It’s a good time to buy a home or invest in a property. With so many distressed properties on the market, housing affordability has jumped to levels not seen in 20 years. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) for the fourth quarter 2010, reveals that 73.9 percent of all new and existing homes sold were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,400. That record-setting...

Today’s market presents some very unique opportunities for buyers. With affordability near record highs and interest rates near record lows, many homeowners are making the decision to move up or on. Here a few simple tips to take into consideration when listing your home for sale. 1. Curb Appeal: Buyers make snap judgments about each home they view. These judgments are drawn largely from first impressions. Be sure your home has impressive...

Consumers, on average, can barely pass a test about recent changes in the credit score market and that means they may not know how their scores score — or don’t — when it comes to securing credit. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and VantageScore Solutions say on 22 credit score questions administered by Opinion Research Corp. to over 1,000 consumers late last month, on average, consumers answered only 60 percent...

Today’s market can be a difficult one for many sellers to navigate. While your real estate agent can advise you, the ultimate decision of what offer to accept is entirely up to you. This decision can come with quite a bit of pressure. Even in the most favorable of markets this can be a difficult time. How do you know when to accept an offer? Here are some questions to consider: Is the buyer pre-qualified/approved? Selling will require an...

Optimism about the housing market isn’t quite sweeping the nation, but Americans remain sold on the value of home ownership at a good time to be bullish about buying a home. With home sales and prices still falling, the spring could shape up as an opportune time to make a deal. The housing downturn hasn’t shaken consumers’ resolve to consider home ownership an integral part of an American Dream, even among home owners with...