Daily Archives: May 7, 2014

10 carpet-cleaning secrets from the pros | Bedford NY Real Estate

Despite your best efforts at cleanliness, your carpet will eventually become the victim of drops, spills, accidents and whatever’s on the bottom of your shoes. To learn how professionals handle problem areas and keep carpets looking new, we spoke with cleaning expert Mark Tarbox, the owner of Best Carpet Cleaning Experts in San Antonio, Texas, who has more than 30 years of experience. Mark spent many years working in the family business with his father and mother at their shop, carpetkings in Sydney, before stricking out on his own. He is certainly making his mom and pops proud.

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http://realestate.msn.com/10-carpet-cleaning-secrets-from-the-pros

10 NYC One-Bedrooms You Can Buy for $600,000 | Pound Ridge Real Estate

 

 

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The last Price Points column found the best two-bedrooms available for $675,000, so we’re going a little smaller and a little cheaper for this roundup: one-bedrooms for $600K. StreetEasy shows the median price for one-bedrooms in Brooklyn and Manhattan to be under $700,000, but there is quite a bit of inventory for one hundred grand cheaper. First up, there’s a one-bedroom in Williamsburg offering up “the finest in indoor and outdoor living” with a living space and bedroom that open onto a large private terrace. The condo has marble countertops, newly updated appliances, and an in-unit washer and dryer. The apartment also comes with a deeded parking space in the garage below the elevator-ed building, and buyers have access to a communal gym. Asking price is an even $600,000

 

 

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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/05/06/behold_10_nyc_onebedrooms_you_can_buy_for_600000.php

 

What younger first-time homebuyers want | Bedford Corners Real Estate

 

Is the next generation a bunch of rootless renters, or will they too follow the patterns of previous generations?

Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research Group sought to better understand what housing choices younger renters prefer – and what financial constraints they see – in order to shed light on the challenge of fulfilling housing aspirations in a financially sustainable way.

The team noted that potential first-time homebuyers face credit standards that have risen since the housing crisis. Overall, the total number of renter households has been increasing since the housing crisis, as the number of owner households has decreased. Still, analysis of data from Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey shows that most younger renters prefer owning both for lifestyle and financial reasons.

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29922-what-younger-first-time-homebuyers-want

Mortgage applications climb 5.3% for week | Chappaqua Real Estate

 

Breaking two weeks of declines, mortgage applications increased 5.3% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 2, 2014.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 5.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

The Refinance Index increased 2% from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 9% from one week earlier to the highest level since January 2014.

“It is official: we are in a majority purchase market for the first time since 2009,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s chief economist. “A sizeable increase in purchase applications last week likely reflected the impact of somewhat lower mortgage rates as well as continued growth in the job market, as confirmed by Friday’s employment report from the BLS.”

Despite the strong increase in the purchase market last week, volume continues to run 16% behind last year’s pace.

 

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29928-mortgage-applications-climb-53-for-week

Transunion: Mortgage delinquency rate falls to mid-2008 low | Armonk NY Homes

 

The mortgage delinquency rate has declined more than 24% in the last year, down from 4.76% in Q1 2013, and it is now at the exact same level as it stood in Q2 2008.

“It’s encouraging to see mortgage delinquencies drop once again, especially during a period when mortgage originations slowed considerably,” said Steve Chaouki, head of financial services for TransUnion. “This trend in improved performance is driven in part by lenders working their way through the foreclosure backlog, along with continued conservatism in underwriting new mortgages.”

All 50 states and the District of Columbia experienced declines in their mortgage delinquency rates between Q1 2013 and Q1 2014.

The largest percentage declines continued to occur in states most impacted by the mortgage crisis – Arizona (down 37.8%), California (down 36.9%) and Nevada (down 34.0%). Both Arizona (2.81%) and California (2.80%), which just five years earlier had delinquency rates nearly double the national average, are now significantly lower than the rest of the nation.

 

 

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http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29923-transunion-mortgage-delinquency-rate-falls-to-mid-2008-low