The Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) offers a special loan product called HomeAbility, and it’s designed to assist Maryland homebuyers with disabilities finance their home purchase. This is a Conventional ...

Realtor.com released its 2024 Housing Market Forecast and Predictions report recently and the headline was: “Housing Affordability Finally Begins to Turnaround.”Synopsis of the data was as follows:As ...

Homeowner’s insurance is a necessity if your home is mortgaged and covers the structure of your home and your personal property, as well as your personal legal responsibility (or liability) for injuries ...

With the sharp rise in interest rates, the assumable loan is coming back on the real estate scene. An assumable mortgage allows a buyer to purchase a home by taking over, or assuming, the seller’s mortgage ...

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released their monthly report on homebuyer affordability at the end of August. The news release said July was challenging but mostly unchanged from June, with ...

In the past two week’s article, we reviewed the Maryland General Assembly new legislation requiring all condominiums, homeowner associations, and housing cooperatives to undertake regular ...

In last week’s article, we reviewed the Maryland General Assembly new legislation requiring all condominiums, homeowner associations, and housing cooperatives to undertake regular reserve studies ...

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), single women comprise the second largest group of homebuyers. As of 2023, single women made up 17 percent of all homebuyers. Contrastingly, ...

Anyone who sells a property in Maryland, but is a “non-resident” of the state of Maryland, must pay a withholding tax. Recently the Maryland Association of Realtors released information on various ...

The National Association of REALTORs reports that real estate wire fraud continues to be one of the most prevalent cybercrimes in the U.S. About 13,638 people were victims of wire fraud in the real estate ...

The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) website, www.realtor.org, has information on county median home prices and monthly mortgage payments across the country. NAR applies the House Price ...

In mid-January, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)announced further changes to Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s (the Enterprises) single-family pricing framework by introducing redesigned and ...

Homeowner’s insurance is a necessity if your home is mortgaged, and this type of insurance covers the structure of your home and your personal property, as well as your personal legal responsibility ...

Maryland REALTORS® issued a housing statistics report showing that Maryland home sales dropped 41.9% to 5,124 units in December 2022, against 2021’s figure of 8,818 units. Home sales prices ...

 Since 1969, the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC), has promoted the election of pro-REALTOR® candidates across the United States. The purpose of RPAC is to use voluntary ...

The National Association of REALTORS®’ 2022 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report shows that first-time home buyers have dropped to their lowest numbers on record. NAR further ...

2022 was a year in which we saw a shift in the real estate market: increasing mortgage rates, reduction in the volume of sales, but no increase in inventory resulting in prices ...

Back in the beginning of October, Maryland REALTORS® rolled out changes to its statewide forms library, which contains contracts, disclosures and addenda that members of Maryland ...

C-PACE is the acronym for Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy. C-PACE programs provide private financing for commercial property owners to upgrade buildings with energy, resiliency, and environmental ...

The multiple list service, BrightMLS, that provides real estate data in the Mid-Atlantic, coveringsix states (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and theDistrict of Columbia), ...

Governor Larry Hogan announced last weeknearly $32 million in project awards through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) 2022 application round for federal Low Income ...

The talk about town related to real estate right now is mortgage rates are on the rise. To provide some guidance, here’s what industry experts are saying about the present and possible future ...

The National Association of Realtors explains the differences and the pros and cons to both mediation and arbitration, alternative dispute resolution options when a dispute arises from a real ...

A recent Zillow report is showing that with sales up and values up during the pandemic real estate boom, more homes are selling for over the $1 million mark. The report also detailed that the typical ...

Governor Larry Hogan announced last weekthat the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has expanded the state’s landmark SmartBuyinitiative to address rising housing ...

Maryland REALTORS® released information on statewide June home sales. Their release states that home sales continued to slow down as prices continued to rise, according to ...

Appraisals in a sellers’ market can be troublesome, and transactions can fall apart when appraisals come up short—creating an appraisal gap. An appraisal gap is the difference between market ...

In 2022, the Maryland State Legislature convened on January 12th and adjourned on April 11th. Maryland REALTORS® issues a report each year on the Maryland Legislative session to summarize ...

In 2022, the Maryland State Legislature convened on January 12th and adjourned on April 11th. Maryland REALTORS® issues a report each year on the Maryland Legislative session ...

The month of April this year celebrated the 54th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968, that made discrimination ...

