[facebook] [retweet] Check out the above video for my answer to J. Paul’s question, “What’s the difference between transactional funding and hard money lending?” They are completely different forms of financing a property, and so it’s important to know the difference between the two, and which deals would require which type…
[facebook][retweet] With the national housing market showing signs of improved strength and stability, and inventory levels on the rise, sellers no longer have the advantage that they regained in 2012 after the Great Recession’s prolonged buyers-market. With buyers and sellers on a more even playing field, investors who renovate homes to resell need a competitive…
[facebook] [retweet] Improvements in the labor market in 2014 have not translated to rapid housing market recovery this year, according to the Fannie Mae August 2014 National Housing Survey. Instead, data in the survey indicated that recovery for the housing market will be slow heading into 2015. The number of people surveyed who said they believe now…
[facebook] [retweet] Most investors know that one of the most important aspects of selling a home is curb appeal, and yet many of us are lost on exactly what that entails. Of course a nice mailbox, painted front door, and a freshly mowed yard fits the bill, but today’s buyers expect much more when they…
[facebook] [retweet] Having hit their lowest level of 2014 last week, mortgage rates barely budged in the latest market report from Freddie Mac. The company reported Thursday the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) was 4.10 percent (0.5 point) for the week ending August 28, unchanged heading into the Labor Day holiday. A year ago,…
[facebook] [retweet] Housing market trends kept their spring momentum in July—and are expected to remain solid in the months ahead, Realtor.com said Wednesday in its National Housing Trend Report for the month. For the first time since the start of the housing recovery in 2012, Realtor.com says the end of the annual peak buying season passed this year…
[facebook] [retweet] General contractors, home design specialists, and remodeling professionals oftentimes have a knack for seeing their finished home improvement project in their well-trained mind long before construction even begins. However, for the typical (or new) investor, the ability to see beyond the urine-soaked 1960’s shag carpet, the floral wall paper design, and the pink…
[facebook] [retweet] Zombie properties serve as a lingering reminder of a housing market still in the midst of self-correction. They serve as a legacy of the recent housing crisis, a byproduct of lengthy foreclosure timelines and mercurial state foreclosure statutes. RealtyTrac [1] recently released [2]a nationwide analysis of zombie properties, examining both states and institutions that…
[facebook] [retweet] I recently had a student ask me if I flip HUD and/or REO foreclosures, and whether the bank contracts are assignable. Since it’s a question that I’m asked fairly often, I thought it would make for a great “Ask the PIG” post for all of my subscribers. The short…
[facebook] [retweet] Home purchases made with cash are on the decline across the country, according to Zillow [1], but cash sales still make up a significant portion of the lower-priced home market in many areas. Cash sales declined year-over-year in the first quarter in 102 of the 126 metro areas Zillow observes [2]. Zillow chalked up the…