Tax Tip : What Are You Going To Do with your Tax Refund?

The typical U.S. taxpayer will receive roughly $3,000 in federal income tax refunds this year — an average of $250 per month. So, what would you do with an extra $250 monthly? This segment from NBC’s The Today Show offers some advice. Continue reading

What Mortgage Rates Are Doing This Week : April 9, 2012

In a week of up-and-down trading, mortgage markets improved for the second consecutive week last week. Weaker-than-expected jobs data plus evidence of a slumping Eurozone took mortgage bonds lower, capped by a furious Friday morning rally that dropped mortgage rates to near-record levels.

Once again, volatility ruled the bond pits. Continue reading

What Mortgage Rates Are Doing This Week : April 2, 2012

Mortgage markets improved last week on renewed concerns of a European debt default, and Federal Reserve rhetoric.

Conforming mortgage rates in California dropped on the news, one week after posting a 5-month high.

A major strike in Spain and growing unrest in Italy, both in opposition to recent austerity measures, have re-ignited fears that the Eurozone may lapse into recession. Continue reading

Report Shows Uneven Recovery For U.S. Housing

Recent data suggests that the U.S. housing market is in recovery. However, the data also shows this to be an uneven recovery.

According to the monthly S&P/Case-Shiller Index, for example, home values rose in three of 20 tracked markets between December 2011 and January 2012. 17 tracked markets showed home prices still in decline. Unfortunately, Sacramento is not one of the 20 markets tracked, but you can gleam a general trend from this report. Continue reading

Building Permits On The Rise

The new construction housing market appears primed for growth this season.

According to the Census Bureau, the number of single-family building permits issued in February rose to 472,000 on a seasonally adjusted, annual basis, marking the highest building permit tally since April 2010 — the last month of that year’s federal home buyer tax credit program.

Building permits are a pre-cursor to new home construction. Continue reading