Hillary Waldron's archive

sited from Housing Wire

The J.D. Power and Associates 2011 primary mortgage servicer satisfaction study showed "frustration continues to mount for homeowners who originated their mortgages during the peak of the housing boom" and are unable to refinance despite historically low interest rates.

The survey of 4,516 homeowners measured consumer satisfaction with the billing and payment process; escrow account administration; website; and phone contact. J.D. Power and Associates said respondent satisfaction declined in all four areas from a year ago.

"Many homeowners who are still in home loans that were originated between 2006 and 2008 — when home values peaked and credit standards were the most lax — would like to refinance, but can't because they either don't have enough equity in their home due to falling home prices or their credit profile doesn't meet today's tougher standards," according to David Lo, director of financial services at J.D. Power and Associates. continue article...

sited from Zillow

When you buy a home, you’re not only purchasing the actual house, but the property and everything that comes along with it. Often, if you’re lucky, this includes a few trees that can add privacy, work as a noise barrier and ultimately increase your home’s value. However, a tree can also mean possible property damage and tussles with the neighbors.

Talk it Out

One of the biggest neighbor disputes involves property lines and trees that cross them. Although you as a homeowner have the right to trim anything on your property, or anything that crosses over onto your property, doing so could have disastrous results.

“Property lines are a gray area,” explains Jim Burgess of Snohomish Arborists. He notes that the best option is to talk to your neighbor first before you take matters into your own hands.

If you have a legitimate concern over a tree on your property, or on your neighbor’s property next door, you have every right to address it — even if your neighbor doesn’t agree with you. The best way to tackle the issue without litigation is to bring in an expert.

An arborist, or tree service consultant, can work with you and your neighbor as a third party to find the best way to deal with a tree. Burgess often says that two consultants will be brought in — one for one neighbor and one for the other — so the most impartial decision can be made.

While the consulting session can run upwards of $100 an hour, Burgess says it’s worth it. You don’t know if the tree is dead, damaged or needs to have specific care given to it. Not only can a consultant help you work with your neighbor, they’ll let you know if the tree needs to be removed. continue article...

sited from Zillow.com

Since Zillow has data on more than 100 million homes, there are a number of ways to narrow down your search, including price, number of bathrooms and even construction date.

Because everyone loves a good deal, today we’re going to look at how to search for homes for sale with price cuts, as well as showcase a few options that pop up around the country.

If you choose “More Filters” in the Zillow search feature, it will expand to give you a list of options to choose from, including “Price Reductions” (highlighted in the image below). Selecting this will give you a list of homes in an area that reduced their listing prices. continue article...

sited from Housing Wire

The U.S. homeownership rate in the second quarter dropped to its lowest level in 13 years, according to the Census Bureau, with analysts expecting even more drops ahead.

The homeownership rate fell to 65.9%, down one percentage point from a year ago. It's the lowest level measured since the first quarter of 1998. Analysts at Capital Economics said this means the homeownership rate built during the housing boom has been "completely wiped out" by its bust.

"The poor economic climate, the double dip in house prices, the high number of foreclosures and tight credit conditions are all reasons why the homeownership rate will continue to fall," analysts said. continue article...

sited from Boston.com

Looks like HOGAN'S RUN in Lower Allston is for sale, only about three years after hipsters discovered it and took it over for a few months until they got tired of making the effort (remember that? It was poised for a breakthrough!).

But anyway, yeah -- the dive bar is available, and if only someone in the local music scene found $750k between the couch cushions (Ernie Boch?) we could turn this place into another performance space (it already comes with an entertainment license!). It could be like the O'Brien's Pub of LA, finally putting to (accurate) use all those old "This is L.A. Not Boston" shirts the Common Ground (RIP) used to sell. continue article...