Forbes magazine ranked Austin, Texas, #3 in its Best Cities for Jobs in 2008 and that makes Austin a great target area for real estate. The Texas state capital city came in #1 for income growth in the Forbes list and #2 for job growth. When you consider that houses are where the jobs go [...]

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According to Apartments.com, what’s motivating more than half of renters (55 percent) to move in 2008 are relocating for a job and reducing the cost of rent.
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Sellers are looking for ways to get the most for their homes and buyers, of course, are looking for the best value. The a flowing floor plan, a spacious layout, a not-so-crowded street, great curb appeal, low HOA or planned community fees, etc. are certainly big influencers for buyers. But so, too, are some of [...]

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Is the property you want to buy, fix up, eventually rent out or use as a second home located in a “scarlet letter” Zip code or county?
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McLEAN, VA — Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.67 percent with an average 0.4 point for the week ending February 7, 2008, down slightly from last week when it averaged 5.68 percent. Last year at this time, the [...]

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Distressed borrowers are not the only ones affected by the current spate of foreclosures and short sales. In many cases, residential tenants may be impacted as well. Questions arise in at least three situations. How might a tenant be affected if (1) the landlord is in default on the loan?, (2) the property is sold [...]

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