Does Your Credit Score Affect Your Homeowners Insurance

Our post today is from KCM (Keeping Current Matters) about the connection between your credit score and your homeowners insurance payments.  It's widely debated, but quite commonly practiced for an insurance carrier to use a consumer's credit score to determine their insurance premiums.  Read "Does Your Credit Score Affect Your Homeowners Insurance" from Carrie Van-Brunt Wiley, editor of HomeInsurance.com.  Let me know if your thoughts and if you have any questions regarding your homeowners insurance.

Mortgage Rates ... What Will Happen Now?

Last week Ben Bernanke announced the Fed will not scale back their bond purchase program right now to continue the stimulus package geared at bringing back the national economy.  Mortgage rates have been rising in the past few weeks with the assumption this program was going to wind down.  So what will happen with rates now?  Those at bankrate.com explain 'mortgage rates should fall back -- not massively, but to some extent.' Mortgage professionals say that it doesn't mean home buyers should wait for lower rates.  Read more at Mortgages Fall - Will Fed Keep Them Down.  If you have are considering a move this fall, please contact me.

5 Reasons to Sell Your House Now

From Keeping Current Matters, www.kcmblog.com:

Thinking of Selling Your House? 5 Reasons to Do it Now

by THE KCM CREW on SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 

Many now realize that it is a great time to buy a home. Today, we want to look at why it might also be an opportune time to sell your house. Here are the Top 5 Reasons we believe now may be a perfect time to put your house on the market.

1.) Demand Is High

The most recent Existing Home Sales Report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed a 17.2 percent increase in sales over July 2012; sales have remained above year-ago levels for 25 months. There are buyers out there right now and they are serious about purchasing.

2.) Supply Is Beginning to Increase

Total housing inventory last month rose 5.6% to 2.28 million homes for sale. This represents a 5.1-month supply at the current sales pace, compared with 4.3 months in January. Many expect inventory to continue to rise as 3.2 million homeowners escaped the shackles of negative equity in the last 12 months and an additional 1.9 million are expected to enter positive equity in the next 12 months. Selling now while demand is high and before supply increases may garner you your best price.

3.) New Construction Is Coming Back

Over the last several years, most homeowners selling their home did not have to compete with a new construction project around the block. As the market is recovering, more and more builders are jumping back in. These ‘shiny’ new homes will again become competition as they are an attractive alternative for many purchasers.

4.) Interest Rates Are Rising

According to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have shot up to 4.57% which represents a jump of more than a full point since the beginning of the year. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the National Association of Realtors are in unison projecting that rates will continue to climb.

Whether you are moving up or moving down, your housing expense will be more a year from now if a mortgage is necessary to purchase your next home.

5.) It’s Time to Move On with Your Life

Look at the reason you are thinking about selling and decide whether it is worth waiting. Is the possibility of a few extra dollars more important than being with family; more important than your health; more important than having the freedom to go on with your life the way you think you should?

You already know the answers to the questions we just asked. You have the power to take back control of your situation by putting the house on the market today. The time may have come for you and your family to move on and start living the life you desire. That is what is truly important

Depot Square Groundbreaking

The mixed-use project, Depot Square, at the northeast corner of 30th and Pearl, had their groundbreaking ceremony on August 19th.  The area has been eyed by the city for the past two decades with the final project looking very different from original plans.  As part of the larger Boulder Junction, the new bus station will be a six-bay station located completely underground in the Depot Square development below the parking structure.  Also included will be a 140-room Hyatt Place hotel, 71 permanently affordable apartments and a five-level parking structure built around the historic depot building which will house a restaurant.

A rendering depicts the front of the
Depot Square development in central Boulder,
which will include an underground Regional Transportation District
bus rapid transit station.

Top 10 Reasons To Hire A Real Estate Agent

Top 10 Reasons To Hire A Real Estate Agent