Archive By Section - HOME SCENE
HOME IMRPOVEMENT Four steps to a more beautiful bathroom
The bathroom is one of the most frequented areas in your home, making your choice of bathroom decor pretty important. Don't forget about this key area when considering your next home improvement project. With a few tips, you can take your bathroom from so-so to spectacular in no time at all.
Soul-lifting home improvements that are good for your wallet, too
No matter how value conscious a homeowner may be, few people ever make a home improvement simply to increase their house's resale value. People also undertake home improvements to enhance their enjoyment of their home - or to fix a problem, which, in its own way, is good for the soul, too.
Be proactive when canceling PMI
DEAR BENNY: We purchased our home a year ago for $153,000 and put $16,000 cash down. PMI was required. I want to end the PMI as soon as possible and understand that the home equity must reach a certain point (the agent said after two years we could try to get it canceled). Isn't there a law that if we are current with our payments we can opt out of PMI? ...
The higher they went, the harder a home price fell
The highest sale price ever recorded in Manteca for a production home was $720,000.
California gets larger share of mortgage deal
SACRAMENTO (AP) - California should receive at least $20.6 billion from a settlement with the nation's major mortgage lenders, the largest share of any state and about $2 billion more than expected when the agreement to assist homeowners was announced last year, according to a report released Thursday.
Rate on 30-year mortgage loans rises to 3.56 percent
WASHINGTON (AP) - The average U.S. rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage rose this week but remained near historic lows. Low mortgage rates have helped support the slowly recovering housing market.
High-tech homes make everyday living simpler, even more secure
If you find yourself wondering how you ever got along before your smartphone, laptop and GPS, you're not alone. Technology is so much a part of how we go about our days that we often take it for granted. However, in many cases, houses haven't caught up to the same technological standards as the gadgets people carry with them 24/7. But that's all about to change, as new ideas begin to revolutionize the way we view our homes.
‘Gifted’ loan down payments come back to haunt FHA
Uncle Sam's failure to practice tough love is creating more foreclosures.
Remodeling: How to go from a far-off dream to 'DIY'
Year after year, no matter the state of the housing market, kitchen remodeling remains a good idea. The project perennially tops lists of value-for-your-money home improvements and almost every buyer will be attracted to a kitchen that's updated and move-in ready. Even if you're planning on staying in your home for a while, few things can reinvigorate your home like a brand new kitchen.
California home prices and sales up in January
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The number of homes sold in California rose 2.7 percent last month from a year earlier and the median price soared as the housing market showed continuing signs of recovery, the reporting firm DataQuick said Thursday.
Late-payment rate on US mortgages hits four-year low
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Homeowners who took on mortgages well after the housing bubble burst are doing a better job in keeping up with payments, a trend that has helped push the national rate of late payments on home loans to the lowest level in four years.
4 must-knows about mortgage payoff
DEAR BENNY: I will be soon paying off (in its entirety) the mortgage on my home. For your information, I have been current on my payments throughout the 10-year term. The mortgage company is a credit union, and I intend to continue residing in my home.
Expanding outdoor living spacecan increase value of your home
Even during a challenging economy, the outdoor living trend remains popular as homeowners seek to add lasting value and functional living space under the sky and stars. Whether it's a do-it-yourself patio or a professionally installed outdoor kitchen, the beauty, usefulness, value and ease of maintenance in outdoor living space is limitless.
Don't grant lenders unlimited access to tax records
DEAR BENNY: I understand that when homebuyers sign closing documents, they are routinely required to sign a blanket form allowing the lender to access IRS records with no time limit. The form says not to sign it unless dates are specified on the form, but lenders routinely insist they be signed without any specification as to which years of IRS records are covered.
Home prices rose during 2012 by most in 6.5 years
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. home prices jumped by the most in 6 ½ years in December, spurred by a low supply of available homes and rising demand.
Articles by Section - HOME SCENE
Sales of bank-owned homes hit 5-year low in 1st quarter
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Sales of bank-owned homes have plunged to a five-year low, the latest evidence that the nation's foreclosure woes are easing as the U.S. housing market recovery gains momentum.
Are we in a real estate market recovery?
Real Estate Boys: I keep reading that the real estate market is booming again. Time magazine, the newspaper from our north, TV and radio news are all reporting to get "in now, the market is heating up across the nation." Wasn't it just a short year ago you Boys, and it seemed everyone else, was reporting that maybe we haven't seen the bottom yet? Then in late in 2012, "Well, we've bottomed out, but the ...
Rebounding home prices help regain some household wealth for families
WASHINGTON (AP) - The average U.S. household has a long way to go to recover the wealth it lost to the Great Recession, a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis concluded Thursday.
Home prices rise 10.9 percent, largest jump in almost 7 years
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. home prices jumped 10.9 percent in March compared with a year ago, the most since April 2006. A growing number of buyers are bidding on a tight supply of homes, driving prices higher and helping the housing market recover.
Smart, stylish renovations for any age
Most Americans over 50 want to stay in their home as they age, but few are making the renovations they need to ensure easy and comfortable living for years to come.
Eight easy ways to organize - and maximize - a small bath
The bath serves a variety of uses, from a functional room to a serene sanctuary, a storage facility to a salon. And, whether you enjoy it yourself or share with the family, every bathroom is in need of one major thing - organization. To help keep your bath feeling more serene and less insane, follow these eight ideas to help improve your organization, maximize space and even add a bit of style.
Go-big upgrades that can help a lingering home sell
Everyone knows spring and summer are the best months in which to sell a home. If your house has lingered on the market, you may be eager to find ways to freshen its appeal for potential buyers. Perhaps you're even ready to go big and invest in upgrades that will improve the home's value, curb appeal and interior allure so much that potential buyers just won't be able to walk away from it.
Sales of bank-owned homes fell in 1Q
FORECLOSURE SALES: Foreclosure tracker RealtyTrac Inc. says 190,121 U.S. bank-owned homes or properties in some stage of the foreclosure process were sold in the first quarter. That's down 18 percent from the previous three months and 22 percent from a year earlier.
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