Another 85,000 Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) mortgages closed in May, putting the 4-year-old program on pace to close more than 1 million loans this year for the second straight year. However, the program for “underwater homeowners” is now less-so.…
Research shows that just looking at nature has powerful mental benefits. Here’s how to get a boost — with or without a million-dollar view $1 million view. That’s an interesting thing when you really think about it. For someone to…
Remodeling or building a new home is a big financial and emotional investment. It can also be a big investment of your time if you want to be closely involved in the decision-making. Knowing what to expect before the project…
For centuries the kitchen was strictly a workspace. Often tucked in the back of the house, it had room for just the bare essentials. But a peek at many new kitchens today reveals a very different approach: the open-concept kitchen at the…
Buying a foreclosure? Time to find a “great deal” may be running out. According to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac, May 2013 foreclosure filings tallied less 150,000 in May, which is near a six-year low. Banks are repossessing far fewer homes as…
Mortgage rates on the rise According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year mortgage rate hit a two year high in June, jumping 0.22 percentage points to 4.51 percent while the average rate for a 15-year mortgage rose 0.14 percentage points to 3.53 percent as mortgage rates in…
As the U.S. housing market improves, it’s taking the broader U.S. economy with it. According to National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), 255 U.S. metropolitan areas are “improving” — more than triple the tally from 12 months ago — as rising…
