Category: Economy

A tax break that has long been untouchable could soon be in for some serious scrutiny. Many home buyers deduct their mortgage interest when assessing their tax bill, a perk that has helped bolster the income of millions of families …Read more  »

I just locked down a 2.875% interest rate, fixed for the 15-year term of the mortgage. No points. With rates like these, I find myself rethinking the idea that I want to pay off my mortgage. I can do a …Read more  »

A big part of my job is helping our clients project the most likely scenarios for the housing market.  Now that we know who will be President, my job just got easier because we have four years of experience with …Read more  »

One way or another, Uncle Sam is going to get his cut. Count on it. And so will your state and local governments. That said, as you file taxes there are certain things you can do as a real estate …Read more  »

Last week, the Federal Reserve announced a new round of “quantitative easing,” or QE3, meaning the Federal Reserve will  fire up the printing presses to buy $40 billion worth of  mortgage-backed securities (MBS) every month on an open-ended basis in …Read more  »

A growing number of real estate investors are using a self-directed IRA to finance their property purchases nowadays. That’s because a self-directed IRA can provide them with the opportunity to buy real estate and earn rental income without paying early …Read more  »

Identifying your property’s value is crucial. As a real estate investor, you need to be aware of the three ways to determine the value of your real estate investments to guide you with your purchase, justify your selling price, or …Read more  »

Half of refinance applications are abandoned or rejected, as are 30 percent of purchase mortgage applications, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. All told, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) says that well over 2 million mortgage applications were …Read more  »

This is an investing concept that’s not often thought about within the context of real estate, but it’s vital for you to understand the differences between these two types of debt. Bad debt is typically referred to as consumer debt. …Read more  »