Last night, Benchmark partnered with Boot Campaign and Military Warriors Support Foundation to give away one mortgage-free home to an injured veteran of the Afghanistan war during the Rock of Ages Military Appreciation Night. Over 150 military veterans, retirees, active duty, and special guests were treated to a night at the Rock of Ages musical [...]
Author: bmadmin
Discover Vacation Destinations Right In Your Backyard
Going on a vacation doesn’t have to mean driving for hours and hours or flying to a far away place. Sometimes such an elaborate vacation isn’t in the budget, and sometimes you just need a few days to rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul. Planning short getaways within driving distance of home may be just [...]
Is Now the “Perfect Storm” for Home Buyers?
Barry Habib with Mortgage Market Guide was a guest on the CNBC show Squawk Box yesterday and shared some great insight on why now is the “perfect storm” for homebuyers. He points to three big reasons all renters should jump into homeownership: 1. Rent rates are increasing in some markets. It is becoming increasingly more [...]
Don’t Miss This “I Wish I Had” Moment
When I was a kid every once and a while I would hear a grown up say “I wish I had….” It might have been buy that Microsoft stock when my friend told me about it or that piece of land that looked like a dump and was dirt cheap but now has a booming ...
7 Personal Finance Questions Most People Can’t Answer
I’ve come to realize that a vast majority of us share the same goal in life. We want to commit, work, face and take responsibility for as little as possible, yet still be comfortable. In schools today, the child that makes B’s and C’s with little or no effort is met with more admiration than ...
Six Ways to Go Back to School on a Budget
The summer is coming to a close and the 2012-2013 school year is upon us. The seemingly endless list of school supplies and clothes has to be handled now. It’s time to get the backpack and supplies. The kids need new clothes and shoes. This year the average family with students from Kindergarten to 12th ...
Avoid Becoming The Stagnant House When Selling By Staging It Properly
Home staging is preparing your home for sale, inside and out, focusing on design and overall appearance to make it as desirable as possible to potential buyers. However, many homeowners believe that in order to sell their home, they will have to spend big bucks to get it into shape. It’s time to debunk that ...
Housing Market Turns Corner; U.S. Home Values Post First Annual Increase In Nearly Five Years
Zillow’s second quarter Real Estate Market Reports, released today, show home values increased 2.1% from the first to the second quarter of 2012 to $149,300 (Figure 1). On an annual basis, home values rose 0.2% from June 2011 levels (Figure 2), marking the first annual increase in U.S. home values since 2007. In addition to showing ...