The Ruhl Blog

10 Reasons People Decide to Buy a Home

Renting is a very frustrating way of life. The money you pay every month disappears, leaving you with few benefits other than a roof over your head. Compared to owning a home, renting is a futile exercise that leaves you...

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11 Cities Where Homes Sell the Fastest – Iowa City, IA Made the List!

According to data provided by Realtor.com, Iowa City, Iowa is one of the 11 cities that homes are selling the fastest! With a very high median sales price and average days on the market a mere 66 this may be the right time, if you were thinking about selling your home.   California boasted the highest number of cities where homes tended to spend...

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2011 Spring Parade of Homes

Please join us for the upcoming Spring Preview Parade of Homes event.  The parade will be held April 9th, 10th, 16th & 17th from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  As always, the parade of homes is free to the public. Many of the top builders in the Quad Cities participate in this event as it showcases new building trends in new construction homes....

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3 Questions You Must Answer Before Buying a Home

If you are thinking about purchasing a home right now, you are surely getting a lot of advice. And most of that advice is probably negative. Why buy now with prices still falling? Don’t you realize real estate is no longer a good investment? Don’t you know that people who bought five years ago lost their shirt? We understand the concern your...

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5 Real Estate Headlines You’ll See in the Next Six Months

Making predictions can be the ‘kiss-of-death’ for a blog. Even if we get four out of five correct (80%), there are those in the industry who will kill us on the one we got wrong. We believe strongly that when making a real estate decision for you and your family you must look forward and take into consideration how the housing market may change....

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5 Reasons You Should Consider Selling Now

If you plan on moving anytime in 2011, you should strongly consider selling your house now rather than waiting. Here are five reasons why: 1.) This is when your house will get the most exposure  The spring, and particularly the month of May, is when most buyers enter the real estate market. This surge of buyers dramatically increases the exposure...

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7 Tips for Short Sale Success

When you owe more on your home than its worth, but you have to sell, you need to squeeze every dollar possible from the sale. Here are seven tips for navigating the short-sale process. 1. Know who you owe A short sale has to be approved by any company that has a mortgage or lien against your home. That includes your first, second, or even...

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A Bull Market in Rental Housing

Five years into the real-estate bust, the market for single-family homes seems weaker than ever. According to the most recent S&P/Case-Shiller housing data, prices fell 3.3% nationwide in February from a year earlier. The ongoing malaise, paradoxically, is only boosting the opportunities for investors in multiunit rental properties. The...

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A Window of Opportunity for House Sellers

There has been much confusion as to where housing prices are headed. We have actually blogged on the issue recently. Today, we want to give our opinion on this subject for the short term. We believe sellers have a window of opportunity for the next 90-120 days in which to sell their homes for maximum price. We believe there will be increased downward...

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Almost 14,000 Houses Sold Yesterday

One of the biggest misconceptions in today’s housing market is that homes are not selling. That is simply not true. Last month’s Existing Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed that homes were selling at an “annual rate of 5.10 million”. That’s an average of 13,973 every day – 365 days a year! And the...

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America’s Top 10 States For Business in 2011

Let’s face it, in these economically trying times going to a state that is conducive for conducting business is vitally important. If you are looking for work it does not make a great deal of sense going to a state that hinders a businesses ability to succeed. Likewise, buying a house in a good business environment makes a lot more sense than...

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Americans Still Believe in the Value of Homeownership

Last week, Fannie Mae released their National Housing Survey for the third quarter of 2011. They survey the American public on a multitude of questions concerning today’s housing market. Each quarter, we like to pull out some of the findings we deem most interesting. Here they are for the most recent report: Most Important Reasons to Buy a...

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Appraisals: Why You Must Now Sell Your House Twice

Banks have become very conservative when lending mortgage money today. With the current foreclosure challenges in the country, we can’t really blame them. The requirements now necessary to qualify for mortgages have gotten much more stringent and it seems will get even more stringent as we move forward. The banks want to make sure the prospective...

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Cleaning Up the Negative Media on Housing

We here at KCM are often accused of allowing our belief in the benefits of owning a home to impact how we report on the housing market. We do not hide from the fact that we believe homeownership is a major piece of the American Dream. However, we still try to accurately report on the facts behind all industry news. Yet, there seems to be a consorted...

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Distressed Sales: State by State

We have often written on the impact foreclosures and short sales have on the value of the house next door. The Center for Responsible Lending has done great reporting on the subject. It seems distressed properties will be a challenge we will need to deal with for some time. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their Existing Sales...

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Do Neighborhood Watch Groups Cut Crime and Insurance Costs?

