How To Properly Screen A Prospective Tenant

by David Lukas March 3, 2010

According to the the National Association of Realtors®, “distressed homes” represented nearly 2 of every fifth home sold in January 2010. Clearly, real estate investors are taking advantage of good deals on cheap property. But there’s risk involved.

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Existing Home Sales Drop Again In January But Stay On The Trendline

by David Lukas March 2, 2010

Anecdotal evidence is showing sales activity higher through February and into March. And, although it’s unlikely we’ll see a spike through April like we did last November, buy-side demand for homes should remain strong. The good news of the sagging sales reports is that today’s buyers may find home prices are lower and sellers are more willing to negotiate.

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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : March 1, 2010

by David Lukas March 1, 2010

Mortgage markets improved last week as economic reports painted a less-than-stellar portrait of the U.S. economy and concerns of a looming monetary policy change eased. Mortgage pricing improved dramatically, despite a late-Friday retreat.

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The Home Price Index Shows Some Regions Up, Some Regions Down

by David Lukas February 26, 2010

Publishing on a 2-month lag, the Federal Home Finance Agency said home prices fell by 1.6 percent nationally in December. And that’s an average, of course. Some regions performed well in December as compared to November, others didn’t.

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As The Supply Of New Homes Grows, So Does The Opportunity For A “Good Deal”

by David Lukas February 25, 2010

New Home Sales fell 11 percent from the month prior and posted the fewest units sold in a month since 1963 — the year the government first started tracking New Home Sales data. It may be good for home buyers.

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December 2009 Case-Shiller Data Shows Battered Markets In Bona Fide Recovery

by David Lukas February 24, 2010

Using data compiled in December, Standard & Poors released its Case-Shiller Index Tuesday. The report shows home prices down just 2.5% on an annual basis, a figure much lower than the 8.7% annual drop reported after Q3.

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How You Can Get The Most Accurate, Real-Time Mortgage Rate Quotes Available

by David Lukas February 23, 2010

Although the newspapers reported mortgage rates down last week, they weren’t. Conforming mortgage rates were higher by at least 1/8 percent, or roughly $11 per $100,000 borrowed per month. In some cases, rates were up by even more.

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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : February 22, 2010

by David Lukas February 22, 2010

Mortgage markets had a terrible, holiday-shortened week last week as Wall Street responded to worse-than-expected inflation data and action from the Federal Reserve. Mortgage bonds sold off with force, causing mortgage rates to rise for the second week in a row.

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Two Reasons to buy sooner rather than later

by David Lukas February 20, 2010

In this video I talk about the two key reasons why it makes sense to buy sooner rather than later. Waiting to buy a home could cost a home buyer nearly $20,000 or more over a seven-year period if they purchase incorrectly. While the actual impact will vary depending on purchase price, the impact will certainly be [...]

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Housing Starts Soar To 6-Month High In January… Or Do They?

by David Lukas February 19, 2010

Sometimes, headlines for housing can be misleading and this week gave us a terrific example. On Wednesday, the Commerce Department released its Housing Starts data for January 2010. The data showed starts at a 6-month high. The real story is something different.

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