#1: Just because it’s a buyer’s market doesn’t mean you should buy right now. Don’t let the lucrative market dictate a buying decision if the time isn’t absolutely right. Potential homebuyers need to ask themselves if they have a good credit score, if their job is secure and if they can stay in the home for a few years. If the answer to these questions is “no,” it might make more sense to wait until life and finances are more stable.

#2: The cost of owning a home is more than just the purchase price. On top of a mortgage payment, there are several monthly fees and expenses any first-time buyer should consider when becoming a homeowner: insurance, property taxes, utilities and maintenance. Think about scaling back the home price in order to better budget for the entire package.

#3: Programs are out there to help first-time buyers. A sizeable down payment is great to have for a home purchase, but not everyone can afford to fork over 20 percent upfront. Fortunately, there are many federal, state and local programs geared toward helping first-time homebuyers with down payments, interest rates and loan terms sure to make the whole process and affordability a bit easier.

#4: Foreclosures and short sales present great deals, but proceed with caution. Buying a foreclosed or short sale home can be a risky proposition for a first-time buyer. Foreclosures are often sold “as-is,” while a short sale transaction can be lengthier and more complicated than a typical home purchase. First-timers should consult an agent or attorney with specialization in these areas.

#5: Getting pre-approved for a loan gives you more buying power. Obtaining lender pre-approvals are important because it establishes a homebuyer’s maximum purchase price, shows sellers that the buyer is serious about buying a home and lets the homebuyer compare interest rates and terms to find the best deal.

#6: Good school districts boost property value. One of the most important aspects of a home’s value is the neighborhood where it’s located. Even if the homebuyer does not have kids, buying a home near sought-after schools can help the resale value.

#7: You may be able to access your tax credit upfront. Buyers using FHA-insured mortgages can apply their tax credit toward their home purchase immediately, rather than waiting until they file their income taxes to receive a refund. Prospective buyers who believe they qualify for the credit are also allowed to reduce their income tax withholding, therefore increasing their take-home pay.

#8: Not all real estate agents represent buyers. There are three types of agents: listing agents, who represent sellers and help them get the best price; buyers’ agents, who represent buyers and protect their interests; and agents who represent either (or both). Often, first-time buyers prefer to work exclusively with a buyer’s agent so there are no possible conflicts of interest.

#9: Doing your homework can help you make a competitive offer. Before buying the home, determine the property’s market value by having the realtor conduct a comparative market analysis. This report will show what buyers were willing to pay for similar homes in the area, giving a good idea of what will make a fair offer.

#10: It’s important to have a back-out plan. Before signing on the dotted line, make sure to have a contingency plan in case things don’t go as planned in the home inspection or appraisal. If the home has a major flaw or doesn’t appraise for the purchase price, an escape plan allows the contract to be voided.

This follows an announcement by the Obama Administration that CalHFA is one of five state housing finance agencies slated to receive a total of $1.5 billion from the federal government’s Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. In addition to California, the funds will support efforts in Arizona, Florida, Michigan and Nevada. All five states have seen average home prices decline by 20 percent or more. Under the Obama administration’s plan, the funding can be used for innovative programs to assist unemployed homeowners, homeowners who owe significantly more than their homes are now worth and for those facing challenges associated with second mortgages. The programs will be available to homeowners, regardless of whether their mortgage was initially financed by CalHFA.

The school campus is located in a congested area with heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic patterns, so the Suffolk project team will need to have a comprehensive logistics plan in place to limit disruption to ongoing campus activities and minimize the displacement of existing parking capacity. The architect on the project is Song and Associates, and the designing of the project will begin in March 2010 and construction will begin later in 2010 with final completion of the building expected in Fall 2011.

When asked if President Obama’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) “has reduced the rate of foreclosures in your market,” only 10 percent of respondents said ‘yes’. Initial details about HAMP became available on March 4, 2009 with the promise of easing at-risk homeowners. The plan makes available $75 billion in funding for up to four million homeowners, providing a modified interest rate and three months of a probationary period.

