Today’s sellers may face challenging conditions in many markets, but that doesn’t mean choosing to sell is a bad idea. There are many reasons to sell and most are good ones.

Here are ten tips to get you on your way to getting your home sold.

1. Hire a Professional. This is no time to be navigating the rough waters of the real estate market on your own. You want someone who can help you accurately price your home, bring in potential buyers, handle contracts, and market your home to the masses.

2. Fully Disclose. Are you selling because your current home needs more work than you can handle? Are there infestation problems you’d rather not talk about? You must disclose all of these facts to potential buyers. If they find out after the fact that you withheld information you could be in a whole heap of trouble.

3. Be Realistic about Pricing. It is much wiser to price a home correctly from the start of the selling process than to have an overpriced home sit on the market for months only to have to do a price reduction. You get much more traffic on a well-priced home and newly listed home.

4 . Detach Emotions. Sellers may have the inclination towards adding sentimental value to a home. They see the memories and work they’ve put into a property and think every buyer should recognize this. This kind of attachment will make it harder to make smart and timely decisions about offers.

5. Be Involved. Yes, you’ve hired a professional to handle the legwork and legality of your sale, but you’ll rest much easier at night if you understand the process and all that is going on. Be sure to have regular conversations with your agent.

6. Stage your Home. Staging is a perfect way to help buyers see the true potential of each room. This may mean, however, that you have to tone down your own style and pack away any clutter or extraneous decor.

7. Don’t Hover. Sellers can put a lot of heart and soul into staging and getting a home ready for the market. They might want to hang out during an open house. Resist the urge. This makes it very uncomfortable for buyers. So, during showings of any kind, be sure to make yourself scarce.

8. The Next Step. Are you going to be buying another home? Have you decided to rent? Under normal sales, you’ll have plenty of time to make arrangements, but you also might get a buyer who needs to move in right away. Be ready to take your next step.

9. Be Flexible. It’s no secret that today’s market can be challenging for many sellers. Some markets have seen sharp price declines and shallow buyer pools. This means you need to be flexible on both price and terms. Don’t compromise on your bottom line, but understand that you must be willing to negotiate.

10. Positivity. Focus on the good in today’s market. Pull your attention to the feedback you get from your agent and prospective buyers! Most of all, don’t get discouraged. You will find a buyer!

Selling in today’s market can be a tough, but rewarding. So, whether you’re selling to move up, downsize, avoid foreclosure, or are following a job, be sure to keep these ten tips in mind for smooth sailing.

Realty Times – Top 10 Tips for Sellers.  Copyright © 2012 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.

“This year’s Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report shows the value of putting your home’s best façade forward, so to speak,” said National Association of REALTORS® President Moe Veissi. “Inexpensive exterior replacement projects are not only crucial to a home’s regular upkeep, but are also expected to recoup close to 70 percent of costs. Specific exterior projects such as siding, window and door replacements are part of regular home maintenance, so many homeowners are already undertaking them. These projects also do not require expensive materials and they have the added bonus of instantly adding curb appeal.”

HouseLogic.com, NAR’s consumer Web site, includes dozens of remodeling projects, from kitchens and baths to siding replacements, which indicate the recouped value of the project based on a national average. According to the Cost vs. Value, seven of the top 10 most cost-effective projects nationally in terms of value recouped are exterior replacement projects. REALTORS® judged an upscale fiber-cement siding replacement as the project expected to return the most money, with an estimated 78 percent of costs recouped upon resale.

Two additional siding replacement projects were in the top 10, including foam-backed vinyl siding, expected to return 69.6 percent of costs, and upscale vinyl siding, expected to recoup 69.5 percent of costs. Three door replacements were also among the top exterior replacement projects. The steel entry door replacement is the least expensive project in the report, costing little more than $1,200 on average and expected to recoup 73 percent of costs.

The upscale garage door replacement jumped seven spots to number six this year, primarily due to the average cost of the project declining more than 15 percent nationally. The upscale and midrange garage door replacement projects are expected to return more than 71 percent of costs. One window replacement project – upscale vinyl – rounded out the last exterior replacement project in the top 10, expected to recoup 69.1 percent of costs.

The 2011-12 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compares construction costs with resale values for 35 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels, and replacements in 80 markets across the country. Data are grouped in nine U.S. regions, following the divisions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the 14th consecutive year that the report, which is produced by Remodeling magazine publisher Hanley Wood LLC, was completed in cooperation with NAR.

Source: NAR

Realty Times – Which Home Improvement Projects Offer the Best Returns?.

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.91 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending January 5, 2012, down from last week when it averaged 3.95 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.77 percent.
• 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.23 percent with an average 0.8 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.24 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.13 percent.
• 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.86 percent this week, with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.88 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.75 percent.
• 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.80 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.78 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 3.24 percent.

According to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac: ”Fixed mortgage rates started the year a little lower this week just as recent data reports indicate the housing market and manufacturing industry are showing signs of improvement. Pending existing home sales in November jumped 7.3 percent, nearly five times greater than the market consensus forecast, to its strongest pace since April 2010. In addition, construction spending rose 1.2 percent in November, supported by the residential sector which exhibited its fourth consecutive monthly increase. Similarly, manufacturing expanded in December at the fastest pace in six months.”

