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Should you refinance your home? How to find out if it’s worth it

HOUSTON – Over the last year, millions of Americans have refinanced their homes to save money by taking advantage of low interest rates. 2020 interest rates vs. 2021 interest ratesIn November and December of 2020, you could get a 30-year mortgage for 2.5% interest. To get a general idea of how much you can save, you can use NerdWallet’s mortgage refinance calculator. If we knew we would be in our hypothetical home at least 4 years, Smith says refinancing it would be worth it. She said if interest rates have dropped at least 1% since the first refi, it might make sense.

Red-hot US housing market: January new home sales jump 4.3%

Sales of new homes fell by 3.5% in September to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 959,000 million units. The Commerce Department said Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, that despite the modest decrease, sales of new homes are up 32.1% from a year earlier, as the housing market remains strong despite the pandemic. – Demand for new homes in the U.S. surged 4.3% in January with the housing market still one of the strongest segments of the economy. Last month's increase pushed sales of new homes to an adjusted annual rate of 923,000, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The housing market has remained remarkably resilient in the face of the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Storm effect: Some Houston neighborhoods, apartment complexes have mountains of garbage

HOUSTON – The city of Houston is working overtime to catch-up on the heaps of garbage, recycling and heavy trash sitting on curbs, as the winter storm that swept through this week halted service. “I have been talking directly to solid waste. Click here for the latest updates and pick-up schedule from Houston’s Solid Waste DepartmentResidents in the Ridgemont neighborhood, which is outside of Beltway 8 near Fuqua Street, reported problems with garbage collection on Friday. The neighborhood is filled with overflowing garbage and recycling bins, and plenty of heavy trash debris from damaged homes lining the curbs. There were also many apartment complexes in this high-density area of southwest Houston with overflowing dumpsters and trash strewn across parking lots.

Frozen pipes bursting in homes across Houston area

HOUSTON – Families across Houston are having to deal with substantial damage to their homes caused by busted pipes. “There was water dripping from the light fixture in the closet and our bedroom,” said Darrell Riley, who lives in southwest Houston. AdMany of them to do with protecting your home against busted pipes and whether or not homeowners should drip their faucets. We already have low water pressure in the Houston area so stopping those little drips will help the pressure all around and help the people that don’t have water,” Castro said. He also recommends being proactive as we begin to warm up and your pipes being to thaw.

Hundreds of thousands at Honduras' shelters after hurricanes

Hurricane victims take refuge under a bridge in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. Shelters for people whose homes were flooded or damaged by hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras are now so crowded that thousands of victims have taken refuge under highway overpasses or bridges. The Red Cross estimates that about 4.2 million people were affected by the back-to-back hurricanes in November in Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala. (AP Photo/Delmer Martinez)SAN PEDRO SULA – Shelters for people whose homes were flooded or damaged by hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras are now so crowded that thousands of victims have taken refuge under highway overpasses or bridges. Orlando Antonio Linares oversees a municipal shelter at a school in San Pedro Sula, where almost 500 hurricane victims have taken refuge.

September existing home sales climb 9.4%, highest since '06

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Sales of existing homes climbed 9.4% in September, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday, the latest sign that the housing market remains red hot despite the coronavirus pandemic. On a seasonally-adjusted rate, the selling pace of existing homes climbed to 6.54 million annualized units. This is largely because of low inventory of existing homes. But because of the pandemic, the spring home buying season was delayed a few months and pushed the bulk of the home buying season into the mid-to-late summer. Regionally, the strongest market was Northeast, with existing home sales up 16.2% from a year earlier.

HGTV’s ‘Flip or Flop’ is back starting Oct. 15

Despite their divorce, Tarek El Moussa and Christina Anstead are back to snatching up old homes and flipping them for a profit. Fifteen new episodes of their hit TV show “Flip or Flop” will begin airing on HGTV, starting Oct. 15. According to HGTV, the season premiere will feature Tarek and Christina buying a small, two-bedroom home. If you can’t wait until Oct. 15 to see the real estate experts back in business, you can catch their solo shows in September. El Moussa will be featured in four new episodes of his solo show starting Sept. 17.

July sales of new homes surge 13.9%, far more than thought

Sales of new homes jumped again in July, rising 13.9% as the housing market continues to gain traction following a spring downturn caused by pandemic-related lockdowns. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that July's gain propelled sales of new homes to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 901,000. In a report last week, the National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes rose by a record 24.7% in July, thanks to historically low interest rates. Sales are being fueled by ultra-low mortgage rates, which earlier this month dropped below 3% for a 30-year-fixed rate mortgage for the first time in nearly 50 years. The average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is now 2.99%, the mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Over 1 million marooned in Bangladesh as floods worsen

Heavy flooding is worsening in parts of Bangladesh, with over 1 million villagers marooned or leaving their homes for higher ground along with their cattle and other belongings, officials and volunteers said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Bayezid Ahmed)DHAKA Heavy flooding is worsening in parts of Bangladesh, with over 1 million villagers marooned or leaving their homes for higher ground along with their cattle and other belongings, officials and volunteers said Tuesday. The floods started late last month, and after briefly easing continued to worsen, affecting many new areas, destroying crops and driving people from their homes in several impoverished regions. Soikat said that over the last few weeks, the charity has distributed food to some 135,000 people in Kurigram, while the governments relief office was also providing food, cash and cattle food. We are trying to do our best to stand by the people, as we have already provided more than 300 tons of rice, cattle food, baby food and a good amount of cash.

With rent due Wednesday, many worry about keeping a roof over their heads during coronavirus pandemic

Rent will be due for many on the first of the month Wednesday, regardless of their ability to pay. With many families worried about finances due to the coronavirus, some are debating whether to buy food or pay rent. Harris County is currently under a “stay home, work safe” order but it doesn’t guarantee tenants a roof over their heads. “The hope is that landlords will work with people who are renting,” Mayor Turner said. People are paying first and last month rent ... go ahead and utilize the last month’s rent.”Howard Bookstaff with the Houston Apartment Association said it’s important for tenants and renters to communicate.

FOR SALE: See inside the Harding Street home where a botched HPD raid left 2 dead

The home at 7815 Harding St. is listed for $75,000, according to a Facebook post. HOUSTON – The Harding Street property where a couple was killed in a 2019 botched raid is on the market. The home at 7815 Harding St. is listed for $75,000, according to a Facebook post. The post noted an after-repair value of $170,000. The raid led to a months-long investigation and three people, including two HPD officers, were charged in connection to the raid.

Rosharon will soon have a new crystal-clear lagoon

HOUSTON – Houstonians will have a new crystal-clear lagoon to enjoy in 2021. The four-acre crystal-clear lagoon will be built in the Sierra Vista community along the Highway 288 corridor. It will span 29 acres of amenities, including a celebration lawn, a restaurant, and a splash pad for kids. This will be the third lagoon built by community builder Land Tejas. Another lagoon is set to open in later this year in the Lago Mar community in Texas City.