COLLEGE TOWNS

Whereas housing demand may fluctuate in other areas, college towns boast a steady flow of students, professors and staff, and a percentage of those will always require off-campus housing. Most colleges and universities do not have enough on-campus housing to satisfy demand, and when school budgets are tight, maintaining and upgrading housing can take a back seat to other financial priorities. Properties that are well-maintained, well-marketed, competitively priced and close to amenities can attract buyers and renters alike. 


Top University towns


1. Towson University
2. John Hopkins University
3. University of Maryland
4. Frostburg State University

SINGLE MOTHER AND HOMEOWNERSHIP

The joy of home ownership is increased tremendously for one group of consumers. That group is single mothers. Whether single by choice or due to divorce, certainly taking charge of your future and your child's future by buying a home is a tremendous task. According to the National Association of Realtors the average single-female home buyer is under age 45 and gainfully employed. So buying the home is as much about security as it is about financial investing. For single mothers, finding a home that offers programs that assist in financing and obtaining down payment financing is pivotal. Now is a great time to find them, even if you need to consider government assistance for single mothers buying a home.

First, know exactly what your real budget to buy is, decide if a townhouse, condominium or single family home is best for you and the kids and think about whether you need a community that offers a maintenance plan. One of the best ways to be thorough in your housing financing efforts is to do some research, whether it is attending seminars, talking to various lenders or taking to the Web. Read More

Increase in sale prices - Baltimore Edition

Home sales in the Baltimore metro area rose in December, breaking a five-month streak of plummeting activity as buyers were enticed back into the market by competitive mortgage rates and prices.


But it is unclear whether the 8 percent increase in the number of homes sold last month signals a bottoming out of the struggling housing market. For all of 2010, the number of homes sold in the Baltimore region fell 3 percent from the year-earlier period, according to figures released Monday by the area's multiple-listing service.


Real estate experts attributed the bump-up in sales in December to a number of factors — increased confidence about the economic recovery, greater selection and pricing as inventory has piled up and low interest rates. Buyers raced to lock in more affordable mortgage loans before rates rise, as they are expected to do. Fixed rates on 30-year mortgages averaged 4.77 percent last week, near historic lows.


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