This article written by Emiliy Hsieh really is good about giving some great advice on getting more money with these east design tricks. I hope this is helpful and remember when you are ready to make that next PCS move please think of your friends here at the Military Relocation Connection Network.

It’s probably stating the obvious to say that it’s a tricky, challenging real estate market out there, and, if you’re currently selling your house, you can use any kind of competitive edge. Professional home stagers can help you get it. Part interior decorator, part closet organizer, and part magician, they offer advice on upping the value of your home by sprucing up your interiors—all without any major renovations or shelling out of major cash. Basically, a home stager’s job is to maximize your space, making rooms appear larger and feel more inviting (and desirable) with just a few clever design tweaks.
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Hi Everyone I found this article and thought it would be great to pass along. I hope this is hopeful and can give you a helping hand. Remember when you are ready for your next PCS move please think of your friends here at the Military Relocation Connection Network.

Homeowners can benefit from newly expanded federal tax credits for energy efficiency by upgrading their homes! Claim up to $1,500 in tax credits by remodeling your principal residence to reduce energy consumption through the enhanced Existing Home Retrofit (25C) tax credit. The types of projects that may qualify include adding insulation, replacing doors and windows and updating heating and cooling systems. This is a great way to benefit from lower energy bills, while getting paid to make improvements!

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Mortgage Rates Hold Steady This Week
Mortgage interest for the week held fairly close to the previous week’s rates, reports Freddie Mac.

Average interest on 30-year fixed loans slipped a notch to 4.98 percent from 4.99 percent and was down from 5.10 percent a year ago.
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Folks this is a really good article written by Marco Benavides. I believe when you are buying a home, a home inspection is so very important and also when you are getting ready to sell a house it is not a bad idea to have one. That way when your buyers have their home inspection there should be no big surprises. I hope this article is helpful and please when you are ready for that next PCS move, remember your friends at the Military Relocation Connection Network.

You have probably found what you feel is a great home and you want to make it yours. You have also probably heard about home inspections and want more information. This is probably one of the most important steps that you can take in the home buying process. No matter how great the house looks and how good the deal seems, there is no way that anyone should buy a house without a proper home inspection.
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Hi Everyone, with tax time upon us I thought this might be an useful article.

RISMEDIA, January 27, 2010—(MCT)—Nothing about taxes is easy, and deciding how to fill out your return is no exception. Should you hire a tax preparer or do it yourself? Go with one of the free online options or stick with the old-fashioned paper forms? If you’re like approximately 80% of tax filers, you’ll turn to tax software or a tax preparer. But that doesn’t mean the end result will be error-free.

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Hi Everyone, found a great article if you are looking to buy just another reason to come off of the fence.

Fannie to Offer Closing Cost Aid on Foreclosures
Fannie Mae, the largest provider of residential home funding in the United States, announced Friday that it would pay the closing costs on purchases of foreclosed homes in its inventory.

The government-controlled company said buyers of qualified properties will get up to 3.5 percent in closing costs, or an equivalent amount for the purchase of new appliances.

The goal of Fannie is to clear out the nearly 50,000 properties it has in inventory— listed on HomePath.com, the Web site created by Fannie Mae last year to sell the growing number of foreclosed homes.

“Attracting qualified buyers to the market and reducing inventory of vacant homes is critical to stabilizing neighborhoods and helping the market recover,” said Terry Edwards, executive vice president for credit portfolio management, in a statement.

Source: Reuters News, Al Yoon (01/28//2010)

Please when you are ready for your next PCS move think of your friends at the Military Relocation Connection Network.

This is an great article with every changing and ending this spring, please read the updates. Thanks to John Shea of Maryland for the article.

Those Who Wait Will Pay Thousands More This Spring

Waiting a few extra days or weeks to purchase a home this spring could cost buyers thousands of extra dollars as the office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) implements several changes for loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

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I know this don’t have anything really to do with Real Estate but I thought it was such a different article I had to send it out. Have a great day and remember when your next PCS move comes, think of your friends here at Military Relocation Connection Network.

RISMEDIA, January 26, 2010—Fans of Punxsutawney Phil, Pennsylvania’s world-famous weather-forecasting groundhog, can sign up to be among the first to know if there will be an early spring when he makes his annual prediction on February 2, 2010.

For the first time, Punxsutawney Phil’s followers can receive his official prediction via their mobile device by texting “Groundhog” to 247365 between now and February 2. After the initial text message, participants will be invited to submit their e-mail address to receive additional tourism-related messages.

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I found this great article that I thought would be really helpful on selling a house, I know I have sent similar articles like this before, but with the PCS moves the military has, this is more like a long term plan to get your home ready for sale. So I hope this is helpful and please as always, when your time comes for a PCS move please think of your friends here at the Military Relocation Connection Network.

RISMEDIA, October 17, 2009—(MCT)—You’re thinking of selling—but not just yet. Let’s say you’ve got a five-year plan to prepare an older, lived-in house for sale.

Maybe you’re faced with tattered carpets, battered appliances and dingy paint. Or maybe we’re talking about truly scary problems, such as asbestos, underground oil tanks or leaking roofs.

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Folks this article is off of the HUD website there are going to be several changes that can affect you buying a home if you are going to have a FHA loan. If you are in the process of buying  a home now is the time, these changes could have a drastic affect on you buying a home. Let’s not also forget you have until April 30th to be under contract to get the tax credit. If you are on the fence about buying a home, now is the time to get off the fence.

1. Mortgage insurance premium (MIP) will be increased to build up capital reserves and bring back private lending
   • The first step will be to raise the up-front MIP by 50 bps to 2.25% and request legislative authority to increase the maximum annual MIP that the FHA can charge.
   • If this authority is granted, then the second step will be to shift some of the premium increase from the up-front MIP to the annual MIP.
   • This shift will allow for the capital reserves to increase with less impact to the consumer, because the annual MIP is paid over the life of the loan instead of at the time of closing
   • The initial up-front increase is included in a Mortgagee Letter to be released tomorrow, January 21st, and will go into effect in the spring.
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