Your neighborhood watch program isn’t guaranteed to cut crime in your community, but if it does, that can lower insurance costs and raise property values.   Some studies report a reduction in crime after a watch starts, while others found an increase, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Justice. The DOJ report looked at 18 studies...

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Does It Make Sense To Buy a Home?

The financial turmoil we have experienced over the last five years has definitely taken it's toll. It has especially been a difficult time for real estate. Nationally, values have fallen over 25% and there may be more softening in prices to come. We realize that this has caused difficulty, and in some cases, heartbreak for many families. People...

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Even the Naysayers Are Saying To Buy Now!

Business School professors Eli Beracha of East Carolina University and Ken H. Johnson of Florida International University have done extensive research on which makes more sense financially: to rent or own a home. They published, Lessons from Over 30 Years of Buy versus Rent Decisions: Is the American Dream Always Wise? In their paper, the professors do...

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Experts on Real Estate

Our agents are experts because we learn from experts.  View one of our instructors on Fox and see what he says about now being the time to SELL! Keep checking RuhlHomes.com for the most up to date information on the real estate market! Steve Harney on Fox Business News from Steve Harney on Vimeo. ...

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Fannie Mae Announces 3.5% Buyer Assistance on REO Properties

Fannie Mae announced Monday that borrowers purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned property through HomePath, the GSE’s REO disposition operation, will receive up to 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance. The initial offer must be submitted on or after April 11, 2011, and the sale must close on or before June 30, 2011 to be eligible for the incentive....

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First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Repayment

There have been lots of questions about the 2008 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, so Ruhl&Ruhl put together this information to help. As always, please talk to your tax advisor with questions that are specific to you or your family. Before addressing repayment a brief look at the history of the homebuyer tax credit: The original tax credit...

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Fixed-rate Mortgages Fall to 6-Month Lows

Local lenders saw rates on 30-year and 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages move to a six-month low this past week, an important factor in the housing market recovery. Jane Schneider, President of 1862 Mortgage, said rates have slipped again presenting a great opportunity for buyers, as well as those ready to refinance. The average 30-year fixed-rate...

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For Buyers: The Financial Opportunity of a Lifetime?

We often point out that a buyer should be more concerned about the COST of a home rather than the PRICE. Price obviously is a component of cost. However, unless you buy all-cash, you must also be concerned about the financing of the purchase. The price and the financing together determine the cost of a home. Today, we want to look at only the...

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Foreclosures: Bringing Clarity to the Confusion

Headlines created by the numerous foreclosure reports often contradict each other. One headline announces foreclosures are rising while the next talks about the decrease in foreclosure numbers. This has led to tremendous confusion regarding the issue. Let’s bring some clarity to the data. There are five individual stages of the foreclosure process that are reported: 1.) 90+ Day Delinquencies Once a homeowner falls three months behind...

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Home Prices Stable in Our Markets

Our markets continue to be shielded from the rest of the country’s harsh decline in home prices, with our markets seeing a distinct increase, especially in the Quad Cities and Dubuque.        Nationally home prices have fallen 17.50% in the last five years, but all of our markets’ home prices are up: 8.51% in Dubuque; 6.35% in the...

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Home Prices Strong in our Markets

Home prices in our markets continue to be resilient when compared to the rest of the country, ranking in the top 16% in the nation. Nationally home prices have fallen 18.56% in the last five years, but all of our markets’ home prices are up: 8.06% in Dubuque; 5.23% in the Quad Cities; 2.39% in Cedar Rapids; and 2.27% in Iowa City. This compares...

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Home Sales: Investors Are About to Return

Sales in the housing industry have remained stagnant over the last several months. Though certain categories of purchasers have remained stable and even increased, the number of cash buyers and investors has dramatically decreased. Researchers from Capital Economics recently reported: “The firm has found that since January, the number of homes...

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Housing Market in Q-C ‘bubbling’

The Quad-City housing market remains strong, according to the annual prediction of a national real estate firm. Housing Predictor, an independent real estate research firm based in Destin, Fla., ranked the Quad-City region 24th on its Best 25 Real Estate Markets, according to editor Mike Colpitts. The ranking looked at 234 U.S. markets. The survey...

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How Much Should You Put Down?

Like most questions, the answer is “it depends”. Today, I thought I’d give you some things to consider. Let’s begin the discussion with loans that don’t require Mortgage Insurance. The suggestion is to borrow as much as you can afford. As an example, borrowing $310,000, as opposed to $300,000, will increase your mortgage payment by...

