Crawford Speier Group Blog

Prices are high and interest rates are low!

Monthly mortgage payments for the typical U.S. home currently compare more favorably to rents than at any time since the early 1970s. In California, prices vary widely by region. Here are the areas in California where buying a home will save you money in the long run.

So you're ready to buy your first home. How much are entry-level homes in the different areas of California? How much do you need to earn to qualify for a home loan? And what can you expect your monthly mortgage payment to be once you move in?

The mortgage industry can breath a sigh of relief with the final fiscal cliff deal bringing back a popular tax break on mortgage insurance premiums and debt forgiveness for borrowers who go through a short-sale or some other type of debt reduction.

The new "Medicare Tax" will apply to real estate transactions starting in 2013. This 3.8% surtax was passed in 2010 to help fund the new health care mandates and kicks in next year on many forms of investment income including...

With the uncertainty of the real estate climate, home staging can be an effective tool to help sell your home quickly. Hiring someone to prepare your home so it makes a good impression on buyers can really pay off for several reasons.

With today's real estate market dramatically changing daily, it is still always better to be a homeowner. Here are 5 brief reasons why it is so great to own your own home.