of 1987, which hit New York City's financial industry hard. Prices peaked at $183,000 in 1988, and anyone who bought then had to wait until after 1997 to get to even money. Another victim? Hartford, CT. From 1984 to 1988, the typical home price soared 92 percent to $167,600 from $87,400. Then the insurance industry started laying off or moving out. Hartford's population growth slowed to zero. And home prices starting falling. In fact it wasn't until last year that someone who bought at the 1988 price would have made their money back. Fast run-ups in housing values Are markets that have soared quickly especially prone to a bust? That's a question no doubt troubling many homeowners. But the answer isn't simple. Certainly, there have been plenty of hot markets that suddenly turned sour. Consider Honolulu, Hawaii, for example. Back in 1995, the average tab for a house in this community hit a record $360,000 -- a whopping 122 percent increase from the decade before. Then suddenly, prices began to drop. By 1999, a $360,000 island retreat was being unloaded for $290,000, a 19 percent discount, according to NAR. Prices started to finally rise in 2000, but anyone who bought at the island's real estate peak didn't recoup their money until this year. Hawaii's housing woes were tipped off by several factors, not the least of which was the decline in the Japanese economy, which squelched real-estate investment in Hawaii. Honolulu was also in trouble in part because few fundamentals, other than investment dollars -- were pushing the market. In fact, during the boom years, the island's population was climbing at a 1 percent rate, too low to justify the massive run-up in housing values. Bottom line: it's important to look at what drives housing spikes before you assume there will be a catastrophe, said Winzer. Rising interest rates "People tell you that housing never goes down, but that's just not true -- you try to sell a house when interest rates have gone up," said Stephen Cauley, associate director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate, Anderson School at UCLA . To illustrate his point, Cauley points to the early 1980's, when double-digit interest rates were being used to fight inflation. That made the cost of borrowing money for a home almost prohibitively expensive. "It was horrendous for the housing market," said Cauley. "There were no transactions." By 1982, the number of existing home sales had slid to 1.92 million, the lowest number on record, according to NAR. Many markets -- notably Detroit, Providence, Chicago and Philadelphia -- saw home prices stay flat or fall between 1979 and 1982. These days, of course, high interest rates seem a distant threat, though they are beginning to creep up. Current mortgage rates are hovering just above 6 percent for a fixed, 30-year loan. But even if rates go up a full percentage point, rates are still low, said Cauley. How will all this play out? If history is any guide, there won't be one big pop, the kind that usually come with stock-market crashes. But that doesn't make it any less painful. --* Disclaimer Selling? Buying? Click to compare top local real estate agents More on YOUR HOME • Your Home: Bracing for higher rates • Refinancing demand lags again • A rose is (not) a rose TODAY'S TOP STORIES • Most overvalued housing markets • Risks to the economy in 2006 • Which was the worst ad of all in 2005? CNN Money contact us | subscribe to Money magazine advertising -- | site map | glossary | RSS | press room OTHER NEWS: CNN | SI | Fortune | Business 2.0 | Time © 2005 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Terms under which this service is provided to you. privacy policy Reprints of site stories are available.
