Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Inside two ex-Mariners’ mansions

Ever wonder what the homes of former Mariners Jay Buhner and Jeff Nelson look like? Here’s your chance. View the slideshow>
Uncategorized

New home sales at seven-month high

msnbc.com staff and news service reports updated 12/23/2011 10:54:10 AM ET WASHINGTON — New U.S. single-family home sales rose to a seven-month high in November and the months’ supply of houses on the market was the lowest in 5-1/2 years, adding to signs of a budding recovery in the sector. The Commerce Department said on […]
Uncategorized

Residential Housing Ready to Awaken?

By: Albert Bozzo Senior Features Editor CNBC After half a decade of withering sales and slumping prices, there are strong and diverse signs that the single-family housing market is poised for a rebound. In some metropolitan areas, the market has bottomed, with both sales and prices on the rise and foreclosures on the decline. This […]
Uncategorized

A smaller house will make a big difference

The action plan: It will pay to think small — as in reduce your mortgage bills and focus on modest homes. Buyers: Downsize the dream. For those gearing up to make a purchase, 2012 could be a great opportunity, what with cheap prices, low borrowing rates, and little competition among prospective bidders. Before you take the […]

Uncategorized Inside two ex-Mariners’ mansions Ever wonder what the homes of former Mariners Jay Buhner and Jeff Nelson look like? Here’s your chance. View the slideshow>

Uncategorized New home sales at seven-month high msnbc.com staff and news service reports updated 12/23/2011 10:54:10 AM ET WASHINGTON — New U.S. single-family home sales rose to a seven-month high in November and the months’ supply of houses on the market was the lowest in 5-1/2 years, adding to signs of a budding recovery in the sector. The Commerce Department said on […]

Uncategorized Residential Housing Ready to Awaken? By: Albert Bozzo Senior Features Editor CNBC After half a decade of withering sales and slumping prices, there are strong and diverse signs that the single-family housing market is poised for a rebound. In some metropolitan areas, the market has bottomed, with both sales and prices on the rise and foreclosures on the decline. This […]

Uncategorized A smaller house will make a big difference The action plan: It will pay to think small — as in reduce your mortgage bills and focus on modest homes. Buyers: Downsize the dream. For those gearing up to make a purchase, 2012 could be a great opportunity, what with cheap prices, low borrowing rates, and little competition among prospective bidders. Before you take the […]

Uncategorized Mortgage servicers making progress on fixing bad foreclosures Banks were required to hire consultants to identify borrowers who improperly lost their homes, failed to get loans rewritten or were forced into court in 2009 and 2010 because of mistakes made by mortgage servicers or their vendors. [Read the full article…]

Uncategorized Gradual Recovery for Housing and the Economy Expected in 2012 Although the housing market struggled to maintain an even footing in 2011, gradual improvement is expected in 2012 and beyond, according to projections at a residential forum here at the 2011 Realtors® Conference & Expo. Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors®, said home sales should be stronger. “Tight mortgage credit conditions […]

Uncategorized Giving Thanks This Thanksgiving, many of us will return to our families and traditions, while others will forge new ones. Regardless of how we blend the old and the new, one thing remains true: this is the time of the year to be thankful for our families, friends, communities, and anything else you hold near and dear. Over the […]

Uncategorized Thank you veterans! All of us at Windermere would like to take a minute to express our gratitude to the military veterans who have served our country. Many of us know someone who has served in the U.S. armed forces and have been touched by their stories and their sacrifice. Windermere is proud to have several veterans among […]

Uncategorized Top 10 qualities to look for in an agent Buying a home is one of the most significant financial and emotional purchases of a person’s life. That’s why it is so important to find an agent that can not only help you navigate the home search process, but one who can also answer your questions and represent your needs from start to finish. Most […]

Uncategorized Is Buying a Short Sale Right For You? By Richard Eastern If you’re shopping for a home, you may have noticed that a large number of the homes that are currently on the market are short sales. A short sale occurs when a homeowner owes a lender more than their home is worth, and the lender agrees to let the owner sell the […]

Uncategorized Inspired Decorating: Getting into the Spirit of Halloween We all know people who like to go overboard on the holidays. And Halloween is no exception. Walking past a home with a haunted yard, mummies in the windows, and a musical jack o’ lantern theme can inspire, intrigue, or just plain frighten you. But remember, you don’t have to go overboard to get into […]

Uncategorized Federal Housing Agency Announces Changes to Mortgage Refinancing Program Yesterday the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac announced several changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), the details of which can be found here: http://www.fhfa.gov/webfiles/22721/HARP_release_102411_Final.pdf. While the specific changes will not be released until November 15, 2011, below are some of the enhancements that were included in yesterday’s announcement: […]

Uncategorized Community Service Day Southwest is Friday, October 21st! Tomorrow is a very special day here at Windermere Real Estate, it is our annual Community Service Day. Every year our Southwest offices dedicate a day to working in our community to make things a little brighter for our neighbors. We appreciate your patience if it takes us a little longer to return your call […]

Uncategorized Then and Now, Comparing Home Ownership Costs In recent years, real estate has become something of a polarizing topic; there are those who argue that it’s still a worthy long-term investment with tangible benefits; and others who don’t see the value of owning a home, financial or otherwise. Regardless of which side of the argument you come out on, housing is a […]

Uncategorized Perspectives: Building Better Communities, One Home Sale at a Time Philanthropy has always been a big part of who we are at Windermere. Back in the early days of the company it was pretty simple; we would see a need and help any way we could. But as we grew, we realized that we could accomplish much more if we had a stronger focus, so […]

Uncategorized The One-Wall Wonder What is it about an accent wall that makes people refer to it as a “wonder wall”? An accent wall is an emphasized wall in a room that has been designed to attract attention from adjacent walls. The simplest (and cheapest) option to go about an accent wall is by means of paint, though some may […]