Realty Times

It's always good to have a map when you're traveling unfamiliar roads. It's easy to get lost or to make a wrong turn. Having a good map is doubly important when you are traversing the roads of real estate.

Only one in three risk-averse lenders are participating in the HARP program to help homeowners refinance with today's low rates. The voluntary program may be due for another upgrade.

Today's market has given us an opportunity that we have not seen in a long, long time, and many brokers are missing it! The current market has agents across the country contemplating staying in the business, changing offices or moving on.

We have a complete board turnover coming at the upcoming Annual Meeting. Some owners want to self-manage because our management company is not performing. Does this group, assuming they are elected, have the right to fire the manager and just take over with self-managing our 64 units? Does this require the vote of the entire membership?

ith the Euro-zone back in the news, it was inevitable that mortgage rates would fall again. Investors have become quite uncertain about austerity measures in Europe, especially with Greece, where opposition continues to grow. Here in the U.S., the Mortgage Banker's Association reported that mortgage applications increased 1.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending May 4th.

Nature is in full bloom across the nation. Many of today’s homeowners are unaware that Spring can be the ultimate time to list a home for sale. From beautiful lawns to temperate weather it’s prime time to lure in buyers.

In the privacy of your own home, you can take off your coat, kick off your shoes, let your guard down and be completely yourself. While we usually share our homes only with friends and family, sometimes we need to take in a stranger to help pay the rent. When that happens, can the government limit whom we choose?

Military veterans who work as brokers and agents apply their training to a multitude of circumstances. From their disciplined approach to work to their resourcefulness to their respectful attitude, veterans know that service - to their country and all manner of civilian duties - is a priority.

Are you ready for a garden that loves to take care of itself? PJ Wade examines qwerty in the garden, and asks, "What will you do with the time and money you don’t spend watering this summer?"

A Champion Agent commits themselves to a high service standard. That service standard is communicated clearly to the prospect buyer. The only way a prospect can receive that high level of service is to work on an exclusive basis, forgoing all other previous, potential, and possible relationships with other agents.

In Freddie Mac's results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the average fixed mortgage rates hit a new all-time record low for the second consecutive week as they followed bond yields lower. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has averaged below 4 percent all but one week since December 8, 2011, helping to keep homebuyer affordability high.

Kitchens and bedrooms are both very important rooms in a home. It's in these two rooms where our basic needs are satisfied but they are also areas of a home that attract buyers for more than just what's done in these rooms: eating and sleeping. The master bedroom suite and the kitchen can be used for multiple purposes.

Deciding to list your home for sale is a momentous time. It means you will be moving on to a new stage of life, no matter if you’re moving up or sizing down. Take a moment to look over these tips for what every seller should do before they put their home on the market.

You already know a higher credit score and a larger down payment give you a better shot at a mortgage, but you may not know all the reasons why.

When a developer turns over the homeowners association to the owners, can the new board then enforce rules that were not enforced previously?

We all know the social benefits of owning a home. Homeownership gives family stability, creates lower high school dropout rates, and of course gives the opportunity to create meaningful and lasting relationships.

Why would the California Association of Realtors® (CAR) oppose a package of state legislative proposals that are designed to reform the foreclosure process? As we shall see, a good deal depends on what you think counts as reform.

It's a term homeowners and sellers hear all the time. What does "appraisal" really mean and how will it affect your ability to make a deal?

Rona, the largest home improvement retailer in Canada, is cutting back on big-box stores and introducing a new business model that promises "a completely new shopping experience."

According to the latest McGraw-Hill construction SmartMarket Report the share of green homes on the market is expected to grow by leaps and bounds in the next four years.