“Foreclosures and short sales still appear to be driving home sales in several states,” says Eric Adair, Business Development Analyst for Homes & Land. “Unfortunately, the data on the program to date and the responses from our survey show that HAMP has done little to help. Clearly respondents to our survey don’t believe this program is helping to reduce foreclosures.”

With this most recent contract awarded, CMSS has already secured 25 percent of its total new business revenue goal for the entire year. As revenues grow, so to does the number of employees. By the end of 2010, CMSS expects to add 77 new staff employees to support its global operations.

Critical Mission Support Services (CMSS) is a global “turn-key” service provider dedicated to delivering world-class solutions to complex projects around the globe. The company offers a wide variety of services, including construction, life support, demining, logistics/procurement, security and IT communications.

All the improvements have attracted highly successful sales associates. Once again, Gibson Sotheby’s recognized Beth Dickerson as their top agent in 2009, having sold the highest volume of sales. Dickerson’s average sale price was more than $3 million last year and she recorded the most expensive sale in Boston, a condominium on Beacon Street in the Back Bay that sold for $9.25 million. Co-Owner, Paul McGann, meets regularly with agents who are considering the firm. “Most often, agents who join us are already successful – but they are looking to go to the next level; to grow their business.” It is that growth potential that brought agents like Tammy DeWolfe to the company. After years in the business, she joined Gibson Sotheby’s Westwood office last month, citing the company’s support as a major motivating factor.

The modernized and innovative Internet Data Exchange (IDX) software and its relationship with and association to local MLS systems, enables MacManus to display Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS) listings, directly onto her website, saving home seekers the hassle of being redirected to different pages. They will be granted access to and endless amount of the most up-to-date property listing information on the Florence, Oregon real estate market.

This IDX Broker addition gives MacManus the opportunity to develop a truly custom and personalized online real estate business, with the ability to decipher which search options will be displayed on her site, in which she has chosen a basic search, an advanced search, a map search, an address search and a listing ID search. Each of these categories provide their own unique and distinctive traits, aiding prospective home buyers to narrow their search results, in efforts to find their ideal property. Also, each listings page supplies convenient and user-friendly links to email property details, contact the listing agent for more information, schedule a showing, view large photo galleries, print a flyer, take a virtual tour, calculate probable mortgage payments and even pinpoint their chosen property on a interactive Google Map, creating a nearly effortless online real estate search experience.

This allows Nations Power to deliver electricity to customers who are having problems paying for high up-front deposits or high pre-payments with other electric providers. Nations Power is the first electric provider to implement pre-pay with real-time pricing anywhere in the U.S. Its pre-paid and real-time pricing products can utilize the nearly 1,000,000 advanced smart meters currently installed in Texas. The billing solution allows customers to pre-pay for power on a daily basis versus the traditional monthly post-paid or month-ahead estimated pre-paid methods. Plans are for nearly 6 million customers to have smart meters in Texas by 2013.

To pay for power, customers can access the Nations Power website and pay with a Mastercard or Visa debit card, or go to one of its 110,000 payment centers including Wal-Mart, CVS/pharmacy, and MoneyGram locations.

Chase now has five centers in the Tri-State area providing face-to-face assistance to distressed borrowers who have a loan serviced by Chase.

“We created these local Homeownership Centers as a place for our borrowers to sit down and discuss their situation face-to-face with trained loan advisors in these challenging times”

The Jersey City center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and by appointment on Wednesday until 8 p.m. All other centers are open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Customers who are late on mortgages from Chase, Washington Mutual or EMC may call the nearest homeownership center listed above to make an appointment with an advisor.

Customers may call (866) 550-5705 if they:

* Are current with payments but face financial hardship, which may lead to default
* Would like more information

The company opened 37 centers around the country since 2009, and plans to open 14 more by this spring.

On an unadjusted basis, the index rose 10.4 percent, but was down 52.3 percent compared with the same week a year ago.

Much of the decline compared to the previous year pertained to refinances. The unadjusted purchases index increased 9.8 percent compared to the previous week and was down 19.1 percent from a year ago.

Interest rates decreased last week:

* 30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 5.00 percent from 5.13 percent.
* 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 4.33 percent from 4.45 percent.
* 1-year ARMs decreased to 6.72 percent from 6.83 percent.

adopt from [Realtor]