Home Value Articles - Page 1

It's that time of year again when Ilyce give you her home buying tips for the new year along with her personal financial resolutions for 2010.

If you apply to refinance your loan and get quoted terms, can you force the lender to abide by those terms? What if your property received a low appraisal? What if declining home values caused your home value to drop below what you owe on your current mortgage? And what if you decide not to go…

, even if the statistics don't show the same, according to the latest Homeowner Confidence Survey from Zillow. Sixty percent of all homeowners believe their own home lost value over the past 12 months, in reality 83 percent of U.S. homes declined in value. Eighty-one percent of homeowners believe…

slightly in the second quarter. Median home prices fell 15 percent from a year ago, thanks to home prices going down due to foreclosures and short sales. According to the latest survey out from the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales are up 3.8 percent from the first quarter. Home…

Americans have experienced a reversal of fortune - and lost $14 trillion in net worth over the past 18 months. The housing crisis and credit crisis have taken a huge bite out of our net worth. In response, Americans are saving more - a move that won't help the economy recover, but may set up a more…

If you bought a home with a partner and later decide to split, you'll likely need to divide up the home as well. What's a fair way to buy one partner out of a house? How do falling home values affect the division of a home? Should you sell the home or buy the other person out? Either way, the home…

What can you do when you owe more on your mortgage than your home is worth? If you owe more than 105 percent of the value of the home you can't refinance under federal programs. If you're really eager to sell your home and move on you may want to try to do a short sale with your mortgage lender. In…

With mortgage interest rates at record lows, you may be thinking about refinancing your mortgage. What should you do to prepare to refinance your mortgage? It's important to know the current value of your home, your current mortgage loan interest rate, and your credit history and score. You should…

You may have heard about the federal government's recent launch of MakingHomeAffordable.gov and may be wondering whether you can get a break on your mortgage - either lower interest rates or extended terms. To understand whether you're eligible for a loan modification you should visit the government…

Can you refinance your mortgage loan when you owe more on the property than its current home value? Your mortgage lender may be more likely to grant you a mortgage loan modification or refinance since the federal government has been offering mortgage lenders financial incentives. Learn how to…

How do you know when interest rates and home prices will align and make the perfect time to buy a home? If you’ve found the right house, in the right neighborhood for the right price, it’s always a good time to buy. An agent can help you find a home that will make you confident you’ve bought at just…

You may decide to change where you live when you retire - move from a single family home to a condominium. What should you do before buying a condominium for retirement? Research your credit and work to improve your credit score, if it's low. Find a real estate agent you trust and look for the best…

When you inherit property with a mortgage, paying off that mortgage loan is the responsibility of the estate, not the heirs. If the estate lacks the money to pay off the mortgage and the bank decides to foreclose, it should not negatively affect the credit histories of the heirs. While the heirs…

Will putting in an in-ground pool add value to a home? What's the best way to finance the installation of an in-ground pool? The added value of an in-ground pool depends on where the home is located and if it's something buyers in that area are attracted to.

Is it worth it to sell your home before living there 2 years and pay the capital gains tax - especially if you're living in a skyrocketing housing market. Despite the capital gains tax, if the market value of your home is increasing drastically, it might be worth it. But, if you have not lived in…

Is tearing down a home and beginning new construction, or building an addition to a home owner's current home on 32 acres of property better for the value of the home? New construction on a large piece of property could increase the value of the property itself as opposed to building an addition…

When you're refinancing, you should live in your home for a reasonable amount of time to make it worth it. If you plan to live in a home for a shorter time it may make sense to pay down the interest rate on the refinance mortgage loan by paying points. A point is equal to one percent of the loan…

Property setbacks are rules that describe how close to a property line a home may be built. Property setbacks often exist to improve the visual appeal of a community. If a neighbor violates a property setback, will it affect home values? It's difficult to gauge the effect of property setbacks on…

If you own a second home and decide to sell it you'll have to pay capital gains tax. To calculate your capital gains tax you first have to calculate the sales price after subtracting the cost of any improvements you made to the home. The sales price that's taxed will most likely be less than the…

How do you find out if the tax assessor's web site is correct in the sales price of her late mother's home? A real estate agent in the area may be able to look up the home to find its sales price. The county recorder of deed's office where the property was located should have a county record of the…

Before you start a major home improvement project or build an addition on your house, there are several things to investigate first, including zoning laws and neighborhood trends. For example, if the trend in your neighborhood is to tear down one-story homes and build up, then your home improvement…

When you're buying a home it's really important to pay attention to what's located near and around the property. Facilities such as homeless shelters may deter future home buyers from buying your property. In addition if a business next door to the property you're buying has a lot of traffic that…

What do you think about the government's new Home Affordability and Stability Plan? Do you think it will affect the housing market. Or do you wonder what will happen to all the homes in foreclosure? Mold could be an issue. First time home buyers will get a tax credit - but what does the plan offer…

Vacant lots can be a good real estate investment depending on the surrounding neighborhood and how it affects the property's value. One thing to be aware of when buying vacant lots as a real estate investment is to check out the zoning laws and what you're allowed to build on the property. Buying…

Would giving a basement 9-foot walls instead of 8-foot walls add to the value of a home? There is no standard for the walls in basements, and could be a very local issue. A real estate agent would know what basement improvements could add to the value of a home.