A swath of green is covering the real estate industry. An increasing number of Realtors are taking special courses to learn about geo-thermal heat pumps and success-proven techniques home buyers can use to qualify for grants and tax credits for energy-saving improvements. They then market themselves as eco-friendly "green" Realtors.
New housing developers are also hopping [...]

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The VA Home Loan Guarantee Program, designed to provide favorable loan terms for veterans who are unable to qualify for a conventional loan, may soon be revised to offer more veteran benefits. Congress is considering the changes.
"The VA program offers unique and important benefits for helping our military families achieve their dream of homeownership," said [...]

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The Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 (S. 2636) may not be signed into law. The White House indicates it’s headed for a veto. The bill would change bankruptcy laws by giving judges the latitude to reduce interest rates and the amount that is owed on mortgages of at-risk homeowners.
"We appreciate the Senators’ efforts to try [...]

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The maximum mortgage limits (caps) placed on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two giant government-sponsored buyers of existing mortgages have been lifted, effective March 1, it was announced by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). The caps had been instituted several years ago when the enterprises encountered problems resulting from their "creative [...]

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4th Annual San Diego Race for Autism     March 29
About one in 166 children are diagnosed with Autism. The purpose of this 5K run/walk and 1-mile fun walk is to raise funds for programs and services for autistic children in San Diego. Families, teams, and individuals are encouraged to participate. A resource fair will accompany this [...]

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A proposed new provision in the planned economic stimulus package would offer a tax credit for home buyers. If enacted, it would help reduce the large amount of new housing inventory currently on the market, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
"It would be particularly helpful to first-time buyers," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist [...]

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• The first $250,000 to $500,000 in capital gains from the sale of an owner-occupied home is excluded from taxation. Owners also are able to deduct local and state property taxes. There are very few comparable tax breaks for renters, and the few that exist are mostly restricted to low-income families.
• Owners reap the costs [...]

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Home values have declined across the country, giving homebuyers the best buys they’ve had since 2004.
It may be the best time to buy a house in more than four years.
Home prices have dropped so quickly and so far that valuations - the difference between what a home should cost and its actual price - are [...]

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More home foreclosures are coming, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned on Tuesday. A “vigorous response” is needed.
• Although high concentrations of foreclosures can be found in certain communities, these neighborhoods are not representative of the state as a whole. Foreclosure rates vary widely between neighborhoods, cities and counties.
• The declining home prices that have [...]

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• Interest rates on home equity lines of credit are far below the rates of most credit cards, so homeowners who are able to tap those lines for emergencies accumulate less debt than renters forced to charge expenses at higher rates. A $30,000 home equity loan is running at about 5.75 percent this week, according [...]

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