30-year Fixed-rate Mortgage Matches All-time Record Low.

There’s something a little off-putting about giving an award for the ugliest interior of the year, but we come across so many worthy of the “That’s Rather Hideous” designation this year that it would be a shame to not be reminded of the year’s worst. These are something more than the mere misstep, these are the comically bad interiors of 2011. Way back in early January, we claimed that this purple-carpeted Tennessee living room (above) would go down as the worst room of 2011. With the year almost at an end, we have to say we haven’t seen much worse. Still, at least one buyer disagreed: the place sold in May for something less than its $12.5M asking price. Click through the gallery for the full array of 2011′s worst.

by Carolyn MacNeill 

Most people at some point in their lives will go through the experience of selling a home, so it’s one that many of us can relate to. This is a story about my home for sale, told with an insider’s view on the team’s client service, administration, and expertise throughout the home selling process.

Welcome to the Situation Room

So maybe the third floor of 1010 Massachusetts Ave. isn’t exactly like the 5,000 square foot intelligence and management center of the White House, but it does have a certain mission control feel to it.

Sit in a Realtor’s office for a few months and you’ll understand why real estate is a 24/7 job. I came from high-tech marketing and PR, and I’ve seen my fair share of all-hands-on-deck, nose-to-the-grindstone operations. Yet I was still in awe of the sheer volume of inquiries, paperwork and attention to detail that’s required to buy and sell a home. I also observed that while it’s relatively easy to get a real estate license and become a Realtor, it is incredibly difficult to run a business that is credible, trustworthy and professional.

Then one day, the tables turned. It was my turn to experience the home selling process. I was out at a new construction site to chart the development of Summer Hill Circle for the blog when I got the call – we were moving, and we needed to move now. My husband got a new job and was immediately relocated about 90 miles away, and would be staying in temporary housing Monday through Friday. I have two young children, a job, a fondness of early morning exercise, and I knew this situation was going to get old – quick. So we needed to prepare and sell our home as soon as humanly possible.

Steve and the team immediately pulled out a calendar and went through the check list. First, they mapped exactly out what needed to happen when – when to have the first open house, when to have it photo ready, when to start cleaning it out. This was huge because, a) I’ve never had to sell a house before, and b) it took the guesswork and stress out of the process. They also pulled together a list of contacts to help me with the logistics – movers, cleaners, stagers, storage, a handyman, lawyer, etc. If I needed to, they probably could have referred me to a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker. They just have those kinds of relationships with people, and they’re not afraid to tap them on behalf of clients. Knowing I had a list of valid references and didn’t have to vet each of these resources put me way ahead of the game.

From, “Honey, We’re Moving,” to Signed P&S in 31 Days.

This all started in early August, and Steve advised having our first open house before Labor Day. At the time this seemed counter intuitive: Summer = Slow Market. Why not wait until everyone was back from vacation and things picked up in the fall? Because of his experience, he knew we should tap in to frustrated buyers that had been looking at a limited supply of homes all summer. Wait until after Labor Day and we would have more competition and a shorter window of opportunity before things slowed down again for the holidays.

This meant that the housed needed to be ready in 14 days. 14 days!?! That’s two weeks, if you’re not into math like me. What made this seemingly impossible feat possible was the YourHomeforSale team guiding me every step of the way. There are, or at least seem to be, at least a thousand moving parts when it comes to selling a home. You want someone who can orchestrate every last detail.

Here is the chronology of events so you can see on a very basic level the logistics behind getting a home ready to sell. Maestro, if you please:

WEEK 1

Honey, we’re moving. Steve has a very calm demeanor, which keeps everyone focused on the task at hand, rather than getting bogged down by insignificant details. He is also honest. For example, he told me, “Your life is going to ‘stink’ for the next few months, but you’ll get through it.” He was right, and I did.

Pack it up, pack it in. Let me begin by saying, I highly recommend pretending you are moving at least once a year and clean out all of your crap. Really, it is very liberating. Send your thanks in advance via Twitter to @yourhomeforsale.

All the world’s staged. We all play many parts, but one that is best left to a professional is staging your home to sell. Your home is very personal and it is a reflection of who you are, and it can be difficult to have someone come in and tell you to get organized. Luckily, if you have a good stager like I did, they’ll tactfully let you know how to de-crapify (trademark pending) and present your home in the best possible light.

WEEK 2

No one wants to see your miniature teapot collection (sorry). Have you been to a really great open house lately? Everything is perfect – 5 dishes in each cabinet, closets neatly arranged, shoes are actually in the shoe racks, one toy per child, etc. We all know no one lives like this, yet we all still fall for it. So be sure to clean out the clutter, the collectible teapots, including the wall-of-fame photos going up the staircase. Putting stuff in storage and getting it out of your house – not just shuffled around into a different room – is an important step.

Choose your team wisely. This isn’t 3rd grade dodge ball. You want to pick the best and the brightest to be your offense and your defense. If you’re new to the process, you can’t broker-hop. You need to do your homework, interview different real estate brokers and find someone with local expertise, someone you can trust, and someone who will give you the personal time and attention needed to sell your home. I was lucky enough to bypass this step because I already had the number one real estate team, but be picky when choosing your real estate team and stick with them.

