Most people think of homeowners associations (HOAs), legally known as Common Interest Developments, as related to attached housing structures like condominiums or town homes. But this is not always the case. Around the 1980s, developers started building communities of single-family homes…
By Arthur Murray If you dream of owning a home someday, it’s likely you’re renting while you save for a down payment and establish a credit history to get yourself on track. And if you’re like many renters, you’re splitting expenses with…
Nearly half of mortgage consumers don’t shop around for a mortgage, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal agency responsible for regulating the mortgage industry. A CFPB survey of 5,000 people who got a mortgage in 2013 showed…
The growth of online real estate listings means consumers are equipped with information very early in the home buying process. A generation ago, to get listing information and access to historical data, home buyers needed to connect with a real estate…
By Stephanie Reid, Avvo attorney and NakedLaw contributor In addition to the health and safety dangers of sub-zero temperatures, blinding snowstorms and inconspicuous ice sheets, winter weather can also be incredibly dangerous to your home. Homeowners must consider a number of…
Thanks to shifts in the lending landscape, the dream of buying a home is becoming a reality for many Americans. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) recently made a drastic 0.5-percent cut to mortgage insurance fees, making this 3.5-percent down payment loan…
Although traditionally spring and fall are the prime seasons for selling a home, circumstances sometimes require homeowners to put their property on the market during the winter. The good news is that, given access to mobile apps and so much information online,…
At the start of every year, real estate experts and financial analysts throw out their predictions for the next 12 months, and advise home buyers and investors on how to make money on real estate. The problem with this mindset is…
Google Earth Pro used to be $399 a year. Now it’s free. So what, you say? Check out how CityRealty recently used Google Earth and 3-D mockups of yet-to-be-built skyscrapers to show condo buyers what their views will be like…
ABC affiliate WFAA reports on a defamation lawsuit filed by a Texas agent and his brokerage against an anonymous Yelp reviewer. If a reviewer slammed one of your agents on Yelp, would you defend yourself on the site or sue?…