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Maryland Mortgage Program announced the launch of two new loan products to provide higher levels of down payment and closing cost assistance. ...

You know the old tune by Tennessee Ernie Ford: You load sixteen tons, what do you get; Another day older and deeper in debt; Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go; I owe my soul ...

What is equitable interest? An equitable interest is an "interest held by virtue of an equitable title (a title that indicates a beneficial interest in property and that gives the holder ...

Homeowner’s insurance is a necessity if your home is mortgaged, and this type of insurance covers the structure of your home and your personal property, as well as your personal legal responsibility (or ...

It’s a hot real estate market right now, but we all remember the real estate “crash era” that began in 2008. That real estate downturn brought about many changes in financing and how loans are approved. ...

The number one question most real estate agents are asked right now is "What is the market doing?". The best way to answer that question is to watch the market statistics and listen to the various industry ...

With property reassessments going out last month for much of Worcester County, property owners might be wondering what their options are if they disagree with the values the county assessment office has ...

According to a recent article released by the National Association of Realtors, consumers can expect slower housing price appreciation, easing inflation and rising interest rates in 2022. This statement ...

Maryland REALTORS® just released real estate statistics information from the October 2021 housing market analysis. The market continued its monthly trend of a decrease in units sold, down 8,665 in 2021, ...

Landlords have an importantdecision to make when selecting a tenant to rent their investment propertyyear-round. Property owners have traditionally interviewed prospective tenantsin person and asked for ...

Earnest money is a deposit made to a seller that represents a buyer's good faith to buy a home. This deposit money can be called an escrow deposit, good faith deposit, or earnest money. But, whatever ...

Mortgage insurance is an additional cost that buyers will have to budget for in their total monthly costs when they are not able to put 20% or more down on the purchase of a home. Referred to as MI or ...

Most buyers know they need to save for both a down payment and closing cost money. Buyers also need to pay down their debt to be sure their debt-to-income ratios are under the various thresholds for USDA, ...

June, 2021 was proclaimed National Homeownership Month by President Joe Biden. The White House issued a news release statement from President Biden stating, “We also know that people of color continue ...

Buyers are looking for ways to strengthen their offer in this competitive seller’s market. One tactic that carries a lot of weight with sellers is waiving your appraisal contingency. But not every ...

Most people are familiar with the VA Loan, which is a loan program through the Department of Veterans Affairs.These loans are available to veterans and active-duty military members and they offer no down ...

The year 2020 in real estate ended very strong. Here’s an “at a glance” recap of some of the various market stats.• The average sales prices varied monthly throughout the year, but June had the highest ...

This year has produced noticeable real estate market shifts, and in many cases the surge in real estate demand was fueled by the effects of covid-19.Here on the shore, we saw increases in feeder market ...

There are so many advantages to owning your own home, and even with prices on the rise, affording a new home may be easier than you think due to continued record-setting low interest rates.In fact, according ...

With two months left in this bizarre 2020, and the continuation of a very strong sellers market, many buyers are asking what impact continued economic uncertainty could have on home prices and will they ...

With “for sale” inventory limited in many price points, sellers may be able to ask more for their home.But, sellers need to remember that the home will still need to appraise adequately if the buyer is ...

The National Association of Realtors Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, released a video report that dissects the latest homes sales numbers, talks about what could make the market even stronger, and forecasts ...

The National Flood Insurance Program’s authority to provide flood insurance is currently scheduled to expire on Sept. 30.The National Association of Realtors is making every effort to secure a long-term ...

Earlier this month, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced plans to impose a new 0.5 percent adverse-market fee on mortgage refinances starting Sept. 1.In most cases, this would cost homeowners thousands ...

With the recent Tropical Storm Isaias impacting our coastal area, the importance of having a plan in place for storm events to protect your property is top of mind.In addition to purchasing flood insurance, ...

Below is the final summary of the 2020 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly on items that were passed and put into legislation affecting the real estate industry as it relates to both ...

Below is a summary of the 2020 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly on items that were passed and put into legislation affecting the real estate industry as it relates to affordable housing ...

Are you looking to buy a home in Wicomico County? The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, in partnership with Wicomico County, is providing attractive financial incentives to help ...

The appraisal of a home is an important step in the real estate process, one that can certainly make or break a deal.An appraisal is a valuation of a property done by a professional, licensed individual ...

