<< Return to main Real Estate News menu WASHINGTON POST REALTY NEWS Buyer beware of confusion over property taxes for newly built homes Q. Do builders get a tax break before they sell their houses? Peak buying time ahead, mortgage rates rise The average rate on a 30-year mortgage topped 5 percent this week for the first time since April, and higher rates could further hamper the struggling housing market ahead of the spring's prime home-buying season. Mortgage delinquency rates drop As the labor market improved, the number of homeowners who fell behind on their mortgage payments dropped in the final three months of last year to the lowest level since 2008, according to a national survey released Thursday by the Mortgage Bankers Association. What to do if you have running water coming through the holes If you have running water coming through the holes, try to wait for a dry spell to do the repair. Some of these hydraulic repair cements will work if there is moving water, but it's not guaranteed. Phasing out Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae could boost what other borrowers must pay Fixed 30-year mortgage rates in the 5 percent range? Minimum down payments below 5 percent? Jumbo-size home loans for high-cost markets at regular interest rates? Kiss them good-bye - possibly sooner than you might guess. Why shouldn't your low-interest loan move with you? There used to be a big push by lenders to secure "customers for life." Not only did banks promote attractive mortgage programs, but they also targeted the same customers for checking and savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, credit cards, auto loans, wealth management advice and insur... Details on the Tenleytown neighborhood BOUNDARIES: Roughly, Garrison Street NW to the north, Upton Street to the south, Wisconsin Avenue to the west and Reno Road to the east. Can you ride a rising tide of deductions? When you think of a second home, do you think of a secluded mountain cabin? Perhaps a pied-a-terre in an urban high-rise? What about a second home with no fixed address? One that floats? Adams Morgan: Looking beyond nightlife Back when heading east of 16th Street after dark felt risky, Adams Morgan was ground zero for Washington's nightlife scene. One of the city's most ethnically and racially diverse neighborhoods, the community had a quirky vibe and a reputation for tolerance, and the area's spine, 18th Street NW, w... Administration proposals to overhaul federal housing role draw fire from left Some of the President Obama's traditional allies argued that proposals in the newly released report could make it too costly for many Americans to buy a home. Claudia Siegel Telephone (415) 674-6500 Mobile (415) 816-2811 Contact Claudia

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