Lately, there has been much made of the current “housing recovery,” with many thinking that the market turn around has begun and that the end is near for short sales. I could not disagree more, and here’s why: 1.

The laws about disclosing if a house is “haunted” vary from state to state. In Massachusetts The possibility of a property being “psychologically impacted” isn’t considered a “material fact required to be disclosed” to potential buyers. In Virginia Emotional defects like

Janet Yellen, President Obama’s choice to head the Federal Reserve, brings a unique combination of the old and the new to the position. President Obama yesterday announced Janet Yellen as his choice to head the Federal Reserve and take

It’s been several days now of the government shutdown, and it’s becoming more clear how it could potentially impact the housing market. The government shutdown went into effect at midnight on Oct. 1, and ever since then, there has

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) stated on Friday that it would need approximately $1.7 billion in Treasury funds for the 2013 fiscal year, though there are some intriguing caveats to the nature of the bailout funds. This is the

A government shutdown is looming in Washington, and should one occur, it could have wide-ranging effects on the nation’s economy – including housing. Well, it’s that time again. As you’ve surely seen in the headlines, political gridlock has once

The housing market has undergone yet another pronounced change in the last couple months, bringing about a whole new set of trends to follow. It was early 2013, and it finally seemed, after a prolonged slumber, that housing was

Everyone has been holding their breath on when the higher mortgage rates will impact home sales; when exactly will that happen, though? When mortgage rates began their dramatic rise back in May, it was more a matter of “when”

After decreasing the loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2011, it appears the government is prepping for another mandated decline. In an effort to further lessen the government’s role in the housing market, federal officials are

This is a piece aimed at owners and agents, with an emphasis on the importance of providing information. Information gathering and sharing is crucial in our industry; agents providing relevant information to their customers, owners to their agents, and

Regulators have proposed new mortgage rules that will give more Americans access to mortgage credit, generating a positive reaction from housing stakeholders. The proposal would align the qualified residential mortgage rule (QRM) with the qualified mortgage rule (QM), finalized

Mortgage rates have risen rather dramatically since May; what impact could those increases have, though, on the housing market? At the beginning of May the average mortgage rate for a 30-year FRM was just 3.35 percent. Since then, as

So, what do you do when there is a real estate appraisal contingency and the contract price exceeds the list price? A) Pray B) Cross your fingers C) Hope D) Prepare E) All of the above F) None of

The rapid rise in home prices has been one of 2013’s major economic stories, but there’s mounting evidence that those increases will slow down – and soon. If there’s been a poster child for the housing recovery, it’s been

All of Chicagoland saw foreclosure filings plummet in 2013’s first half, though some areas improved more than others. Chicagoland’s mortgage markets put up some encouraging numbers in 2013’s first half, with foreclosure filings for the six-county region falling more

The second quarter was a spectacular one for Freddie and Freddie, but are such successes problematic for the government’s reform efforts? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had mighty good second quarters – not only did the GSEs post respective