Ask the Agent

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• Lease Renewal: What’s a Fair Price?

  By Alison Rogers | Nov 19, 2009 | 0 comments

  A renter asks how to negotiate a discount on his lease renewal in a declining market. Alison Rogers, Moneywatch's resident Realtor, offers a not-for-vegans answer.

• Would You Bet $250,000 That A Realtor Lied?

  By Alison Rogers | Nov 18, 2009 | 0 comments

  Potential homebuyers are often told that "there's another offer on the table." Is that true? How, as a buyer, should you handle it? An experienced realtor offers counsel and suggests some potential follow-up questions to help you get your dream home -- without overpaying.

• Nicolas Cage: Foreclosure for “National Treasure” star

  By Alison Rogers | Nov 16, 2009 | 2 comments

  Wonder just how widespread foreclosures are? The lender on two of Nicolas Cage's New Orleans homes buys them back in a foreclosure auction.

• FHA Reserves Scraping Bottom

  By Alison Rogers | Nov 12, 2009 | 0 comments

  FHA reserves fall below required levels, to $31 billion. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan notes a drop from 3 percent to 0.53 percent, which has taken place over the past year. That's in part because FHA is insuring more and more mortgages to fill the credit crunch void left behind by private lenders.

• New (November) Report Card for “Good” and “Bad” Mortgage Lenders

  By Alison Rogers | Nov 10, 2009 | 0 comments

  A report card on which banks are really modifying mortgages, based on the latest Treasury Department statistics from the Making Home Affordable program. This analysis of the government's HAMP servicer performance report looks at how each bank is doing, from Citicorp to Chase.

• Miss the Tax Credit? Some Consolations

  By Alison Rogers | Nov 9, 2009 | 0 comments

  President Obama just signed the extension of the first-time homebuyer tax credit. Great if you can qualify for it -- but here are some consolations for the rest of us. Three reasons to celebrate the credit, even for renters, existing homeowners, and those too rich to qualify.

• Are Points Tax-Deductible?

  By Alison Rogers | Nov 6, 2009 | 0 comments

  Are points, or prepaid interest, on a new condo tax-deductible? Usually. This piece helps homebuyers save money on your taxes. It looks at when points are deductible (primary residence, buyer or seller-paid interest) and when they're not (service fees hiding under another name.)

• Most Effective Home Improvements for Home Sellers

  By Alison Rogers | Nov 5, 2009 | 2 comments

  From a HomeGain.com survey of Realtors, the top do-it-yourself improvements for homesellers. Cleaning, de-cluttering, home staging and plumbing repairs are all fixes which provide home sellers with high returns on investment. De-cluttering specifics are mentioned, with reference to the Clean House TV show.

• Four Things to Know About Real Estate Contracts Now

  By Alison Rogers | Nov 2, 2009 | 0 comments

  A round-up of factors affecting homebuyers and home sellers who may be currently in contract, especially as seen through the lens of mortgage lending. Factors include record pending sales volume, upcoming expiration of first-time homebuyer tax credit, and Congressional extension of the conforming loan limits.

• How Do Your Property Taxes Stack Up?

  By Alison Rogers | Oct 29, 2009 | 3 comments

  A new report from the Tax Foundation analyzes property taxes by county, comparing median property taxes to median income to see how strong the property tax "bite" is for typical homeowners. The Top Ten highest property tax bites, listed here, are all in the New York City metro area.

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