HCPR: Muted Third Quarter Follows Tax Credit

Hartford County residential sales fell significantly in the third quarter of 2010 versus the third quarter of 2009 as buyers took a breather following the June expiration of the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit. Median prices rose modestly over the year-previous quarter, while another measure of pricing, the median price per square foot, fell a comparable amount. Most noteworthy was the change in the mix of homes that sold as the Tax Credit phased out

Buyers: Don't Forget to Have Fun

Buyer’s Week has been an exciting ride here at the Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog. We covered the current opportunity, the importance of talking to a mortgage professional, the benefits of trading up in a down market, and buying when you also have a house to sell. Fond memories… Buying a home is a process punctuated by events. We think that buyers should understand what they are getting into at the start, and hope that

Buyers: When You Also Have a Home to Sell

It’s Buyer’s Week at the Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog. We’ve talked about the current opportunity, importance of mortgage preapproval, and trading up in a down market. Many would-be buyers already own a home … a home they have to sell in order to buy a new one. Buying a new home while also selling an existing home can be a tricky situation. The biggest question is the order in which the sale and subsequent

Buyers: Trade Up in a Down Market

Buyer’s Week continues at the Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog, building on Monday’s look at the current opportunity and Tuesday’s suggestion to start with the mortgage. Check back each day for another post specifically for buyers. A real estate market with falling prices is actually a very good environment for trading up to a larger home – if you can overcome your fears. Consider a simplified example. Suppose home prices have fallen 10% from their

Buyers: Start with the Mortgage

It’s Buyer’s Week on the Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog. Yesterday we outlined the current opportunity for buyers, and today we’re talking mortgages. Check back each day this week for another post specifically for buyers. Unless you’re independently wealthy, the first step in buying a home is talking with a mortgage professional. They are the gatekeeper in the whole purchase process; checking credit, verifying income, and generally making sure that you are qualified to secure