Archives for June 2014

Mortgage rates in the U.S. rose for a second week, extending an increase in borrowing costs from an eight-month low. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 4.2 percent this week, up from 4.14 percent,Freddie Mac said in a statement today. The average 15-year rate climbed to 3.31 percent from 3.23 percent, according to the the McLean, Virginia-based mortgage-finance company. Homebuyers got a temporary reprieve when rates unexpectedly dropped for five straight weeks beginning in early May. Economists … [Read more...]

To compile the list, real estate blog Movoto looked at six criteria that reflect root causes of stress, including commute times and hours worked. Arizona is the 10th most stressed out state, according to a new list from Movoto, a real estate blog. The higher these measures were, the more stressed the people of each state were deemed. Movoto used data from the U.S. Census' American Community Survey for 2008-2012. Here are the 20 most stressed out states: 1. Florida Rank according to hours worked: … [Read more...]

Hidden hazards can derail your dream of scoring a great deal. Before you plunk down any cash, sit down with this  A fixer-upper can often seem like a first-time homebuyer’s dream: an older home with great bones that simply needs an update or perhaps a few tweaks to its layout.Unfortunately, even seemingly straightforward projects can be fraught with hidden problems discovered once work begins. While disclosure laws seek to protect homebuyers, sellers can always claim ignorance to problems like lead paint, … [Read more...]

High-end homebuyers, particularly those spending more than $2 million, weren't just looking at metro Phoenix mansions during April. They were buying. Ten luxury estates priced above $3 million sold in April, up from seven during the same month in 2013. Twenty-eight houses priced between $2 million and $3 million sold, 11 more than changed hands during April 2013. According to Walt Danley Realty and Mike Orr's monthly luxury home report, another 28 houses priced between $1.5 million and $2 million were … [Read more...]

The kitchen is so often the center of home activity, and it’s even more so when there are kids around. But setting up a space that can handle everything from homework and play dough to family dinner takes a little thinking. Here are 12 ideas for designing and organizing your kitchen to make it the bustling but not chaotic (at least most of the time) hub of family life you want it to be. Austin Patterson Disston Architects Half wall. Carving out a half- or third-height wall will give you the easy … [Read more...]