Demand has been very strong in the Ocean City market over the past month due to both being in our spring market (although somewhat postponed due to covid-19) and historically low interest rates.With some ...

Some of the biggest misconceptions in buying a home are related to down payments and closing costs.The first misconception is that a down payment is the same thing as closing costs.Down payments are one ...

The National Association of Realtors® sent out a press release last week commending the Department of Housing and Urban Development for finalizingnew Federal Housing Administration condominium loan policies. ...

This post is authored by Lucille Rosetti from thebereaved.org and is being added to my blog at her request to helpprovide information on how to proceed with moving after the loss of a loved one.  Moving ...

Real Estate Report:There are many positives that surround an improving real estate market, but there is a downside--housing costs in many areas begin to exceed the financialreach of some low-to-moderate ...

 Most people want to own their own home—it gives a sense of security and stability. It also allows for more flexibility in personalizing and renovatingyour home to make it your own. Most importantly, ...

For those considering a purchase of a new home in 2017, there are steps you can take to prepare yourself financially. The first step is to contact a localmortgage broker that can help review your current ...

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced the release of two new initiatives this week. The first is the Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) "You've Earned It!" program ...

 "Remodeling” magazine issues an annual “Cost vs. Value Report” that highlights the remodeling projects that offer the best bang for your buck. This year’s report touted the following projects as ...

Most commonly used in the state of Maryland to protect a buyer and ensure that title to a property is clear and marketable in a real estate transactionis the purchase of a title insurance policy. Title ...

The U.S. House and Senate approved a package of tax extensions that include an important provision that helps distressed homeowners through extending theMortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief Act for all of ...

CoreLogic, a data and analytics company, recently released its National Foreclosure Report with data through August 2014—and it shows foreclosureinventory is down. The report states that 45,000 ...

The Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) is a home loan program that can open up the door to homeownership for many Marylanders who wouldn’t otherwise beable to afford to buy their first home. This program, ...

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) issued a news release announcing its "Blueprint for Access". This blueprint outlines the additional steps the FHA is taking to expand access to credit for underserved ...

Have you ever dreamed of delving into real estate investments but didn't know how to get started? There is an online, free resource called BiggerPockets.com that offers real estate networking and information ...

Many buyers are aware of both FHA 3.5 percent down loan and the USDA 100% financing loan. Both of these loans require upfront mortgage insurance fees aswell as monthly insurance premiums that can really ...

So you want to buy a home, but don’t know where to begin. Many prospective homebuyers call an agent to see a property before figuring out what they reallywant in a home and also before the other crucial ...

Real Estate Report: FHA Introduces Changes to Help Strengthen Its Financial Health.In a recent Housing of Urban Development (HUD) news release, a series of changes were announced that will allow the agency ...

Many buyers are aware of both FHA 3.5 percent down loan and the USDA 100% financing loan. Both of these loans require upfront mortgage insurance fees aswell as monthly insurance premiums that can really ...

Real Estate Report: Real Estate Rebound Buyers There is a contingency of buyers referred to as "rebound buyers" or "boomerang buyers"--these are the people who lost homes in foreclosures or short salesduring ...

Real Estate Report: Important first steps to buying a home With affordability on the rise, and interest rates at all time lows, more people are asking the question—should I rent or buy? The most ...

Changes Affecting Home Buyers and Sellers: Various legislative changes and industry modifications are made throughout the year that can affect both homebuyers and sellers. Here are two of the moresignificant ...

$20 billion in relief for homeowners The federal government and 49 state attorneys general have settled a lawsuit for $25 billion against the country's five biggest banks for foreclosureprocessing and ...

Holding out to try and find the lowest price is not always the best strategy...Are your feet stuck in the sand when it comes to investing? Not sure what to do with your money in today’s economic climate? ...

Buyers looking to purchase a home with an FHA backed loan will continue to have more leeway to purchase directly from banks or investors with a recentdecision by the Federal Housing Administration to ...

Real Estate Report: Three Helpful Hints to Save on Homeowners InsuranceHomeowner’s insurance is a necessity if your home is mortgaged, and this type of insurance covers the structure of your home and ...

As we say goodbye to 2010, it's time to look into this new year with rose colored glasses, but let's temper that optimism with some reality mixed in. In2010, some of our beach markets saw foreclosure ...