Weekly Recap of the Blog, New Content on HSH.com

Another week is in the books. Can you even believe January is almost over?

This week’s posts were a nice mix of material — mortgage rates, consumer costs, loan mods, the FHA, and home prices. I would like to encourage more readers to comment on these stories since they’re likely to impact most of us in one way or another.

Friday:

“Climbing the ‘House-Value Mountain’…Think Everest“: Do you own a home? Did you buy it in 2006 or before? If so, you’re really going to want to read this. We’ve crunched some numbers in an effort to tell you when your home will return to the value it was at when you bought it.

Thursday:

“Change Has Come to the FHA“: Things just got a little more expensive for new FHA borrowers. How much more will an FHA loan cost you? Read our post for all the answers.

Wednesday:

“Let’s Not Turn Nothing Into Something“: Some are saying that loan mods have been a success at delaying foreclosures and stabilizing home prices. However, while perhaps beneficial, HAMP wasn’t designed to do either of those — it was designed to PREVENT foreclosures, not delay them.

Tuesday:

“Report: Store-Brand Items Should Cost More“: Not what you’re trying to hear, right? The Nielsen Company says that the recession has made store-brand items even more popular, and that stores and companies are foregoing a great opportunity by not raising prices:

Consider this: an increase of just one cent in store brand prices translates to roughly $400 million dollars in sales across all departments measured by Nielsen.

Monday:

“‘Mortgage Rates Backing Off, A Little’“: Just as the title suggests, rates have eased the last few weeks. Yet, the Fed’s big decision could change all that.

“A Recap of Last Week’s Stories“: Here’s your chance to see what we wrote about two weeks ago…you know, in case you missed a day.

New Content on HSH.com:

We’ve really stepped up our output of fresh content for our readers on HSH.com. If you aren’t familiar, the blog isn’t our only source of revolving information that consumers need to know. Here’s a taste of just some of the new content appearing on our main website:

“Ten Steps for the Best Mortgage and Interest Rate“: This article will help get you up to speed with shopping for a mortgage loan in today’s unique market.

“Mortgage Shopping and the new GFE“: Comparing mortgage rates in 2010 will be much easier.

“FHA’s “Kiddie Condo” Program for Student Housing“: Sinking thousands into your son or daughter’s college housing? FHA’s “Kiddie Condo” program may allow you to get something for your money, create a tax deduction, and get your child into an actual home.

“Funding an Investment Property Purchase“: You may be able to fund the down payment on an investment property with a home equity loan — this article will tell you how.

“What is the CFPA?“: The Consumer Financial Protection Agency is currently being kicked around Congress. This article will tell you what the CFPA is, and how it will impact you.

“Deed-in-Lieu: Is it for You?“: Is mortgage foreclosure staring you in the face? When mortgage problems crop up, you may have a choice of solutions to save your home or exit as gracefully as possible.