Gary Mintz

Home For The Holidays: Will It Be Better To Buy At Thanksgiving Or Christmas?

Posted on by TMN Editor
By ERIN FLYNN JAY Holiday home shoppers who are sensitive to mortgage interest rates near 8% may resist the idea of buying before Thanksgiving, hoping that Santa Claus brings relief, but is waiting until Christmas the answer this season? On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve held its target range for the federal funds rate at 5.25% to 5.5%, and mortgage rates slipped in anticipation of the news. But Orphe Divounguy, senior macroeconomist at Zillow Home Loans, warned that investors will likely recalculate their inflation forecasts based on employment and wage growth data, “causing large swings in mortgage rates.” That means uncertainty for homebuyers. Matt Ronne, senior loan officer with Motto Mortgage Preferred Brokers in Athens, TN, said that this year, with…

Philadelphia Caught In Balancing Act Between Affordable Living, Green Space

Posted on by TMN Editor
By ERIN FLYNN JAY The city of Philadelphia, like many other communities in the country, is caught in a balancing act. High rents and a lack of affordable housing are a problem, but at the same time, building reduces much-needed green spaces for residents. What are city leaders doing to tackle these issues? Vern Anastasio, Esq. with Anastasio Law, LLC who runs Philly Zoning, online resources for property owners and investors, said two city council districts now have affordable housing mandates through zoning overlays for any new multi-family building with 10 or more units. “What we are seeing, however, in at least one of those districts, is a sharp decline in permits being applied for that would qualify for this…