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How To Make An Offer that Will Be Accepted

You have finally found the house of your dreams. It is priced right and is receiving a lot of attention from other buyers. You don’t want to miss this opportunity so you are ready to put in an offer with the real estate agent immediately. What can you do to guarantee your offer is the one accepted? Financially, offers can be broken down into...

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If Prices Are Falling, Why Are the Rich Buying?

There is an interesting phenomenon taking place in the real estate market. While house prices are falling, the rich are starting to purchase. DataQuick Information Systems reported last week that sales on homes $1 million or more rose 18.6% last year after four consecutive years of decline. This is at the same time that sales outside of this price...

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If Your Goal Is to Buy Low, Buy Now!

There is a very famous saying which asserts “Sell High, Buy Low”. It is obviously great advice no matter what the investment. Below is a graph showing the cycle of investments. It shows the points of maximum risk and maximum opportunity when purchasing. We want to sell high (point of maximum risk) and buy low (point of maximum opportunity)....

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Increasing Demand Increases Value of Farmland

The value of farmland is on the rise because of an increasing demand. Although prices vary based on location and size of parcel, high-quality crop land in the Quad-Cities region and western Illinois is selling for about $8,000 to $9,000 an acre, according toDennis Stolk, of Ruhl & Ruhl's Davenport Farm & Land division. Mr. Stolk said...

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Iowa Farmland Increased 25.4% in Value

The value of cropland across the state of Iowa is dramatically on the rise, along with high demand. “Demand for cropland in our area is the strongest I've ever seen,” said Tom Marcus, Ruhl&Ruhl Realtor in the Maquoketa area, who has been selling farmland since 1975. “In greatest demand is high quality cropland Corn Suitability Rating...

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Is a Short Sale or a Foreclosure My Best Option?

We get asked this question quite often. In a rapidly changing market, it is difficult to give absolute answers. Much depends on your family’s personal situation. However, if you realize that you can no longer make the payments, you may have to decide between doing a short sale or letting the home go to foreclosure. Here are three things you...

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Is There a 3.8% Tax on Homes in the Health Bill?

As the presidential debates start to heat up, there will be comments about the Administration's Health Care Bill. We are again getting many questions about a possible 3.8% tax on home sales that some claim is in the bill. To answer these questions, we have decided to re-run a blog post we did a couple months ago. We have received many...

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It’s Time to Buy (or Refinance)

 “Housing is more affordable than it’s been in a generation. I think it is a good time to become a home owner because it’s so affordable today compared to where it’s been for generations,” stated HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.  This is a great time to buy in our region – and here is why: 1. Our Region’s Real Estate Market is healthier...

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Military Homebuyer Tax Credits Still Available!

Although the Homebuyer Tax Credit has expired for most of the population, Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS would like to remind the public that there are still homebuyer tax incentives available for our service personnel. For the qualified members of the military who are ordered on a period of official extended duty, the Homebuyer Tax Credit was extended...

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More Disclosures on the Way to “Help” the Consumer

In their never ending quest to “simplify” the confusion surrounding the borrowing of money, the Fed has released their Final Rule for Risk Based Pricing Notices, as well as Adverse Action Notices. More paper work filled with CYA, legal terminology that winds up baffling people more than giving them any clarity. Let’s take a peek…. Risk...

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Mortgage Insurance Cancellation: The Myths and Realities

When it comes to private mortgage insurance (MI), there are several myths that exist that make buyers reluctant to consider a conventional loan with MI as an option when purchasing a home. One of the more common misconceptions is that cancelling MI is a difficult—not to mention time-consuming—process. The irony is that the majority of buyers...

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New Manager Joins Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS in

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS is pleased to announce the addition of Cathy Dalldorf to our team, as a Regional Manager, overseeing the Ruhl&Ruhl offices of DeWitt, Clinton and Maquoketa. Dalldorf brings a wealth of real estate knowledge and expertise, as well as management experience. “I am excited for this new opportunity to grow with Ruhl&Ruhl,”...

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New Manager Joins Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS in Moline Office

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS is pleased to announce the promotion of Chris Beason as the manager of the Ruhl&Ruhl Moline Office. Beason, son of Caroline Ruhl, President of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS, was born and raised in the Quad Cities and has grown up in the real estate industry, bringing a wealth of knowledge about the area and the business. ...

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NEWSFLASH: There Is NO Inventory!!!

I was in a conversation with one of the most productive agents in our area recently and he told me that there were “no homes for him to sell”. I thought he had a brain cramp. Look at all the ‘For Sale’ signs, all the homes on MLS, all the short sales and foreclosures plus the entire shadow inventory on its way. Had this respected agent...

