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Erroneous collections on your credit report?

If this report is right, almost 1 out of 20 Americans’ credit reports include FALSE information about medical debts being delinquent or in collections. This is important: Know what’s on your credit report! Continue reading

Another look at Austin/Central Texas home prices

While individual Austin-area homeowners have not generally seen their property values increase since the housing downturn and mortgage crisis began, a larger percentage of homebuyers have moved into much higher price ranges. That’s a real testament to the underlying strength of the Austin economy. Continue reading

Mortgage Interest Rates — Historical Perspective

Mortgage rates are rising, but still at 40-year lows. With prices also likely to increase, NOW it is the time to buy a home! Continue reading

Mortgage Rates, Payments, and Buying Power

It looks like mortgage rates will really keep rising this time. If you wait until rates increase to 6%, you will have lost more than 20% of the buying power that you qualified for just a few weeks ago! Continue reading

Negative equity declines

Fewer homeowners nationwide were upside down in 3Q ’10 compared to 2Q ’10. That’s good. What it means is less certain. Continue reading

Home sales down? Yes … and no?

Month-to-month reports of home sales in the Austin area have not been encouraging since the last tax credit program ended in June, but if you look at annualized sales and pricing things aren’t as bleak as they may seem. Continue reading

Comparison: Foreclosure sales in Austin vs. U.S.

Foreclosure sales are WAY down in Austin, in more ways than one. Continue reading

Case-Shiller caution — national index, local business

As I have discussed extensively, the Texas housing market has behaved very differently throughout this recession and housing crisis than California, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada. Only one of the metro areas in the Case-Shiller 20-city composite is in Texas, while 10 of the index cities were very hard-hit by the housing crisis. Continue reading

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