Living in Louisville Blog

As Republicans try to kill an Obama administration foreclosure prevention program that even Democrats agree hasn’t lived up to expectations, a program in Pennsylvania is being lauded for being simpler, cheaper and more effective. It’s called the Pennsylvania Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program and was established in 1984, long before the recent mortgage crisis. The program gives bridge loans to people who have recently lost their jobs. Loans do not accrue interest until the participant’s income is restored. Read more.

Investors drove up U.S. home sales last month, plunking down cash to grab cheap homes at risk of foreclosure. But purchases made by first-time homebuyers, who are crucial to a housing recovery, fell. Sales of previously occupied homes rose in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.1 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That's up 3.7 percent from 4.92 million in February. Read more.

“What’s fine for living is not always fine for selling,” said Donna Dazzo, president of Designed To Appeal, a home-staging company that serves New York and the Hamptons. “You want to portray a lifestyle that people can relate to and aspire to,” she said. “You have to have them fall in love as soon as they walk in the door. ' Staging got its start a decade ago when the housing market was on fire and every seller wanted to up the value of their home both emotionally and physically by making it more attractive and purchase-worthy than the house next door. More.