http://frugalrealestate.com Real estate tips for frugal home buyers and sellers Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:07:49 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The recent cratering of the real estate market both in the residential and the commercial spheres has dramatically altered how buyers will approach mortgages and home loans at present and for the foreseeable future. The game has changed and the days of no-money-down mortgages, or “NINJA” mortgages, are long gone. ... http://frugalrealestate.com/how-much-to-put-down-on-a-house/ If you are in the market for a home loan or a mortgage, it is important to understand what an escrow account is. Many lending institutions require their borrowers to maintain escrows on mortgages, and even those who don't require it often encourage it. This is because a mortgage ... http://frugalrealestate.com/what-is-an-escrow-account/ If you're planning on purchasing a home and claiming the first-time homebuyer tax credit, you'd better get a move on: the deadline to do so is April 30. You must close on the home on or before April 30.  Verbally agreeing to purchase the home doesn't count. Being in escrow doesn't ... http://frugalrealestate.com/claim-first-time-homebuyer-tax-credit/ When completing your taxes for 2009, don't forget about the property tax deduction for non-itemizers which was extended to the 2009 tax year. This deduction allows those not eligible for the standard deduction to deduct their property taxes paid. In years past, property taxes were only able to be deducted from ... http://frugalrealestate.com/property-tax-deduction-for-non-itemizers/ If you are selling a petite house, don't automatically fall into the mindset of "buyers won't be interested in my property because it's too small." While it is true that a large number of potential buyers will be turned off by the size of your home, there is a specific ... http://frugalrealestate.com/home-improvement-projects/ The majority of FSBO properties fail to sell because of ineffective real estate marketing strategies implemented by the seller. The main detriment to being an unrepresented seller is that the marketing responsibilities fall into your court; and frankly, if your home doesn't sell there is no one to blame but yourself. ... http://frugalrealestate.com/real-estate-marketing-direct/ Before the economic crisis hit, the majority of home buyers wholeheartedly supported no money down home loans. However, it seems that following the economic crisis no money down home loans have been taking metaphorical beatings from all angles. Frankly, the condemnation of the no money down home loan is uncalled ... http://frugalrealestate.com/real-estate-no-money-down/ Home refinancing is when a home owner takes out a second mortgage in order to pay off their initial mortgage. A fairly popular reason home owners choose to refinance their existing mortgage is because of lower monthly mortgage payments. Homeowners who are in the process of paying off their existing ... http://frugalrealestate.com/benefits-refinancing-a-home/ Home owners who are in the pre-foreclosure process are in dire need to short sell their homes. Home owners do not stand to gain any direct monetary profit from the short sale, however if the property sells during the short sale, the homeowner is given the opportunity to walk free ... http://frugalrealestate.com/short-selling-a-house/ Real estate auctions are an alternative home-selling method. The main reason sellers opt to sell their home through real estate auctions rather than through traditional methods is the potential of a quick and painless sale. Real estate auctions are becoming an increasingly popular home purchasing method for the first time ... http://frugalrealestate.com/real-estate-auctions/