I believe there is a better version of us around every corner. We tend to believe in things most people believe in, cause it gives us a sense of reassurance that something is good. When in doubt about what to order in a restaurant we ask the waiter--"What would you recommend?" or "What's your best seller?", [...]
Written by Housing Wire Mortgage giant Fannie Mae released guidance Wednesday with new policies on how lenders can originate mortgages during the government shutdown. The government partially shut down after Congress and the president failed to pass a new funding bill before the holidays, and now, 12 days later, that shutdown continues. Before leaving for [...]
Written by Dante Disparte It seems fitting that a year as turbulent as 2018 ends at the edge of chaos. The month of December, a period where business and markets are usually buoyed by retail hangovers from the holiday shopping season, has produced nothing less than economic and political pandemonium in the U.S. and shockwaves [...]
Written by Carissa Abazia It’s tradition to conduct a self-improvement ritual at the end of each year. This ritual, more commonly known as our New Year’s resolutions, is a list of what we hope to accomplish in the upcoming year and beyond. However, more often than not, and despite the best of intentions, our resolutions do [...]
Written by Real Deal Just before the 2008 financial crisis, Fir Tree predicted that homeowners would keep making mortgage payments even as the value of their homes plummeted. That bet has paid off. The hedge fund has made $2.6 billion, roughly half of which came from homeowners making payments on underwater mortgages, the Wall Street [...]
Written by Michele Lerner In yet another sign of a slowdown in the national housing market, the number of homes that were flipped — sold within one year of purchase — declined by 12 percent during the third quarter of 2018, compared with the third quarter of 2017, according to a new report by ATTOM [...]
Written by Carissa Mortgage We’ve all seen the commercial of the beautiful car, adorned with a big red bow, delivered on Christmas morning. Lexus has had success with its "December to Remember" campaign, a series of television, radio and print ads that market a Lexus as the perfect gift. The basic concept involves a man [...]
Written by Carissa Abazia I have made it a habit to write down any lessons, quotes or pieces of advice I come across that seem relevant and valuable. Why? If we take time to reflect on actionable wisdom and advice, we have a greater opportunity to become wealthier, wiser, happier, and more grateful. In light [...]
Written by Diana Olick Mortgage applications to purchase a newly built home dropped 11 percent in November, compared with a year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Given the drop, MBA economists predict that sales of newly built homes in November fell 5 percent annually. Those numbers will be reported at the end of December [...]
Written by Diana Olick You probably already know that a widespread housing shortage, especially in California’s cities, has become one of the state’s most intractable problems. If you can’t afford to live close to your job, you have to spend more time on the road. And if you have to spend time on the road, [...]
