Heating Expenses Down Again This Winter

Falling energy prices are helping lower household heating expenses this winter even more than originally forecast.  

According to the Energy Department, the average U.S. household will pay $873 in heating bills this winter, down from $938 forecast a month ago and the $948 average last winter. If so, consumers this winter will have the lowest heating tab in two years and the first year-over-year decline in five years.  

A sharp drop in oil and natural gas prices is the main reason for the lowered estimate. Mild weather is also allowing consumers to conserve energy.  

How has the lower energy prices affected your household budget this winter?  Leave us your comment on that below. 

Tips for Selling Your Home in Winter

What makes selling a home more stressful?  Selling it in the middle of winter.  

The lawn is brown, the weather is usually bad and, unlike the longer days of summer, you have less time to show it off during daylight hours.

But not everyone has the luxury of waiting until the traditional spring or summer home buying season to plant that "for sale" sign, and while it's true that in most areas you'll probably have fewer buyers during the winter, you will have less competition from other sellers.  

That makes staging — the concept of showing your house at its best — even more important.   Be prepared to put a little effort into it. "It's more difficult to make something look really appealing this time of year," says Ron Phipps, broker with Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I.  

If you do it right, you can really make your house stand out.

Have you had any experiences in selling a home in winter?  Leave us your comment below about the article.    

Condo Prices Reveal Housing Trends

In trying to get a read on how much real estate markets are slumping, some people may be looking at the wrong indicator.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) tracks sales of both single-family homes and condos.

In the third quarter of 2005, NAR stats for single-family homes show that prices fell 1.2 percent from a year earlier, with 30 percent of markets showing declines.  

Condo prices not only dropped more steeply, 2.1 percent, but 46 percent of markets showed declines.   Which gives a truer picture?

Find out more here…

Then leave us your comment about the article.  Do you agree with the author that condo prices reveal housing trends?  Share your opinion with us.

 ringtones ctu downloads 24ringtone polyphonic nokia 3510sprint ringtones absolutly samsung freenokia 3585 ringtonetreo ringtones alltelctu 24 ringtone downloadfree ringtone 6101 nokiaringtone nokia free 2126 Map

Scammers Target Homeowners As Foreclosures Increase  

As the number of foreclosures rises, homeowners unable to make their mortgage payments are facing another growing threat: "foreclosure rescue" scams.

State and federal authorities say they are investigating an increasing number of homeowner complaints about fraud and deception by companies that engage in lending to financially distressed borrowers seeking to avoid foreclosure. Several states have recently passed or are contemplating new laws to provide more protection against dishonest businesses trying to take advantage of already vulnerable homeowners.

The problem centers on foreclosure-rescue companies, which target homeowners behind on their mortgage payments through newspaper ads or fliers claiming services such as "fast cash," "equity funding" and "no credit check." According to some recent cases filed by consumers and regulators, the companies mislead borrowers into believing they can save their homes from foreclosure in exchange for a transfer of the title for a year or two. The companies promise borrowers they can stay in their homes by paying rent for that period, giving them time to catch up financially until they can buy back their property. Often unknown to the borrowers, however, the companies may have sold their homes to a third party, stripping out the home equity and leaving the borrowers on the verge of eviction.  

Read more about fraud and deception by foreclosure-rescue companies…  

Have you ever witnessed this kind of fraud procedure?  Share your experiences… We'd love to hear from you.