Whether you’re looking in Manhattan or Staten Island, here’s what you can snap up for $650k BY SARA ALESSI TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE
Read more %1$sRent-to-Own vs. Credit Cards: Which Costs Less?
By Allie Johnson “Renting to own furniture, appliances or even car hubcaps — that’s the newest thing — is a bad idea,” says Ed Mierzwinski, federal consumer program director for the nonprofit advocacy organization U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Rent-to-own is a type of predatory lending, he says. “The business model is to promise ownership,
Read more %1$sReal Estate Red Alert: The Flippers Are Back
By Beth Braverman RealtyTrac.The improving housing market has upped the potential for quick profits: Home flippers made an average gross profit of $18,400 on single-family home flips, representing a 9 percent return on the initial purchase prices, the report found. That’s up 246 percent from the average gross return in the first half of 2012.
Read more %1$sThought About Purchasing a Fixer-Upper?
Purchasing a “fixer-upper†provides some great opportunities. It can be a way to buy a home below market value and with smart choices, build immediate equity. It can also be an exciting way to custom design your dream home. Is this something you’ve talked about doing for years? Now might be a great time! Here
Read more %1$sThe Rise of the Young Buyer
By LAUREN SCHUKER BLUM In recent years, low interest rates coupled with lower real-estate prices had also made it easier for people in their 20s and early 30s—whom demographers refer to as “Generation Y” or “millennials”—to buy. A growing group of wealthy young buyers is making inroads in the world of high-end real estate, acquiring
Read more %1$sOwning a Home Isn’t Always a Virtue
By ROBERT J. SHILLER In the aftermath of the subprime mortage crisis,our national commitment to homeownership is sure to be questioned as we consider what to do about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the enterprises that are meant to increase the supply of money available for mortgages and are now under government conservatorship; the Federal
Read more %1$sIs It Better to Buy or Rent?
By Kevin Quealy and Archie Tse Whether renting is better than buying depends on many factors, particularly how fast prices and rents rise and how long you stay in your home. Compare the costs of buying and renting a home using the calculator. The calculator keeps a running tally of the most common expenses of
Read more %1$s6 hurdles that can stand between you and your mortgage–and what to do about them
By Mayra David If you’re looking to buy a NYC apartment, there’s a decent chance you are also in the market for a mortgage. We asked some experts to spot some of the most common hurdles tripping up NYC buyers these days and give us their suggestions for overcoming them. 1. Being self-employed or having
Read more %1$sStudy Points to Bias Toward a City’s North Side
By Sanette Tanaka North, south, east or west, researchers find north seems best. Most people, knowing nothing else about a city, would rather live in the northern half of town than in the southern, says Brian Meier, associate professor of psychology at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pa. People tend to see the north as more
Read more %1$sPre-Closing Credit Checks
By Lisa Prevost Buyers waiting to close on a mortgage should avoid doing anything that might change their credit picture until after the documents are signed and the money is delivered. Buyers waiting to close on a mortgage should avoid doing anything that might change their credit picture until after the documents are signed and
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