Posts with tag first-time homebuyers

By Diana Olick The housing numbers are all heading in the right direction. Home prices up, foreclosures down and, perhaps the most important, consumer confidence in housing swelling. Even as sales of new and existing homes bounce up and down month to month, the desire to buy is growing. The percentage of Americans who say... Continue Reading »

By Jeff Brown Thinking about buying your first home? Well, get a move on -- in some markets the supply's dwindling. That's the finding in research by Zillow, which runs the home-shopping site Zillow.com. "First-time homebuyers are being squeezed out of the market by falling inventory and the rapid influx of investors... Continue Reading »

By Christopher S. Rugaber WASHINGTON -- A jump in sales of previously occupied homes and further gains in home construction suggest that the U.S. housing recovery is gaining momentum. Sales of previously occupied homes rose 7.8 percent in August from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.82 million, the National... Continue Reading »

By Christopher S. Rugaber WASHINGTON -- Americans bought more homes in July than in June, the latest evidence that the housing market is slowly, but steadily, improving. Sales of previously occupied homes rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.47 million in July, a 2.3 percent increase from the previous month's... Continue Reading »

Existing home sales continued on an upward though unsteady path in the first quarter of this year, thanks in large part to sales of foreclosures and other discount properties. Home sales rose in 49 states and Washington, D.C., according to a report released Tuesday by the National Association of Realtors. Total existing... Continue Reading »

To improve or not to improve--that's the big question when you're about to move into a new home, and especially challenging if it's your first home. You want to make the right choices for your wallet, your comfort and your return on your home improvement investment dollar. Before you hire a contractor or take a... Continue Reading »

What will the New Year hold for the U.S. housing market? It depends on who you ask. That's why AOL Real Estate has assembled an all-star panel of real estate mavens and moguls to discuss the questions that matter most to consumers. Should you buy, rent, sell or renovate in 2011? Will home values improve? Which way will... Continue Reading »

Should you buy that first home or remain a renter? It's a classic question made much more complicated by the housing market's recent crash. How do you know if you're ready? Will you be able to afford a mortgage, and all the fees associated with securing a loan and closing? And how can you tell if the local market has... Continue Reading »

Set with solid jobs, nice cars and a baby on the way, there was only one thing Liz and Wes Clayton were missing: the perfect house. They had no problem tracking down the ideal three-bedroom ranch in Fairfax, Va., negotiating a price or securing a loan -- it was the closing costs that left them less than settled. "The only... Continue Reading »

You may have heard by now that if you purchased a home last year and had not owned a primary residence in the previous three years, you may be eligible to claim a deduction of 10 percent of the price of your new home, up to $8,000. Or, as a repeat buyer, you might be eligible for up to $6,500. But did you know that you... Continue Reading »