Westside LA Real Estate Advice: Wanting to buy a home and deciding to buy a home are two different things. The first is a desire or a dream. The second is commitment to achieve the goal. Do you want to buy, or have you decided to buy?

Westside LA Real Estate Advice: Will a change to the mortgage interest deduction threaten a housing market recovery? This is the message from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). “As the leading advocate for housing and homeownership, NAR firmly believes that the mortgage interest deduction is vital to the stability of the American housing market and economy,” says NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

Westside LA Real Estate Advice: In fact, though, the downgrade may not have much effect on government interest rates. In a post last week, I laid out three reasons for this. They're worth reprising now:

Westside LA Real Estate Advice: Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing mortgage rates dropping sharply amid falling bond yields and signs of a weaker than expected economy. The 30-year fixed averaged 4.39 percent, its lowest level for 2011. The 15-year fixed and 5-year ARM set new historical record lows averaging 3.54 percent and 3.18 percent, respectively.

Westside LA Real Estate Advice: For the second consecutive month, pending home sales figures have increased. According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) all regions are showing "strong double-digit" gains over last June and the index itself was up 2.4 percent for the month.

Westside LA Real Estate Advice: While consumers are often reminded of the importance of a good credit score, there are lots of different credit scores circulating in the marketplace. Some credit scores sold to consumers by the big three credit bureaus — TransUnion, Equifax and Experian — are "educational" scores that aren't used by lenders, the CFPB says. The score you buy may be based on different information than the one used to consider your application for a car loan or home mortgage. Another possibility: The information used to calculate your score could change between the time you buy a score and the time you apply for a loan.

Westside LA Real Estate Advice: In an uncertain housing market, dropping big bucks on complex home improvement projects isn't always the way to go. However, with a little DIY know-how and a conservative amount of cash, there is a lot you can do to enhance both the value and enjoyment of your home. Check out these seven smart suggestions for upgrades on a $1,000 budget.

Westside LA Real Estate Advice: Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which shows mortgage rates changing little over the previous week following mixed economic and housing data. The 30-year fixed average 4.52 percent and the 15-year fixed averaged 3.66 percent.

Westside LA Real Estate Advice: The threat of a debt default by Greece and other European countries has created financial turmoil for investors, banks and government officials. It’s also provided a boon to U.S. homeowners.

Westside LA Real Estate Advice: To easily snag a home loan, an applicant needs to be a "triple threat" — have an excellent credit rating, a large down payment, and low debt-to-income ratio with steady significant income. But even if you have bad credit, you don't have to rule out future home ownership.