It started 18 years ago in Flemington, N.J., when Jack Cust Sr. -- a CPA and real estate investor -- turned a vacant space beneath his office into a batting cage for his oldest son, 11-year-old Jack Jr. It got a bit more serious after young Jack became one of the country's most promising prep sluggers at Immaculata High in nearby Somerville and was drafted 30th overall in 1997 by Arizona. Cust ...

Don't let remodeling get best of you Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI - May 30, 2008 By PEGGY DEVITT KATZ The time has come to remodeling that kitchen and you can't wait. You've devoured magazine articles, visited decorating sites on the ...

Boys & Girls Club scrambles to finish remodeling project Gillette News Record, WY - May 30, 2008 By ANDREW K. ROGERS, News-Record Writer arogers@gillettenewsrecord.net When plans for a new teen room fell through midway through construction last week at ...

Cook Remodeling Foresees ‘Going Green’ for its Valley Customers EVLiving - May 30, 2008 Kitchen and bath remodeling will increasingly focus on eco-friendly technologies that consumers will find appealing, according to Janet Cook, president of ...

Although there continues to be a mortgage crisis among many lenders, many first-time buyers continue to qualify with lower credit score, smaller down payment. As a first-time home buyer, you’ll find probably find it a little harder to qualify for a mortgage than a first-time buyer two years ago.

The credit crunch on Wall Street and record foreclosure rates have made investors nervous about home buyers who have small down payments and lower credit scores. While the number of first-time buyers is down, there are plenty of folks who are tempted by falling home prices and low interest rates. What kind of loans are out there for them?

The kind of loan you’re offered starts with your credit score and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are looking for credit scores of at least 660. “We’re absolutely accepting loans where borrowers have credit scores in the 600s,” said Craig Nickerson, Freddie Mac’s vice president of expanding markets. “There’s no question that the stronger the credit of the borrower, the better product they can obtain.” (more…)

search for : mortgage crisis, first-time buyer, falling home prices, credit score

Italian mortgage lenders limit aggressive practices - Fitch Forbes, NY - 19 minutes ago In recent months, Italian mortgage underwriting practices have become more conservative in the wake of the credit crisis, Fitch said in a report. ...

RTE.ie

Mortgage lending growth at 16 year low RTE.ie, Ireland - 1 hour ago The growth rate in residential mortgage lending fell to its lowest level in 16 years in April, according to the latest monthly statistics from the Central ... Mortgage growth at lowest level in 16 years Belfast Telegraph all 4 news articles

Remodeling? Think of safety issues first Chicago Sun-Times, United States - 2 hours ago BY JAMES AND MORRIS CAREY - AP In the nearly 30 years that we have made our living as remodeling contractors, we have experienced several economic ...

Santander's Abbey to increase investments in mortgage ops as ... Forbes, NY - 2 hours ago MADRID (Thomson Financial) - Santander SA's UK mortgage lender Abbey plans to increase its offensive in the mortgage business in the country, ... Euroshares open higher after Wall St gains; oils track crude lower ... Forbes all 13 news articles

Tampabay.com

Planning cuts cost, stress of remodeling Tampabay.com, FL - 2 hours ago By AP Dan Fritschen, author of Remodel or Move? Make the Right Decision (ABCD Publishing, $15.95), says people can save a lot of money — to say nothing of ...