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Real Estate and Financing Are PERSONAL

Every day we are bombarded with statistics and data.  Housing starts are up, housing starts are down; more job losses, unemployment is improving; foreclosures, short sales, housing inventory, interest rate movements and much more.  It’s enough to make your head spin. There’s an old saying that claims: “All real estate is local”. It...

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Real Estate: GOLDen Opportunity of This Decade

Everyone wants to comment on the current real estate market. They want to talk about how now is not the time to buy a home. Some even argue owning a house has never been a great investment. Most say it will be a long time before real estate again begins to appreciate. It all sounds so familiar to me. It was just a decade ago that many made the...

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Rental Prices Jump 11.6 Percent in 2010

 You would think that with the housing crisis in full swing that there would be so many homes available to rent that rental prices would go down. Seeing the recent numbers from HotPads you would be wrong. The average rental price in 2010 increased by 11.6% during the year. That is a huge jump on many levels: For families on a fixed income,...

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Ruhl&Ruhl Congratulates Rock Island Arsenal for Best Overall Chapter Award

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS is proud to congratulate the Rock Island Arsenal for being awarded the Best Overall Chapter Award in their category from AUSA National. This award demonstrates their commitment to assist Soldiers and families throughout eastern Iowa and western Illinois - from Active Army, Reserve, and National Guard personnel to ROTC, Veteran...

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Ruhl&Ruhl Named for Having One of the Most Colorful Trees in the QC

Old summers don't die, they just explode into color - the bright yellows, oranges, reds and purples of our annual Midwest fall foliage show. The performance is under way now and will peak in various spots until the end of October. The northern halves of Iowa and Illinois are expected to experience peak colors about Saturday, Oct. 8, with...

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Ruhl&Ruhl Participates in 2011 Fall Parade of Homes

Please join us for the upcoming Fall Preview Parade of Homes event.  The parade will be held September 17th, 18th, 21st, 24th & 25th from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Wednesday –Friday. As always, the parade of homes is free to the public. Many of the top builders in the Quad Cities participate...

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Ruhl&Ruhl REALTOR Assists with the Sale of Cedar Rapids Church

Cedar Rapids Ruhl&Ruhl REALTOR, Peg Cretin certainly went out of the ordinary with the listing of the Church on Fire Christian Center.  With a recent deal under way the property is now pending, but Ruhl&Ruhl wanted to share an article ran in the “Cedar Rapids Gazette” on July 2, 2011. The article reads - Cedar Rapids Realtors still...

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Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS Announces New Burlington Office

Caroline Ruhl, President of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS, is pleased to announce the addition of a Burlington Office. Ruhl&Ruhl, the largest privately-owned real estate company in Iowa, has other residential sales offices located in Bettendorf, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Coralville, DeWitt, Maquoketa, Muscatine and Dubuque, Iowa; and in...

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Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS Partners with Nelson Brothers Insurance

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS and NAI Ruhl & Ruhl Commercial Company are partnering with Nelson Brothers Insurance to expand our offerings and provide insurance services to our clients. "With their commitment to integrity and customer service, as well as being a locally-owned and family-operated company, it was a natural fit," said Caroline Ruhl,...

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Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS Sponsor of Schmooza Palooza

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS is proudly sponsoring the 2011 Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce Schmooza Palooza, a chamber event dedicated to networking and tasting of local eats and drinks. “We are excited to be a part of this exciting event,” said Caroline Ruhl, President of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS. “We have always been supporters of the Chamber...

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Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS Sponsors THE Quad City Marathon

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS is proudly sponsoring the 2011 Quad Cities marathon! The marathon will consist of 5 different races and all proceeds will benefit the Erika Kate foundation and US Too prostate cancer education and support group. “We are thrilled to be a part of this exciting event,” said Caroline Ruhl, President of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS....

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Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS to Host FREE Career Seminar

Did you know that you may possess talents very similar to our most successful agents and not even know it?  Join Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS on Thursday, June 16th as they host a free Real Estate Career Seminar from 7:00–8:30 p.m. at its Moline office, located at 1702 – 52nd Avenue, Moline, Illinois.      This seminar will focus on selling...

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Ruhl&Ruhl Selected as a Prudential Preferred Broker

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS Relocation Department is proud to announce that Ruhl&Ruhl has been selected by Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services as a member of their Preferred Broker Network for 2011-2012. Prudential’s commitment to their corporate clients is to utilize brokers and sales professionals who have been certified through...

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Ruhl&Ruhl Supports the Dubuque Museum of Art

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS is the proud to be the sponsor of the Dubuque Museum of Art’s 2011 Annual Art Auction and Holiday Party. “This is going to be a great event and we are excited to be a part of it this year,” said Jeff Hefel, Manager of the Ruhl&Ruhl Dubuque Office. “Art has been a long-time treasure of this community and our...

