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5 questions to help you choose between a 30-year mortgage or 15 – Part 1

It has been a slow and painful process, but the housing market is now in recovery and foreclosures have been dropping. Since the housing bust, regulators have focused on preventing borrowers from entering into potentially toxic loans. To help accomplish this, the U.S. government established the
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For some it’s easier to get a mortgage

Make no mistake: Mortgage credit is still very tight by historical standards, and only borrowers with the most pristine credit and healthy down payments can get the lowest rates. But there are signs that the noose is loosening, if only slightly, in response to lower mortgage volume. Volume has
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New home buyers could be dissuade by rising mortgage rates

A sharp rise in mortgage rates over the last few weeks means it may be too late for some homeowners to benefit from a refinance. This just as thousands were gaining equity in their homes and finally becoming eligible. At the same time, the still-low rates are encouraging some renters to buy
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A major shift in the housing market

The real estate market has been one of the strongest pillars of the economy following the greatest financial downturn since the Great Depression. Amid low interest rates and a great deal of intervention from policymakers, home buyers received an added incentive to purchase a home. Meanwhile,
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Up For Auction, Michael Jordan’s Chicago Home

As the best player ever in the NBA, Michael Jordan didn’t rely on any gimmicks. But as the owner of a superlative, museum-quality home just north of Chicago, Jordan has realized that it’s going to take a little more than a the typical “For Sale” sign to find the right buyer for his
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Homes Sales Fall As Housing Becomes Less Affordable

Well it shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise. Sales of previously owned homes fell 1.9% in September from a month earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors, as the summertime spike in mortgage rates pressured activity and housing affordability
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High-end house flips and Investors

Rising home prices and short supply have investors setting their sights on a new real estate play. Home flipping, loosely defined as buying and selling the same home within six months, fell out of favor during the housing recession, as falling prices left no prospect for profit. Now the market is
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Santa Fe is #17!

Readers of Conde Nast Traveler recently voted for their favorite cities* worldwide - and Santa Fe is #17! We're tied with Sidney, Australia and Victoria, Canada for the #17 spot. Pretty good company for our little town. Santa Fe was described as "pure magic;" a "heaven where souls vacation."
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Prices for Housing in U.S. Cities is on the Rise

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose in August from a year ago by the most since February 2006 as stronger demand boosted values. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of property prices in 20 cities increased 12.8 percent from August 2012, more than forecast, after a 12.3 percent gain in the year ended
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Love Santa Fe: Farolito Time

Is it a farolito?  Or a luminaria?  The humble brown paper bag with sand and a candle inside is the magic lantern of Santa Fe.   But what to call it?  In Santa Fe, we call it a farolito.  Luminaria is the name for a little bonfire.  Both are part of a unique Santa Fe tradition:  The
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