New Federal Guidelines May Have Unintended Consequences
I sat through a 90 minute presentation yesterday on the new RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act) guidelines that are due to take effect January 1, 2010.  If I were a betting man, I would wager that not too many home buyers or home sellers have ever heard

Exisitnig Home Sales Rise Again….Existing Home Prices (Not)
You may have heard that the October 2009 existing home sales numbers shot up, once again, this time by a staggering 10.1%.  That’s a big number. You can read more about the details at this article by the National Association of Realtors

How to Turn a Shack into a Showcase
Fact:  There are a huge number of foreclosures on the market Fact:  Many/most of these foreclosures need a lot of work Fact:  If you’re not well-versed on the “ins and outs” of the FHA 203(k) program, now is the time to get started on that learning process. An FHA 203(k) is a normal, traditional 30-year fixed-rate loan. The interest rate runs about ½% higher than a normal FHA loan, The same qualifying guidelines apply to a 203(k) as apply to a norma

The Quietude
Winter has always been a slow part of the real estate business.  As I have written about in a previous post, there is just too much going on for people to really be out there looking

The Real Estate Market in the Historic Part of Laurel, MD – 20707
The 20707 zip code for Laurel, MD isn’t all historic. There is a good portion, though. Historic Main Street Tastee Diner There is also access to the local MARC train which is the commuter train between Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC. It’s a great place to live with easy access to RT 95 (a north/south route) and to other local attractions like the