Green Mountain Valuations | Real Estate News

REAL ESTATE NEWS

Inhabit: A remodel that makes room for two

3/18/2011 7:18 PM

Gina Farina faced a remodeling challenge with her small two-level Arlington condo when she sought to open to up the space to accommodate a new roommate. Answering the call was Georgetown architect Ernesto Santalla....Read More

Attorneys general try to rein in lenders' shabby behavior on modifications

3/18/2011 6:22 PM

When you take out a home mortgage, do you expect to be treated fairly and competently by your bank or loan servicer?...Read More

Where We Live: Cross Creek

3/18/2011 6:43 PM

Andrew Leighton is not a golfer, but the prospect of living on a golf course was intriguing when he and his family discovered the Cross Creek neighborhood. Now, Leighton, his wife, Jackie and their two children enjoy the view from their home adjacent to the course, located along the border betwee......Read More

The family focus endures in Montgomery's Sherwood Forest

3/11/2011 3:10 PM

The Victorian house in the center of Montgomery County's Sherwood Forest neighborhood has overlooked the surrounding land for more than 200 years. Back in those early days, it lay just off the Glenmont-Colesville Road in the midst of Westover Farm, where crops such as corn and oats grew on nearly...
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Military buyers: Home-shoppers on a mission

3/11/2011 11:19 AM

To those who haven't worn the uniform, their ways can be a mystery. But anyone trying to sell a home in the Washington metro area would be wise to learn more about the needs and habits of military officers, enlisted people and their families. It's the season for them to begin some serious house-h......Read More

Major changes ahead for mortgage system as U.S. seeks to scale back role in housing

3/11/2011 11:13 AM

Fundamental changes are probably ahead for the American mortgage system as the federal government pushes to unwind its unprecedented involvement in the housing market....Read More

Do-it-yourself: How to remove soap scum

3/18/2011 6:50 PM

Q. I have a fiberglass shower wall and tub that have accumulated a lot of hard-water stains, soap scum and dirt. I have tried all kinds of products, and they just don't clean it. Can you help? ¿ C. Davis...Read More

A few chores to get a jump-start on gardening season

3/18/2011 6:46 PM

If late winter was an indicator, we are headed for a bumper crop of flowers this spring. I saw the first color in Chevy Chase on the forsythia March 8 with buds opening enough to tease with a hint of yellow.
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More details about the Cross Creek neighborhood

3/18/2011 6:45 PM

3/18/2011 6:40 PM

Many taxpayers are preparing for their annual battle with IRS form 1040 by gathering up all their documents, statements, checks and other assorted papers. At the end of this process, taxpayers are often left with piles of neatly sorted, tabulated and cross-indexed piles. From a homeowner's perspe......Read More

REAL ESTATE & MORTGAGE NEWS:

Worst HAMP Month on Record

2/7/2012 12:45 PM

During the final month of 2011, the number of loan modifications completed under the government's program saw the smallest gain in the history of the program.....The Obama administration reported that 762,839 permanent loan modifications were active as of Dec. 31, 2011. The modifications were completed through the Home Affordable Modification...Read More

DocX, Founder Indicted

2/7/2012 11:16 AM

A grand jury has indicted DocX and founder Lorraine Brown, who could spend up to seven years in prison if she is convicted.....Charges were based on 68 foreclosure documents with signatures in the name of Linda Green but allegedly not actually signed by Green.....The criminal indictment is just one in a series of civil and criminal lega...Read More

Bank Picks Up MetLife's Northwest Production Ops

2/7/2012 10:27 AM

A Seattle bank has picked up a majority of the production personnel employed in the Northwest by MetLife Home Loans.....The planned shutdown of the MetLife Inc. subsidiary was disclosed last month. Mortgage staffing at MetLife stood at 5,507 as of Sept. 30, 2011.....A MetLife spokesman recently explained that while a maximum 4,300 layof...Read More

Regulation Requires SARs Filings by Non-Bank Lenders

2/7/2012 7:14 AM

Mortgage brokers and non-bank mortgage lenders will soon be required to file reports when mortgage fraud is suspected. The additional compliance burden is likely to lead to an increase in filing statistics even though actual fraud activity could retreat.....Non-bank residential lenders will now be required to file suspicious activity reports ...Read More

Biggest Reverse Lenders in 2011

2/7/2012 4:49 AM

While retail originators of federally insured reverse mortgages made production gains last year, wholesale lenders struggled to keep up. As three formerly prominent players exited the reverse lending arena, two firms have established themselves as the new retail and wholesale leaders.....Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., exited the reverse lending aren...Read More