Several recent indicators for the real estate industry are pointing to a market that is on the mend and entering recovery mode.  Housing experts’ predictions for the new year tend to center around a market stabilizing before entering a gradual, albeit very slow, recovery. However, the tone is more upbeat than it has been in years for the housing market.
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Some home owners turned into reluctant landlords and rented out their homes to earn extra income while the housing market was sluggish. But now some of these home owners are ready to sell.
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Many borrowers are finding that the record-low mortgage rates advertised recently are out of reach. So how can borrowers snag these best rates — which for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage alone has been under 4 percent recently? Basically, they need to prove to lenders they are less risk: Lenders offer the best rates to those who they perceive as low-risk borrowers.
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Compared to first-time home buyers, purchasers of high-priced homes tend to be more educated about the market, know exactly what they want, and demand high quality service, a group of luxury real estate executives panelists said at a Real Estate Connect conference last week, Inman News reports.
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O.J. Simpson, the 64-year-old former football star, is facing foreclosure on his Miami home while he serves a prison term in Nevada.  Simpson purchased the 4,233-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath house in 2000 for $575,000, according to media reports. The home’s assessed value now stands at $478,401, the Associated Press reports.
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Since it opened in May 2009, the REALTORS® Federal Credit Union (FCU) has become a significant benefit among National Association of REALTORS® members, offering a diverse portfolio of services and products. Since then, REALTORS® FCU has experienced unprecedented growth in membership.
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Staged homes spend 83 percent less time on the market than nonstaged homes, according to The International Association of Home Staging Professionals and StagedHomes.com. Moreover, a 2009 HomeGain study says a $300 to $400 investment in staging produces a $1,500 to $2,000 increase in a home’s sales price.
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