Current Local Real Estate News:

Denver area bucks slide in pending home sales - Pending home sales in the Denver area were up 21.9% to 3,690 in January, compared with 3,028 during the prior month.  Nationally, the number of contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes unexpectedly declined in January.  The index of purchase agreements, or pending home sales, fell 7.6% after a revised 0.8% increase in December.
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_14515956

Nab a real estate deal - while you still can - How much do buyers stand to lose by waiting?  Besides the loss of the tax credit, the biggest game-changer facing buyers is a potential jump in mortgage rates.  If the Fed moves ahead with its plan to stop buying mortgage-backed securities at the end of March, the rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is expected to increase nearly a percentage point from today's 5.18% to 6.1% by the end of 2010, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.  On a $300,000 fixed-rate mortgage, that's an extra $174 per month.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/02/real_estate/real_estate_deals.moneymag/index.htm   

More Incentives To Buy Home: Fannie Mae Offers Money for Closing Costs and Appliances - Fannie Mae wants to sell its housing inventory that it acquired through foreclosures.  To do so, it's offering buyers incentives for those properties.  The new incentives recently began and are eligible for buyers who will live in the home.  The offers must be accepted on or after January 28, 2010 and they have to close before May 1st.  Buyers can receive up to 3.5% of the sales price for closing costs or the purchase of a new Whirlpool appliance or even a combination of the two.
http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20100305_homepath.htm

Sponsored by NAT News March 5, 2010 by Shelly Hiller