Monthly Archives: November 2012

Are seller assisted Down Payment Programs more risky?

DUH….YEAH! According to the General Accounting Office study  – GAO Report on Delinquencies of Down Payment Assistance Programs   References to products and services are not a specific endorsement, but the user must perform their due diligence and investigate whether … Continue reading

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Lien laws in Georgia – Contractors can place a lien on your home

Go to Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection website and search for “Liens” and find the ones placed on your home to review how to prevent them and what can happen to your property and steps you can take up … Continue reading

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Inheriting Real Estate – Refinance?

Update 1-21-2015: The 1982 Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act states that a lender may not exercise its option on a due-on-sale clause in certain circumstance including transfer of real property to a relative resulting from the death of a borrower. … Continue reading

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More Changes to FHA Up Front & Annual Mortgage Insurance Premiums?

8-16-2014: Borrowers must now pay an up-front fee of 1.75 percent of the loan balance and up to 1.35 percentage points in annual mortgage-insurance premiums. Well, I really don’t see any future reductions in rates (especially since they’ll be requesting … Continue reading

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Cobb County Codes & Ordinances – Some Common Violations

There are laws (codes and ordinances) that all local cities and counties legislate to try and protect the enjoyment of property that may seem intrusive, but are designed to balance lifestyles and freedom from harm. These are the codes & … Continue reading

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Any down payment assistance programs remain?

Are there any “legitimate” down payment assistance programs left to use besides Georgia Dream? The Georgia Dream Program is still available and provides up to a $5,000 2nd loan and requires home buyer to come up with at least $1,000 … Continue reading

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Are Tax Allocation Districts (TADs) dead or alive?

Where did our money go? Are TADs effective?  Who is running the numbers? TADs (redevelopment projects built with funds paid back from municipal and school property taxes resulting from improvements) used to pop up during the real estate boom years … Continue reading

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Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) – Blessing or Curse?

Ok boys and girls – what’s the answer? Update 3-14-2015: The results of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve study of impact on real estate market published in August 2014 revealed that the HVCC “did” lower over-inflated appraisals, but also had the … Continue reading

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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – What will be the future burden on US taxpayers?

What will their final tally be and will we ever know for sure? 8-24-13:  Two options, wind them down and turn over to private financial investment may raise mortgage interest rate by .75%, or implement a Federal Mortgage Insurance Corporation … Continue reading

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Are tax breaks for real estate development necessary?

Are they legal and absolutely necessary to enable developers make a higher profit and create a complex that draws more tax revenue than it costs? Where is the cost v. benefit analysis on each development as presented to the public … Continue reading

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