Mortgage rates hit all-time lows (again)

Fixed-rate mortgages hit new all-time lows for the third-straight week, with the 30-year FRM submerging below 3.80% following declining long-term Treasury bond yields.
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Keep Your Finances on Track

A household budget is a helpful tool to keep track of expenses and income. Creating a budget is easy, but it must be kept up to date and allow for some flexibility. When finances are tight, a household budget will assist in saving money where needed...Keep Your Finances on Track:

Identity Theft: What You Don't Know

Identity theft wreaks havoc in the lives of its victims, and it can take years to undo its damage. Preventing identity theft is easier now due to federal and state laws. However, it's up to you to keep your eye out for fraud and put a stop to it......Identity Theft: What You Don't Know:

7 questions for your next real estate agent

After four years of sleepy sales during the traditionally busy spring and summer homebuying seasons, real estate experts are forecasting a pickup.

The crash has slimmed the ranks of agents (National Association of Realtors membership is down 26% from 2006); those who are left have more years on the job (a median of 12, up from seven). But not all experience is equal -- you want a realtor with hyperlocal knowledge, if not a home nearby......7 questions for your next real estate agent:

Mortgage Delinquency Hits Lowest Level Since 2009: TransUnion

Mortgage Delinquency Hits Lowest Level Since 2009: TransUnion: The rate of homeowners behind on their mortgage has dropped to its lowest level in more than three years, according to TransUnion.

Insurance Coverage: Lending Your Car

Is damage to your car covered by your auto insurance policy even if you weren't the one driving?.....A must read!!!!! Insurance Coverage: Lending Your Car:

How to Turn Your Idea Into a Business

You’ve done it! You’ve just figured out -- at least, you think you have -- what the “next big thing” is going to be. Now you just have to get down with how to turn that jewel of an idea into what you hope can be a financially...How to Turn Your Idea Into a Business:

Best money moves for seniors

To have the retirement you want now, you may have to tap a little more of your earning power -- and tap into your spirit of adventure. Here are 6 ways to make it happen.....Best money moves for seniors:

Credit Score Secrets for Home-Buyers

Often, being average is not necessarily a bad thing. In the world of credit and financing, however, it could be. As of 2011, an average FICO score alone just won't cut it. The sharp downtown in the housing market that began in 2007 and the a.....Credit Score Secrets for Home-Buyers:

Logjam in foreclosure filings breaking up

There is more evidence that the foreclosure logjam is breaking up.....Logjam in foreclosure filings breaking up:

REALTORMag: Short Sales Get Shorter- New Deadlines to go into Effect

As part of a settlement with state attorneys general, the five largest mortgage servicers are adopting new requirements for short sales, which is expected to speed-up what has been known as a lengthy process.
Here are some of the new requirements for servicers under the settlement:

• Servicers must provide borrowers with a decision within 30 days after receiving a short sale package request.
• Servicers will be required to notify a borrower, also within 30 days, if any necessary documents are missing to process the short sale request.
• Servicers must notify a borrower immediately if a deficiency payment is needed to approve the short sale. They also must provide an estimated amount for the deficiency payment needed for the short sale.
• Servicers are also required to form an internal group to review all short sale requests.
• Banks will be considered in violation of the settlement requirements if they take longer than 30 days on more than 10 percent of the short sale requests. Violations can carry fines of up to $1 million and $5 million for repeat offenses.

“If a real estate broker can get a checklist from the bank detailing what documentation is needed, everything can be provided up front, and the bank will be required to give a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down within 30 days,” short sale specialist Chris Hanson with the Hanson Law Firm told HousingWire. “That’s not a bad deal.”
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7 Businesses You Can Start at Home

If you want to work for yourself or want more time to spend with family, starting a home-based business might be the perfect solution. From selling handcrafted goods to online blogging, there are many options when it comes to starting your own busine...7 Businesses You Can Start at Home:

Raise Your Neighborhood's Value

Location, location, location. No matter what you do to improve your property, your neighborhood will always have a say in the value of your home. Redoing your bathroom, throwing on a fresh coat of paint or replacing your roof may be obvious steps in...Raise Your Neighborhood's Value:

Real estate investors' secret: College towns

From Athens, Ohio to College Station, Texas, real estate investors are seeking out homes in college towns that offer a steady stream of renters and stable, prosperous economies...Real estate investors' secret: College towns:

Best investments at ages 35 to 44

When it comes to putting together a retirement portfolio, you need to think like an athlete running a marathon.....Best investments at ages 35 to 44: