The stock market has had a great week.  Black Friday was a smashing success. Cyber Monday was way above expectations and the US is stepping in to help reinforce the European Central Bank.  Unfortunately, the bond market doesn't like quite that much good news.  The yield on the 10 year Treasury (the main competition for mortgage backed securities) rose this morning to its highest level of the past week.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that the yield is still below those of late October and historically very low.  30 year mortgage rates are still running around 4% with 0 points, while 15 year rates are hovering around 3.5%.  How spoiled have we become - rates rising to 3.5%?
 
The Fed’s move to support the European markets is being seen as a strong

From incentives to deductions, taxes are complicated and can be confusing even for the seasoned property owner. Understanding the ins and outs of some common property tax concerns can help save you money and put your mind at ease. Here are three common tax topics.

1. Natural Disaster Relief
If your home is affected by a natural disaster, your damage costs will be deductible from both state and federal income taxes. Disasters include fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and more. Homeowners can deduct their losses by filing an amended return for the tax year before the event happened. This helps to minimize the wait for refund money that can be used to make repairs or pay for living expenses.

2. Historic Rehabilitation
If your home is a certified

While the news centers are trying to make it sound as though things are happening, everything is pretty much as expected and within range of expectations.  With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, we'll see traders spend the morning hedging positions, causing a slight increase in rates and then they'll all check out about noon EST for a 4 and a half day weekend. While the markets will be open Friday, volume will be extremely low and we won't see reality again until mid-morning Monday.
 
In a nutshell, everything is as predicted.  Personal income is up, slightly, durable goods sales are up, slightly, spending is down, slightly, GDP is up, slightly, mortgage applications are down slightly.  Late Tuesday we saw the 10 year Treasury bond (the main competition for

It’s no secret that green housing is a trend on the rise.  For years now, homeowners have been making green renovations, and buyers are on the look-out for eco-friendly homes. As a result, many lenders are offering larger loans, or discounts, to buyers who are making eco-conscious improvements to their homes. The reasoning behind the incentives offered to eco-friendly buyers is relatively simple.  When a home is energy-efficient, it has lower utility bills. The money saved from the bills can be counted as income, so buyers are able to qualify for a larger loan in order to increase home efficiency. Wondering if your green improvement can qualify you for a green loan? Ask yourself if your eco-friendly fix-up will lower your energy bills. If not, then you

It's an early morning Financials this week so Friday may end up a little different by day's end.
 
The week is ending with slight improvement to bonds and mortgage rates as the DOW drops 134 on Thursday and early Friday indicators are pointing to a weak opening.  The bellwether 10 year bond dropped into the low 1.9% range Thursday as mortgage rates improved slightly, dropping back down into the very low 4% range.  Early Friday however has the bond off 10/32s pushing up towards the 2.0 barrier.  Everything is based upon the uncertainty in Europe as Spain is now becoming a concern.  Underlying much of the rise in Spain's bond rates is fear that the Euro itself may not survive and Friday we saw the ECB step in to help prop up Spain.  This may help short term

Making a renovation to your home can be stressful, both on your mind and your bank account. So, when considering a major home improvement project, it’s important to consider what will yield the greatest return on investment, or ROI.  Some improvements offer a greater return than others.  If you’re planning on selling your home anytime in the future, you should consider your renovation an investment. Take a look at surrounding proprieties and comparing features.

You want to make your home comparable to your neighbors’,  but you don’t want your property to stand out to the point it will land in a completely different price range. This will hinder your selling success, instead of enhancing it.  If your neighborhood consists mainly of simple ranch-style

Are we tired of talking about Greece, Italy and the Euro mess yet?  Can't we talk about great vacations there?  Well, not today.  The confidence in Italy and Europe is waning quickly.  The gap between the Italian and the German 10 year bonds has increased to the highest level since the creation of the EU.  This is representing the falling confidence in the Euro even as the European Central Bank is buying the debt instruments.  Investors moved more money into the US bond market and the 10 year yield again dropped below 2%.  Mortgage rates aren't following suit but are staying stable in the low 4% range.  Oil is moving back up, topping $102/barrel.
 
Fitch Ratings is warning that many US banks face serious risk from the "contagion" from European banks.  The

As the winter months approach, our homes’ first measure of protection against rain and snow is the roof. GAF, one of North America’s largest roofing manufacturers based in New Jersey, offers these tips for how to get your roof ready for the cold winter.

1. Start off by checking the roof framing structure to make sure it is not compromised. Visually scan the roof for any sagging or uneven areas. If you do see an area that looks uneven, this may mean damage to the roof deck below the shingles.

2. Inspect the gutter systems to make sure they are not clogged with branches, leaves, or other debris. This is important to ensure that rain water and snow have a way off of the roof. If the water or snow is left standing on the roof, there is an increased

After a wild first part of the week, we've seen some stability in the latter part.  Greece has a new PM and is installing a new cabinet which has the Greece watch on temporary hold.  Italy is taking some strong steps to help manage its difficulties and to hopefully avert a Euro meltdown.  Italy appears to be passing the financial reforms needed to avert the bond market meltdown that Europe can't afford - literally. Reuters is reporting that Italian PM Berlusconi has agreed to step down after the financial reforms are passed by both houses of Parliament.  Both the Euro and Italian bonds have firmed up since the announcement.

In the US, we're seeing a relatively quiet Friday with the Bond market closed for Veterans Day.  The stock market is up on

Barbara Wilson believes that beauty begins on the inside, but she also knows that looking beautiful begins with how a woman feels underneath – underneath her wardrobe, that is.

Owner of Christina’s Luxuries in Boulder, Barbara is a third-generation lingerie boutique owner and an expert in helping a woman feel comfortable before she ever dons that classy dress, a pair of hot jeans or that stylish pantsuit. She was only 11 years old when she began helping in her grandmother’s and mother’s lingerie boutique in New Jersey, and now lingerie is in her blood.

“Lingerie is fundamental to life – the first bra, wedding night, nursing bra,” she says. “It encompasses life, it is self-expression. It’s the first thing you put on in the morning.”

In the five