Apartment rents have risen nationally for 23 straight quarters and are 15.2% higher than they were at the end of the recession in 2009. The figures suggest the five-year squeeze on renters shows little sign of easing. Renting is becoming increasingly more expensive across the country, evidenced by this infographic from Zillow:
Archives for December 2014
Scenes From The Thomas Leiper Colonial Christmas Open House 2014
3% Down Payment Options Being Offered For 1st Time Buyers
Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced on Monday that they would begin offering programs for 1st time home buyers that will require down payments as low as 3%.
Through it’s My Community Mortgage program which starts this week Fannie Mae will offer this new program to qualified borrowers who have a minimum credit score of 620. Freddie Mac’s program, Home Possible Advantage begins in March.
These conforming conventional loan programs will offer 1st time buyers an alternative to FHA programs that offer a 3.5% down payment options but have the disadvantage of higher cost mortgage insurance.
These programs are in response to the housing industry’s concerns that tightening credit standards and higher down payment programs that have sidelined many 1st time home buyers. Saving sufficient money for a down payment has often been cited as a significant obstacle for 1st time home buyers.
Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086
Keep The Warm Air Inside This Winter
Heating your home can get expensive during the brutally cold days of winter. What you might not realize is that a lot of that precious warm air is quickly escaping your home through gaps and cracks you probably don’t even know are there. No one wants to waste money, so it’s a good idea to take a walk through your home – from top to bottom – and plug any leaks.
Here are some materials that you should have on hand to help ensure that you are conserving energy, saving money and keeping your family warm and comfortable this winter:
Weatherstripping – Install weatherstripping around your attic hatch, and around windows and doors to eliminate drafts and to help keep heated air from escaping. Options range from bronze weatherstripping which is more expensive but is long lasting, to more-affordable adhesive-backed EPDM rubber that still lasts at least 10 years. In addition to weatherstripping, door sweeps also do a good job on doors that let in a draft at the bottom.
Spray Foam – Low-expansion polyurethane foam in a can be effective in sealing many types of holes, gaps and crevices around your home. Some places where spray foam can be used include the gap between the wall and the pipe under sinks, around the wood framing of the walls of an unfinished basement where the wood meets the poured concrete foundation wall, where siding meets the home’s foundation, and around outdoor faucets and vents.
Caulk – This is the best filler for gaps that are small and that are next to nonporous materials, such as metal flashing. Silicone caulk is preferred as it is permanently waterproof, flexible, and shrink- and crack-proof, meaning it won’t leave gaps or cracks for air and water to seep through over time.
Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086
Colonial Christmas Open House – Thomas Leiper House – Sunday December 14, 2014
The Friends Of The Thomas Leiper House will be hosting the annual Colonial Christmas Open House at the Leiper House located at 521 Avondale Road in Wallingford PA on Sunday December 14, 2014 from 1 PM until 6 PM. Rooms in the Colonial era home of Thomas Leiper will be decorated for the Holidays. Refreshments will be served in the Music Room and Dining Room in celebration of Thomas Leiper’s birthday.
Thomas Leiper was born on December 15, 1745 in Strathaven, Scotland, and was an influential businessman and politician.
Wallingford Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086