Purchase Property
Home Buying - Home Buying and Home Selling Advice - Buying a Home You are here: About > Home & Garden > Home Buying / Selling Home & Garden Home Buying / Selling Essentials 10 Things Home Buyers Shouldn't Do Best Tips for First Time Home Buyers "Must-Do" Tasks Before You Sell How to Buy a Home, Step by Step For Sale by Owner Advice Articles & Resources How To Buy a Home How To Sell a House Celebrity & Historic Credit Reports & Scores Design & Remodel Home Maintenance Inspections & Appraisals Investing & Foreclosures Modular & Manufactured Mold, Radon, Lead, etc. Mortgage Advice Moving & Relocation Real Estate Careers Real Estate For Sale Vacation Homes Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Home Buying Books Foreclosure Books Mortgage Books Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Home Buying / Selling newsletter! See Online Courses Search Home Buying / Selling From Janet Wickell , Your Guide to Home Buying / Selling . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Getting Ready to Sell Your House Guests and lots of activities make it difficult to show a house during the holidays, so home owners sometimes put off selling their homes until after the first week in January, when life starts returning to normal. If you're in that category take some time to evaluate the condition of your home before you list it with an agent or sell it by owner . Be sure to analyze your situation to determine if selling is your best move, then think about the home's curb appeal and get the interior and exterior in tip-top shape . It's not a bad idea to do a few inspections to make sure the house is ready for potential buyers. Handle as many tasks as you can now and you'll find that the sales process will be a breeze. Monday December 26, 2005 | permalink Before You Buy Gas Logs Gas logs are growing in popularity every year, so manufacturers have geared-up to offer us a wide selection of appliances. You'll find gas logs to put in a hearth, freestanding gas stoves, and fully contained fireplace units that are mounted to a wall. But did you know that the dangerous gas byproducts produced by gas logs is not always vented to the outside? It's important to understand the differences between vented and vent-free logs before you buy a gas log fireplace. Saturday December 24, 2005 | permalink Pros and Cons of Becoming a Real Estate Agent You've decided you want to become a real estate agent, but what's your motivation? Do you understand the type of work real estate agents do and are you savvy about the true pay they receive for their work? It can be a rewarding career choice, but it's definitely not the best option for everyone and there are lots of things to consider before you decide that a real estate career is right for you. Wednesday December 21, 2005 | permalink Step-by-Step Directions Help You Measure Square Footage Each year, home owners discover that their new home's square footage is not the figure that was stated when the house was advertised. Owners sometimes decide to sue the people who were involved in the transaction, especially if the difference is significant. Real estate agents and for sale by owner sellers can reduce their risks of encountering a lawsuit by knowing how use accepted standards to measure and calculate a home's square footage . Get it right the first time so that everyone's happy with the results. Wednesday December 21, 2005 | permalink Buying Land for Your New Home If you've looked and looked, but can't find the perfect combination of land and house, maybe it's time to consider building. And while buying land for your new home can seem intimidating at first, you'll find it really isn't a horrible task if you fine-tune your wants and needs before you start searching for real estate. Tuesday December 20, 2005 | permalink Buying a Home with Great Resale Potential A few generations ago it wasn't unusual for people to live in the same home for many years, somtimes the rest of their lives after becoming homeowners. We're more mobile today, always "moving up" to a larger house or relocating to a new town. So it makes sense to put some thought into buying a home with good resale value , one that will sell easily and put extra dollars in your bank account if you do decide to move. Tuesday December 20, 2005 | permalink What's a Quit Claim Deed? Home buyers usually receive a general warranty deed when they purchase real estate, because it's a type of deed that offers several guarantees from the seller that the title to the property is good. Another document that's sometimes used is a quit claim deed . It works perfectly for some situations, but it's important to understand the limitations of a quit claim deed before accepting one when you purchase real estate. Friday December 16, 2005 | permalink How Credit Scores Are Calculated Everyone looking for a mortgage to buy a home--and that's most of us--finds out right away that credit scores play a huge role in the types of loans and interest rates that are offered to them. It's helpful to study your credit reports and scores before you apply for a mortgage, and to do it as early as possible to give yourself time to correct errors before a lender takes a look. Wednesday December 14, 2005 | permalink Moving Tips and Timeline Buying a home is exciting, but let's face it... moving is a chore. A big one. The only way I know to get through it without an excess of stress is to manage the moving process in little steps instead of letting it overwhelm you at the last minute. Start early and stay organized and you'll be ready for the moving truck before you know it. Monday December 12, 2005 | permalink Typical Home Buyer Closing Costs Closing costs are the expenses associated with buying real estate. You can expect to pay a large chunk of your closing costs the day the trasaction is complete, when the property becomes yours, but some closing expenses are nearly always paid before that day. There's no single set of expenses that every home buyer must pay--every transaction is different--but it's a good idea to become familiar with typical closing costs so that you'll have a better understanding of the items billed to you on your HUD-1 settlement statement . Wednesday December 07, 2005 | permalink Display Latest Headlines | | | Read Archives powered by Movable Type Important disclaimer information about this About site. 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