Estate Rebate Blog

Holiday tidings – home mortgage rates are holding their own. Last week, there was a spike but - according to Freddie Mac – hardly any change this week on fixed-rate mortgages. Based on the weekly survey of mortgage rates, we are in a period of stabilization – a positive sign for the economy. Home mortgage interest rates had been declining in past months because of economic uncertainty. Yet earlier this month, there was a chan... [More]

Black Friday shopping is no longer only about televisions, toys, and other terrific (and cheap) merchandise. Potential home buyers are just as likely to get a Black Friday deal on a new home as the latest laptop. There are real estate deals to be made on this busiest shopping day of the year. After all, buying a home qualifies as a significant purchase and long term commitment. Why shouldn't home buyers be able to enjoy a holiday sale? Actuall... [More]

The Federal First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit has expired but there is still help out there for first-timers. No doubt, the federal tax credit had encouraged people to become home owners and increased home sales. When this assistance ended, sales fell flat and first-time home buyers turned to other sources of help including 'angel investors' (family and friends). Yet there are still 'official' programs in place for first-time home buyers &nd... [More]

Media and royal watchers were fascinated this week with Britain's most famous, newly-engaged couple – Prince William and Kate Middleton. Everyone was abuzz about the engagement ring and love-struck photos but then it was back to practical issues – but on a royal scale. As with all engaged couples, the question arose – where will the couple live to start their new life? Let us look at the homes at the center of this royal annou... [More]

If you are inside a NYC hotel, you are probably not alone – at least according to industry statistics. During 2010, Manhattan hotels have shown a 90% occupancy rate. At present, the NYC hotel market is favorable to buyer and sellers. Favorable Market This market is not expected to lose favor in the near future. Manhattan hopes to welcome more than 46,000,000 visitors by the end of the current year. By 2012, New York City will be enterta... [More]

The foreclosure freeze either shut out home owners, cooled down buyers' enthusiasm, or heated up the market for sellers. Its effect depended on where they were standing at the time. The moratorium created a hot market or brought cold comfort. [More]

Home sellers must get potential buyers to check out their house. Sellers have to be ready for this process. They must prepare their home and themselves for the sale. Selling a home requires you to detach yourself emotionally from your house. The sale has to be set up to be attractive to home buyers. No monetary value may match your sentimental attachment to a home. Yet selling a home must be less about sentiment and more about practical conce... [More]

It's all over the news this week – even on the international scene. This company is coming out of bankruptcy; that company has started to make a profit. What's 'on the go' in business news? Out of Bankruptcy General Growth Properties Inc., the second-largest U.S. mall owner, just came out of the biggest real estate bankruptcy in the country’s history. This company was recovering from their bankruptcy filed in April 2009 – an... [More]

Hideous wallpaper, drafty windows and rotten shingles is a common feature of older homes. However, these condition concerns are far less important to potential buyers than realizing what materials might rest under those rotten shingles or behind that outdated wallpaper. One material in particular, asbestos, leads to a particularly dangerous form of cancer after continued exposure. Mesothelioma symptoms, the indications of this material&rsqu... [More]

According to the National Association of Realtors' annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers survey, the current housing market is a kinder, gentler environment for first-timers. That result might surprise a few Americans who wonder about the 'when and how' of market recovery. Coupled with uncertainty about the market, first-time home buyers can no longer take advantage of the First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit. Home Buyers Yet first-time hom... [More]