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Selling Your House? 5 Reasons To Do It NOW!

The conventional wisdom when selling a home has always been to wait until the 'Spring Buying Season'. Over the years, that has seemed to make sense and is now accepted as a good strategy for those who want to sell their house and receive the best possible price. This real estate market has shattered many previously held beliefs. The wisdom...

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Short Sale vs. Foreclosure: A Short Sale Always Wins

Today’s ever changing real estate industry has brought upon some very challenging questions from our clients. We as counselors, want to put forth the best, non-emotional advice that we can, in hopes that we can help our clients and their families navigate the rough waters of the short sale process. The most prevalent question and one that continues...

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Short Sales: Has Their Time Finally Arrived?

Last week, RealtyTrac released its Q2 2011 U.S. Foreclosure Sales Report. The report confirmed what we are hearing in the marketplace – banks are beginning to look more favorably on short sales as option to foreclosure. The report dissected the sales of distressed properties in the second quarter of 2011. Here are several of their findings:...

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Should You Rent or Buy in this Market?

Families are trying to determine whether or not now is the time to buy a home. Some are advising these families to sit out the current real estate market and instead rent for the next year or two. We do not agree with this advice. Homeownership means a lot to a family. We also realize that the financial aspects of purchasing a home today can be...

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The Need for a True Real Estate Professional

Anyone in the real estate industry for any length of time realizes that the education required and the resources necessary to be a true industry professional have dramatically increased over the last two decades. In today’s volatile market, it is necessary to have a true real estate professional if you want to sell your home for the best possible...

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Top 10 Tips for First-Time Homebuyers

There is a popular saying that exists and while the latter half of the saying varies depending on time, date and season, it always begins with “It’s hard to imagine …” For instance, you could be driving along, staring at the snow-covered landscape and someone will chirp up and say, “It’s hard to imagine that in six months time...

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Top 5 Real Estate Headlines in the 1st Half of 2011

We have reached the midway point of the year. Today, we want to look back over the first six months and give you what we believe were the five items which have had the biggest impact on the real estate industry so far this year. The Government Wants Out of the Mortgage Business From the original outline of the Dodd-Frank regulations to the talk...

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Trending Up in 2011

Ours Are Among the Best Housing Markets in the Country! Housing Predictor, an independent real estate research firm, just released their ranking of 234 real estate markets in the country. The ranking was based on projected appreciation in local home values for 2011. And our markets top the list: Best 25 Housing Markets 2011 Forecasted...

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Was it Worth Waiting?

        This article was originally published in the Keeping Current Matters newsletter.  For more statistics and current prices of owning a home please visit RuhlHomes.com.

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What If I Don’t Currently Qualify For a New Mortgage?

Ruhl&Ruhl realizes that when the idea or dream of purchasing a home starts to circle around in your mind, majority of the time the title above does not accompany that thought. And while this type of situation is unbelievably frustrating, keep in mind that you do have options.  Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors along with 1862 Mortgage is here to help....

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What is a QR code? And what does it do?

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS has adopted some new technology to create QR codes, which look similar to a barcode, for all Ruhl&Ruhl listings, allowing our Realtors to market our listings even more effectively. Ruhl&Ruhl’s QR codes will contain the basic information such as price and square footage on the home, address of the home and the...

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Where Are Housing Prices Headed?

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has been reporting great news recently. Last week's Existing Home Sales Report and this week's Pending Sales Report both showed consecutive months of increases in the number of homes sold. Finally, buyers are jumping off the fence and taking advantage of one of the most opportune times to purchase...

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Why Do People Actually Buy a Home?

It seems that every time we talk about real estate today the conversation immediately goes to the financial aspects of buying a home. Where are prices headed? Where are interest rates headed? Should I wait to try and get a ‘better buy’? Should I wait until I can get a ‘steal’? The odd thing about all these questions is that survey after...

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Why You Need a True Professional to Sell Your Home

Many people ask us whether they should hire an agent to sell their home or whether they should first try as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). In today’s volatile market, we believe this is an easy decision: you need an experienced professional! You need an expert guide if you are traveling a dangerous path The field of real estate is loaded with...

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Will Falling Values Lead to More Strategic Defaults?

As prices continue to soften, more and more homeowners will fall into a position of negative equity on their homes. This means that the balance on their mortgage is greater than the value of their home. The reason this is important is that people are more prone to strategically default on their mortgage when ‘underwater’. What is a strategic...

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