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From the monthly archives:

November 2008

New and Improved Blogsite – Arch City Homes

by Karen Goodman on November 27, 2008

in Everything Else

Welcome to Arch City Homes

new-and-improved-2.jpgAfter months of planning, my new combined website and blog is up and running.

I’ve changed the name…it never occurred to me when I named the old site that I would get so frustrated trying to spell my email address when giving it out over the phone. Hopefully ‘Arch City Homes’ will be easier to remember AND spell.

All of the old posts from RealEstateInfoSTL.com have been moved over to this new site. No worries though…if you forget and use an old bookmark, you’ll be redirected here.

Improved Navigation & Market Reports

With the Search Tool located in the header, you should be able to easily find anything you need.

Plus, the new pages for each category will make it easier for you to follow just the topics that interest you. The market report pages will stay up all of the time…so you won’t have to dig through lots of posts to find them.

Speaking of market reports, I’ve changed the reports to give you more comprehensive information. I’ve also made some changes to the areas that I’m covering. You’ll now find reports on more of St. Louis City.  I have also focused on the parts of St. Louis County where most of my clients reside. I still assist clients in other parts of the county and St. Charles, but I had to limit the market report areas or I would spend all of my time pulling statistics instead of selling homes.

There are still a few bugs that I need to work out on the new design, so let me know if you have any problems so I can make sure to get everything running smoothly. There are still a few pages that don’t have all the content up yet (mostly some of the market report areas). I hope to have everything posted by the end of the holiday weekend, so stop back in a few days if the market report you want isn’t up yet.

If you are one of my cherished subscribers, step out of your feed reader or in-box and take a look at the new design. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the changes.

I’ve included the Wordpress comment luv plugin, so if you have a blog, your last post will be included with your comment. I do love comments, so I hope you’ll say hello!

If you haven’t yet subscribed, you can easily get notified of all new posts by clicking on the RSS or email subscribe at the top of the right hand sidebar.

Not sure what RSS is or how subscribing works?

Check out this short video for a simple explanation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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by Kerby Claney
Vice President – Stifel Bank & Trust
314-317-6873
email

Interest rates just took a big drop this week. If you have been keeping an eye on the market considering a refinance if rates dropped, now is the time to lock in a low rate for a 30 year fixed loan.

The mortgage industry is not interested in doing ARM loans. They are keeping interest rates high to make these loans so unattractive that no one will do them. I’m able to offer lower rates on the 3 and 5 year ARM loans through in house Stifel portfolio loans. But, with 30 year fixed loan rates so much lower than ARMs, there is no reason to take on the higher risk that comes with ARM rates readjusting in the future.

Basically, everyone getting loans now are doing fixed rate or jumbo loans. Nothing else makes any sense.

The interest rate you receive will vary depending on a number of items including the down payment amount, credit scores and the length of time between rate lock-in and closing. To discuss fees and what your interest rate would be, feel free to email or call me to discuss your individual situation.

All rates are based on zero point loans.

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If you are in St. Louis, I’m happy to meet you wherever it is most convenient for you to discuss your financing needs.

Want to lower your closing fees? I’ll attend your loan closing and save you the title company loan processing fee.

I also serve clients needing mortgages and refinancing throughout the United States. Give me a call and we can talk about which mortgage product would be best for your individual situation.

Not sure if you should refinance? I’m happy to offer a free no-obligation consultation to help you decide if it makes sense for you to refinance.

*** This information is not intended to extend consumer credit as defined Section 226.2 of Regulation Z. Interest rates, program terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.

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Mortgage Down Payment Minimums are Going Up

November 25, 2008

A few years ago, it was easy for most buyers to borrow 100% of the purchase price of a home. Some borrowers even rolled the closing costs into their loans and borrowed 103%.
Today, those loans are gone.
The lowest down payment available today is a FHA loan with a minimum of 3% down.
FHA loans that [...]

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Keep Your Heating Bills Low This Winter

November 14, 2008

With the current economic market, I was pleased to hear that the rates charged for the natural gas used to heat Missouri homes will be lower this year.
Earlier this year, the Missouri Public Service Commission approved a decrease in Laclede Gas rates. The lower rates are expected to save homeowner’s 2%, approximately $18, [...]

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Price Range Makes a Difference in How Easy it is to Sell Your Home

November 13, 2008

This weekend I sold one of my listings in 2 days. A number of factors helped it sell fast including appropriate pricing, updated features and favorable supply & demand levels. However, another big factor in our quick sale is that starter homes are selling at a much higher rate than more expensive homes [...]

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How to Get Multiple Offers on a Home in a Buyer’s Market

November 9, 2008

Yesterday one of my home listings sold with multiple offers.
In November. In a down market. In 2 days.
Yes, even in a down market, there are homes that sell in in the fall and winter with multiple offers just after coming on the market.
We went live in the MLS on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, [...]

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