Even the demand for refinance mortgages, which accounted for more than 80 percent of all applications, fell slightly. Lenders were offering 30-year fixed-rate mortgages to solid borrowers at an average of 3.95 percent this past week, according to Freddie Mac, the ninth consecutive week of rates at or below 4 percent. That wrapped up a year of record lows for the survey, which dates to 1971. In 1981 and 1982, the average 30-year mortgage carried an interest rate of more […]

Flippers, the real estate investors who buy homes on the cheap and quickly resell them at a profit, just got a reprieve from the Federal Housing Administration. In an effort to help stabilize housing prices and unload some of the foreclosures that are flooding low-income communities, the mortgage insurer extended a waiver of its anti-flipping regulations through 2012. The waiver, which was initially issued in 2010 and set to expire this month, suspends regulations that prohibit the agency from insuring […]

I specialize in representing my clients in the purchase and sale of condominiums, attached homes, and single-family residences within the Juneau-Douglas area of Southeast Alaska. I’ve been serving my clients Real Estate needs since 2004 both in Juneau and Seattle. I value Integrity, Honesty, and Professionalism in my client relationships. I grew up in Arlington, Washington, about an hour north of Seattle. I am a 1998 graduate of the University of Washington School of Business. For fun I enjoy the […]

Fixed mortgage rates rose slightly this week off their record lows. The year ends much like it began, with few people able to take advantage of the best rates in history. Fixed mortgage rates rose slightly this week off their record lows. The year ends much like it began, with few people able to take advantage of the best rates in history. Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average on the 30-year home loan increased to 3.95 percent from 3.91 […]

A local public home  insurance adjuster and the president of a home inspectors group allege that parts of property insurance laws passed this year and last hurt their industries and are unconstitutional. According to Money Expert, most homeowners insurance policies will cover your home’s structure, personal property, and even living expenses if you’re displaced from your home and liability protection if there’s an accident in your home. Each homeowners insurance policy will look slightly different depending on the coverage you […]

Most Americans feel now is a good time to buy a home, but those who want to sell are having difficulty finding buyers at desired prices, causing seller sentiment to fall to record lows. The low opinion is causing a wide gap between homebuying and home selling that won’t narrow for at least the next five quarters, according to a new report by the Mortgage Bankers Association‘s Research Institute for Housing America. From 1992 to 2005, positive seller sentiment fluctuated […]

Lenders are increasingly becoming more accepting over short sales as they seek more solutions to help struggling home owners avoid foreclosure, according to a recent article at MSNBC.com. “Foreclosure sales are pretty devastating,” Faith Schwartz, executive director of Hope Now, a resource for cash-strapped home owners, told MSNBC.com. “We’d much prefer a [loan] modification, but if [home owners] don’t quality, then the next best alternative is deed-in-lieu or short sales.” Short sales and foreclosures increased in 2010, but in 2011, […]

Michael is a full time realtor working in the Palm Beach County real estate market. His main focus is the residential market – single family homes, condominiums, and townhomes. Michael sells millions of dollars in real estate each year, including new homes and luxury waterfront apartments. He knows how to market your home to get it in front of potential buyers. Michael brings great experience, a strong work ethic, and top-notch customer service to his relationships with each of his […]

Pending home sales continued to gain in November and reached the highest level in 19 months, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, increased 7.3 percent to 100.1 in November from an upwardly revised 93.3 in October and is 5.9 percent above November 2010 when it stood at 94.5. The October upward revision resulted in a 10.4 percent monthly gain. The last time the index was higher was […]

The number of seriously delinquent mortgages in the nation’s largest metropolitan areas slowed this year, according to a new study from the Urban Institute. But foreclosures remain a burden on the housing market, prompting the policy research group to call for a resolution to the housing crisis to ensure the foreclosure backlog is cleared out in a reasonable time period. The institute said the serious delinquency rate in the 100 largest metro areas slowed to 9.3% in June from 10.4% […]