In a promising boost, the prices of homes rose more than 8% in January of 2013. Another report did show that sales of newly built homes are slowing down, but the rise is the best since the housing bubble burst. Moreover, S&P Case-Shiller reported the most year-over-year gain since 2006 in every market. Just this past Tuesday, a government report showed that the annual rate is down about 5% since January. Nonetheless, it is still...

February 2013 saw home sales higher than any February in the past five years. There’s a shorter supply of homes on the market, and buyers are competing for the ones that are available. Homes stayed on the market for a median of 98 days, a significant reduction from the median of 123 days in February 2011. In other words, half of the homes stayed on the market for less than 98 days while the other half were available for...

Many real estate investors buy homes for rent that they later put for sale, particularly to first-time home buyers who tend to pay higher than other landlords. Many such homes are in good neighborhoods and have relatively lower prices. However, this does not meant a buyer should rush into buying the rentals. While many of them offer special deals, some can easily turn into an investment nightmare when it comes to maintenance. It is...

  A couple who has decided to sell or refinance their home for a certain price may run into a problematic appraisal. Although the couple may have been planning to sell the home for a much higher price, they may encounter the problem that many potential sellers face, the low appraisal. Even though the housing market is showing signs of stabilizing, sometimes home appraisals still come in low. The low appraisal issue has forced...