The 30 year rate fell from 4.42 to 4.36 this week. This is the 6th week in a row where rates have fallen. But more importantly this is the 5th week where we have hit a new all time low. In that time the 30 year rate has dropped from 4.57 to 4.36. Considering that [...]
Despite its apolitical mandate, the Federal Reserve remains one of the most politically sensitive institutions in the world, as evidenced by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s opinion column on November 29th. In the piece, Bernanke criticized proposed legislation before the Senate that would seek to curtail powers given to the Fed over its near-century of existence. [...]
Even though it’s nearly December, it’s never too early to think about summer time fun. Volente Beach Water Park is just a hop, skip and splash away from Austin, in Cedar Park. It’s located on FM 2769 right on the beach of beautiful Lake Travis. The park has water rides and slides for every person [...]
The 30 year rate fell from 4.49 to 4.44 this week. This is the 4th week in a row where rates have fallen. What’s interesting is not only is 4.44 an all time low. But we have been hitting new all time lows for the last 4 weeks in a row. What is even more [...]
A quaint, tree-lined rural community exists in Southeast Austin called Dove Springs, and it has a unique charm and many opportunities for recreation, housing, entertainment and access to the central city area. Dove Springs can be found by exiting I.H. 35 and traveling east on Stassney, among other routes, and the neighborhood’s proximity to the [...]
Home prices increased from April to May of this year by 1.3 percent, according to the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index. The credit for this largely goes to the government’s home buyer tax credit, which expired at the end of April. The general thought out there seems to be that the housing market [...]
In what has become an almost weekly occurrence mortgage rates hit new all time lows. The 30 year rate fell from 4.56 to 4.54 this week. Rates have either reached new lows or matched old lows for 5 consecutive weeks. The 15 year also reached an all time low dropping from 4.03 to 4.00. It [...]
Whether you’re looking for a condominium, multi-family unit or a single-family home, you’ll find an abundance available in the housing market in almost every major city in the U.S. Florida’s slumping home market has targeted this state for some sweet deals on real estate. You’ll even find beach front property at astounding prices. Check out [...]
Jollyville Road has recently become a mecca for shoppers, business people, and residents, due to its varied character, which is a combination of high tech businesses, shopping venues, and nice but fairly reasonably priced homes with big, shady yards. The relatively recent addition of the Arboretum and the nearby Domain make the area a shopper’s [...]
If there is one Central Texas town that has grown significantly in the last 10 years, it would be Georgetown. The Williamson County seat is a picture-perfect small town, with its town square surrounding the historic courthouse. The town was founded in 1848, the same year Williamson County was established. The charming Victorian style limestone [...]
Head west, between Austin and San Marcos, across the seemingly endless Texas Hill Country vistas dotted by quaint towns and you will find the old mill town of Wimberley. The town was first settled in the 1840s, after Texas became a state. Mills powered by Cypress Creek kept the town growing, and changing names, for [...]
Last week the 30 year rate fell to an all time low of 4.57. This week mortgage rates held at 4.57 so we are still sitting on all time historic lows. This is also the 4th week in a row where mortgage rates have either held steady or fallen. The expectation has been that rates [...]
It never fails. You’re flipping through the channels looking for a good program to watch and you bump into one that is not the type of programming you’d expect to see on a particular station. Television has gotten racier and racier over the years. It used to be that stations couldn’t use certain language, and [...]
Mortgage Insurance for Condominium Units (Section 234(c)) program assists potential homeowners in purchasing a home in a condominium development. The prospective condominium must be the potential homeowner’s primary residence. The intent of this federal program managed under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is to insure the loan of a borrower who [...]
The 30 year rate dropped this week from 4.69 to 4.58. This is quite a large drop for a week. What makes it even more interesting is that 4.69 from last week was already an all time historic low. We are moving into territory for mortgage rates I would have never thought possible. While the [...]
In the 1800s, many German immigrants made their way to Texas having heard there were great opportunities to be had. They created settlements throughout central Texas with uniquely German traditions. In 1846 a group of settlers left New Braunfels, TX and headed up the Pedernales River to what would become Fredericksburg. Through a generous treaty [...]
So, you have taken the classes and you have now become a real estate agent. Or, you already are a real estate agent. Now that you are, or already are, a real estate agent, how do you become a famous real estate agent? Before getting into the specifics of becoming famous, you need to sit [...]
Reverse mortgages are a relatively recent product on the lending scene. The approval process is somewhat abbreviated compared to a traditional home loan, but there are some conditions and requirements that make a reverse mortgage unique to other home loans. What Is a Reverse Mortgage? It is a home loan that enables the homeowner access [...]
When searching for a new home, there are the usual considerations of location, price, and layout. Often, hopeful homeowners are so focused on the number of bedrooms or the quality of the schools that considerations like neighborhood amenities are pushed aside. But these seemingly inconsequential neighborhood perks can have a significant impact on quality of [...]
There are a few wants that home buyers perceive as needs when shopping around for a home. As you’re shopping for your next home, you may not have any idea how long you will live there as you may need to sell at some point. With that in mind, consider some practical features potential home [...]
