Clean and renewable energy is all the rage these days. It excites the imagination that we will be able to manufacture products; heat homes and buildings; drive trucks and automobiles; and even shoot rockets into space with power that is ample, abundant and in no way toxic to the atmosphere.
Since mid-winter of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has served as an omni-present reality. There is literally no place to run. Yet people continue to move and relocate for work, for family and for quality of life.
It seems annually recurring expenses come around sooner and sooner. This is partly due to aging and in part due to dread. Yet a proactive approach to these ritual expenses takes some of the sting out of their yearly return.
The key to comprehending economics and finance is to understand prices. These do not exist in a vacuum but touch upon supply and demand; interest rates; investment portfolios; and even employment rates.
Many players are involved with a home purchase or refinance. The realtor, of course, comes first to mind followed closely by a home inspector, an appraiser, an attorney, a title agent and a county clerk.
Purchasing the first house is a watershed moment in the lives of young couples and individuals. Representing the promise of a happy future, the first home has a way of eclipsing all of the expense and headaches that come with ownership.
For a vast majority of property owners, the home loan is the largest extension of credit they will ever pay down. With hundreds of thousands of dollars -- or more -- at stake, it makes sense that lenders take great care to qualify their borrowers before issuing such large disbursements of funds.
Real estate forecasters look at many variables when making predictions for three, six and nine months out. As they begin to express their opinions on 2022 they quite naturally examine supply of available homes and the level of demand for them.
The recent trends in real estate in the United States have delighted some people and frustrated others. High demand and low inventory have lifted home prices nearly 20 percent over what they were in the autumn of 2020.