Cold Spring & Philipstown 3rd Quarter Market Results

By J Philip Faranda - If one were to do a heat map of population density for Westchester, Putnam and the Hudson Valley, they would discover an amazing fact about Philipstown... of all the river communities from Westchester to Poughkeepsie, Philipstown including Cold Spring and Garrison is the least populated and perhaps most pastoral river town for 60 miles.

A starter home or starter house is a house that is usually the first which a person or family can afford to purchase, often using a combination of savings and mortgage financing. In the real estate industry the term commonly denotes small one- or two-bedroom houses, often older homes but sometimes low-cost new developments. The concept originated in the United States during the post-World War II era when entry-level home ownership was a preferred option for young families and regarded as part of the American Dream.

Saving Toward a Down Payment: 8 Great Ideas

Like many consumers today, you may be thinking this is a great time to buy your first home—and you are right. Rock bottom prices, historically low mortgage rates, and a great selection of properties in all price ranges make this an excellent time to buy.

Time It Right: When to Build a Home        To build or not to build … Can anyone answer this question? Whenever someone has a big decision to make they typically turn to family, friends and of course the Internet for answers. Does building a new home qualify in the category of a “big decision?” You bet it does and in the real estate market of the past several years, the question of “when” has become perhaps more prevalent than “if.” Here are a few things to consider when deciding if the time is right for you to build.

Here are 10 great tips to consider when getting a mortgage.

1. Don’t Stretch Your Loan Qualification Limits to Buy a Home Beyond Your Budget. A home should be a source of satisfaction and an investment not a financial albatross, especially for first-time buyers. Borrowing heavily from family members, selling assets, and living poor just to own a bigger or better home, makes for larger mortgage payments and risks difficulties in the future.

2. Always Shop for Competitive Rates, Points, and Fees. Get at least three bids. The most competitive lender one week may not be next week so get (or reconfirm) quotes the same week you are ready to make the commitment.

3. Get An Immediate Written Confirmation of Your Locked-in Interest Rate and Interest Rate Terms. You might find some discrepancies with the figures used on the final loan documents.

Smaller Homes to Grow in Demand, Surveys Suggest - The square feet of new homes is expected to continue its decline in future years. The National Association of Home Builders predicts that U.S. houses will average 2,152 square feet in 2015, which will be down 10 percent compared to last year.