Le Fleur de Lis Realty, LLC

Paying off an underwater mortgage and buying a better home could be the best tactic in this troubled market. "If you are trading up, what better time than when interest rates are at record lows and the cost of the trade-up is much less than it used to be?" says Christopher J. Mayer, a Columbia Business School economist. With 15-year ...

The housing slump caused by the end of the tax credits may be over, with sales of new homes rising 24 percent in June compared to May to an annual rate of 330,000, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Nevertheless, sales were at their second-lowest rate since 1963 – May’s were the lowest. “The future is going to be ...

Judicious home remodeling is still worth the investment, according to Remodeling magazine's annual "Cost vs. Value Report."By G.M. Filisko var author=''G.M. Filisko''; var date='Jan 1, 2010'; if (author!='''' && date!='') document.write(' | '); | January 2010Uncertainty and restraint are the order of the day in this economy, ...

Rates on conventional mortgage loans were essentially flat this week, according to Freddie Mac. The average rate for 30-year fixed mortgages didn’t move from last week’s record-low figure of 4.57 percent. Also, rates on 15-year fixed mortgages reached a new record low this week, falling slightly to 4.06 percent from 4.07 percent last ...

Homeowners who want to sell but don’t have a lot of cash to spruce up their properties might consider these tips from Bankrate.com for upgrading a property without spending a fortune. Polish up the kitchen. Add new cabinet door handles, replace lighting and update the faucet set. Unless the cabinets are mica, give them a fresh coat of ...

Residential mortgage bonds backed by the U.S. government have become a safe haven for investors again, helping to drive mortgage rates to record lows. The average interest on 30-year fixed loans fell this week to 4.58 percent, down from 4.69 percent a week ago, reports Freddie Mac. Relatively few home owners are refinancing at the bargain ...

Outdoor kitchens continue to be one of the hottest trends in home décor, but not all of them are created equal. Here are some things to consider when evaluating the safety and durability of this attractive yet vulnerable feature: • Is there adequate ventilation? Extensive outdoor cooking spaces should be carefully designed to keep ...

After a close brush with a deadline that could have impacted tens of thousands of home buyers, the U.S. Congress last night passed an extension of the Home buyer Tax Credit closing deadline. The extension is included in the Home Buyer Assistance and Improvement Act (H.R. 5623) and will prevent as many as 180,000 home buyers from losing their ...

Existing-home sales remained at elevated levels in May on buyer response to the tax credit, characterized by stabilizing home prices and historically low mortgage interest rates, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Gains in the West and South were offset by a decline in the Northeast; the Midwest was steady. Existing-home ...

More than 1,200 prison inmates, including 241 serving life sentences, applied for and received first-time hom ebuyer tax credits, according to a Treasury Department report released Wednesday. Treasury said many filed multiple claims, even some outside the alloted time persiod, and received help from paid preparers. Altogether they fraudulently ...