http://firstresidence.com/blog Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:31:40 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en For younger buyers and the Baby Boomers, "Thinking green has alot of steam." Boomers either invented or popularized tree hugging, Earth Day, back to the land, etc. The 20 somethings have really picked up on these concepts and interpreted them to this whole renewed "Green" movement which substainable design is an intergral ... http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=36 If you are a buyer putting less than 20% down, most lenders require you to purchase mortgage insurance. This used to be less desireable than taking out a second loan to get to the 20% because the insurance premium wasn't deductible while the interest on the second loan was. Now that ... http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=35 According to responses to surveys, 87% of the final decision on which home to buy are made by women. All most men are looking for is to have their own space somewhere in the home. Ironically, in only 35% of the cases do they decorate it themselves. If men had their way ... http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=34 First time buyers, especially those with little saved but steady incomes, should be aware of this legislation and contact your elected officials if you are in favor of the bill. I put the link here as the article is a little lenghty for a post. http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2007050401?OpenDocument http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=31 We all like to go on line to get information. When we go to different on-line financial calculators for rates or quotes we realize they are only guestimates and only as accurate as the parameters that define the calculations. They simply analyze the data that they have been programmed to include and ... http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=30   More Homebuyers Turn to Parents for Help With many first-time and even move-up buyers strapped for down-payment cash, an increasing number of parents are helping their grown children buy a home — and taking an equity share in return. Typically, parents put in cash to help the buyers amass a down payment ... http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=29 No matter which side of the transaction you are on, seller or buyer, here are some charts tracking Northern Virginia trends in  seller subsidies. Subsidies are amounts that a seller credits to the buyer for such items as closing cost help, lease buyout help, or funds to cover repairs. This has ... http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=26 The following article has just a few tips on working with builders. There are many more. See your Realtor for a consultation. New Rules for Buying a Home Before It's Built As the housing market has cooled, the developer’s mindset has changed. Rather than construct new developments quickly and wait for the ... http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=24 Are you saving 10% of your gross income? That is a good figure to shoot for. How much you invest or keep it liquid is between you and your financial advisor. The following article about second mortgage default is related to buyers' increasingly using 100% financing needing the second mortgage to secure their down ... http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=23 Consumers' demand for convenience has been the greatest force shaping the appliance industry, says Kurt-Ludwig Gutberlet, CEO of BSH Bosch, the German appliance manufacturer. People don’t want to clean, Gutherlet says, so products like ceramic cooktops are increasingly popular, and he predicts induction cooking where heat is generated in the pan ... http://firstresidence.com/blog/?p=22