http://www.sc-mountain-land.com South Carolina Mountain Land for news about buying and selling SC mountain acreage and SC mountain lots. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:03:01 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Every home—whether it’s a resale or new—has some kind of an issue, and the reality is that there is no “perfect” house. Many homebuyers embark on their search for a home with the belief that new homes should be flawless, … http://rismedia.com/2012-02-05/dont-forget-a-home-inspection-with-a-new-construction-home/ Setting yourself apart from your competition is becoming increasingly difficult. The emergence of social media into the business world has created platforms where constant, ongoing contact is possible. As a result of this desire to be in constant contact, many … http://rismedia.com/2012-02-04/information-is-power-again/ Lean times call for budgetary triage. But while you should clearly opt for orthodontics before Disneyland, the choice is tougher when it comes to home maintenance. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/FqV5loV5SHU/index.htm States have until late Monday to agree to the latest draft deal aimed at relieving homeowners struggling with mortgages bigger than their home's value. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/4CIRUSnrayQ/index.htm (MCT)—Facebook has filed papers for what’s expected to be the largest initial public offering ever to come out of Silicon Valley and one of the largest in U.S. history. Ending months of breathless speculation, the 8-year-old social networking company has … http://rismedia.com/2012-02-02/facebook-files-for-initial-public-stock-offering/ Mortgage applications decreased 2.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 27, 2012. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, … http://rismedia.com/2012-02-02/mortgage-applications-down-nearly-3-percent-last-week/ Just one day after President Obama detailed a proposal to enable millions of homeowners to refinance to record-low mortgage rates, those rates notched another record. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/_XuZ8GzvJro/index.htm President Obama's latest probe into the mortgage meltdown will have more power than past efforts, and federal officials say it won't derail a possible $20 billion settlement for underwater and foreclosed homeowners. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/xr6-BydUz3A/index.htm A ProPublica–NPR news story recently suggested that a mortgage financing vehicle utilized by Freddie Mac may be preventing homeowners from refinancing. While FHFA does not typically comment on its supervisory activities, the circumstances here require some clarification, according to the … http://rismedia.com/2012-02-01/fhfa-responds-to-npr-freddie-mac-refinance-story/ The Obama administration on Wednesday detailed its latest plan to help millions of homeowners refinance their mortgages to today's historically-low rates. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/sBTaat11HoA/index.htm Investors are racing into REITs that promise higher yields than equity REITs. But be forewarned, the higher yields of these other types of real estate vehicles come with very real risks. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/VUmqI-Axwkg/index.htm You'd think that investors would be leery of companies that own and manage commercial real estate. Vacancy rates remain elevated in office buildings and shopping centers. Except for apartment buildings, rents really haven't grown at all in four years. And given the possibility that the global economy may retrench yet ... http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/P0sxlWbYbOM/index.htm Between slumping prices and low mortgage rates, it's a good time to look for real estate bargains. But thanks to tightened lending standards, legions of young would-be homebuyers aren't exactly in a position to take advantage of the opportunity. That's where their parents come in: One in three first-time buyers ... http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/ocfIUtd0ibo/index.htm Florida's cities were some of the hardest hit by the housing bust, but now they are leading the charge back. Of Realtor.com's top 10 turnaround towns, eight are in the Sunshine State. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/EFiB2AGT9uk/index.html Home prices posted a steep, month-over-month drop in November, falling 1.3%, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city report. Prices fell in 19 of the 20 cities the index covers. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/lSobtB0larc/index.htm (MCT)—The lower-than-expected annualized growth rate of 2.8 percent reported Friday for the final three months of 2011 raises doubts about the strength of the U.S. recovery, and concerns that 2012 may be another year of muddling along. Most mainstream economists … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-31/consumer-sentiment-picks-up-in-fourth-quarter/ Mortgage originations plunged 10.1 percent from November to December, continuing a decline from 2011’s September peak. At the same time, loans originated over the last two years have proved to be some of the best quality originations on record. New … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-31/mixed-mortgage-messages-originations-decline-but-quality-soars/ Regional Spotlight—Investors with cash continued to reap a harvest of bargain-priced bank-owned and short sale properties across the San Francisco Bay Area in the fourth quarter of 2011, sparking a slight uptick in home sales compared with the same period … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-30/investors-with-cash-fuel-uptick-in-home-sales/ The Obama administration is taking another swing at improving its main foreclosure prevention program. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/fAvdcW1W9QE/index.htm While you may not always get what you want, you will almost always get what you expect. Surprisingly, the power of belief and expectation work just as effectively on your feelings of self-doubt and limitation as they do on your … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-29/the-power-of-belief-and-expectation-2/ (MCT)—The Obama administration’s new effort to investigate the causes of the nation’s mortgage meltdown will focus on coordinating the often overlapping state and federal investigations and on holding accountable those whose misconduct led to the global financial crisis. A team … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-29/new-initiative-will-coordinate-probes-of-mortgage-meltdown/ Low interest rates, as we all know, are making history. Last week, according to an article found on CNNMoney, “rates on both the 30-year and 15-year fixed loans fell to new records, at 3.89 percent and 3.16 percent, respectively, according … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-29/take-advantage-of-record-low-rates-before-they-rise/ Remodeling sentiment rose to the highest level in five years, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the fourth quarter of 2011. Released yesterday, the RMI increased to 46.6 in the fourth quarter … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-28/remodeling-market-index-rises-to-five-year-high/ In his recent State of the Union speech, President Obama announced he will push for legislation that will significantly expand the newly revised HARP program that allows underwater homeowners to refinance at today’s historically low rates. Obama’s expansion would allow … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-28/obama-harp-expansion-builds-on-new-refi-momentum/ FORTUNE -- Over the past few months, a spate of good news about the U.S. housing market has led some to think a recovery is finally on the horizon. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/mYn08DRpcic/ The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) commends President Obama for offering proposals in the recent State of the Union address to help families stay in their homes and stanch foreclosures, and is urging policymakers to take additional actions to … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-26/builders-commend-white-house-focus-on-helping-homeowners/ Just 302,000 new homes were sold in 2011, 6.2% below 2010 and the lowest number of annual sales since the government started tracking home sales in 1963. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/KVnRZS2LjEE/index.htm Sales of homes in foreclosure comprised 20% of all U.S. residential sales during the third quarter, according to RealtyTrac. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/fyeZPQIR_sQ/index.htm Out of all of the presidential candidates, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney owns the most real estate -- even after unloading a couple of sizable properties. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~3/y4xQVaFgsns/index.html The end of 2011 brought good news on the nation’s economic front, with unemployment in December falling to its lowest level in three years and the economy adding 200,000 jobs during the same month. Dave Liniger, chairman and co-founder of … http://rismedia.com/2012-01-25/look-for-continued-housing-market-recovery-in-2012/