Curb appeal is real. Remember that Super Bowl commercial with the talking shirt stain? The point of the commercial is that you don’t want something visually distracting to keep people from appreciating what you’re trying to sell. Take the time to clean up your yard – don’t turn buyers off before they even get in the door. A cracked walkway, weeds, and an unruly lawn could bring down the true value of your home. We edged, weeded and put some mulch down and it made a world of difference in curb appeal.

Serenity now. When the movers are done clearing out your storage items, take a moment to marvel in the sparse simplicity of your home.

WEEK 3

Say cheese! If your house were a face, this is when it would have its hair blown out, lipstick on and a twinkle in its eye. This is when you want the flowers in vases and sunshine coming through the windows because this is your first line of defense. This is the day you have photos taken of your home for online viewing. More than 82% of all home buyers start their search online. If your photos are dark, unbecoming or lacking in any way, you’ll lose potential buyers with the click of a mouse.

Calling Mr. Clean, Brawny, and the Pinesol lady. Sure, I could have scrubbed the house myself. But after a two-week whirlwind of activity I chose to indulge in hiring a professional. If you clean on your own, just make sure anything that should gleam is gleaming, and anything that should shine is shining.

The Open House. This is it. The big day. The first open house. When we got to this point our house looked so good that I almost didn’t want to move anymore. Almost.

Oh come on, Irene. Steve held our open house on a Saturday knowing that Hurricane Irene was scheduled to roll in on Sunday. Really? A hurricane?? Visions of a flooded basement, trees crashing through the roof and other hurricane-related damage kept me from sleeping most of this night. Luckily, we only had minor damage to our fence, and the show went on. While most open houses were cancelled on Sunday due to the storm, we got motivated buyers at ours on Saturday.

Offer Accepted. One hurricane and two days after our very first open house, and 31 days from when we first found out we needed to move, we accepted an offer. This was nothing short of amazing. Knowing that houses can sit for weeks, even months, we were truly amazed and grateful to the team.

WEEK 4

Great Inspect-ations. As they say, it ain’t over till the inspection is done and the deal is signed. Or something like that. You never know what a buyer will see as acceptable or unacceptable. Fortunately, Steve was able to negotiate the post-inspection requests to a manageable few. It was hugely helpful to have his expertise at this part of the deal – letting us know which requests were reasonable, and which were not.

Signed Purchase & Sale. With signed papers approved and in hand we exhaled. Getting a signed P&S in 31 days was a true testament to the team’s job well done.

Fragile, Handle With Care

Not the boxes. Me. Anyone who has bought or sold a home knows that it is a tense, trying, and emotional process. After many back-and-forth’s with the team, lawyers, buyer agents, mortgage brokers, movers, stagers, plumbers, my family, my husband, and sometimes my cat – my outlook and frame of mind slowly frayed at the edges.

In the words of Claire Dunphy, from season 3, episode 3 of Modern Family after she ripped up a ticket in the face of the school parking official and got cuffed in front of her kids, she said: “I was not my best self today.” Many people are not their best selves when buying or selling a home. I know I wasn’t! At the very least it’s just not fun, and at the worst it can be a true nightmare for some.

Steve and the YourHomeForSale team are not only equipped to buy or sell your home, but they help you every step of the way. The best, most reassuring words I heard were, “Don’t worry, we have it under control.” I can’t tell you how many times those words kept me sane, relatively speaking.

For example, I was out visiting the aforementioned husband with the kids in the area we would be moving to for the weekend. We had been waiting for the bank appraisal and there had been some delays. Could the buyers not secure a mortgage? Was there an issue with their credit? Was the deal going to fall apart?? Financing was not what it once was, and skittish banks and overly conservative bank appraisals have caused many sale prices to be renegotiated in the eleventh hour. Luckily, the team was on it – calling, emailing – even badgering when appropriate, various parties to find out what was going on, and to make sure everything was moving along.

That night Steve called and said the appraisal had been issued for the following morning. What?? But I hadn’t made the beds! There were toys on the floor! The house was not its best self! (We left in a hurry that day). I was ready to drive home at the crack of dawn to make it just so, lest there be any reason for the appraiser to think the house was not worth what it should be, when I heard, “Relax, everything is under control. I will take care of it.”

Steve went to my house the following morning, made the beds, picked up the toys and made the house its best self. If that’s not above-and-beyond client service then I don’t know what is. And here’s the thing, they do that kind of thing for all their clients – not just because I’m their favorite blogger (which I am). I’ve heard them handle it all, from multiple photo shoots to get just the right shot, to helping new homeowners pick out tiles, to handling calls and emails at 3 a.m. No request goes unanswered, no client is left behind.

The Most Important Marketing Tool to Sell a Home

For all of the prep work, advertising, and promoting Realtors do to sell a home, there is one marketing tool which can’t be bought, taught, copied, or replicated, and that is the ability to price a home properly.

All too often Realtors accommodate the hopes and – sometimes deluded – dreams of sellers who love their homes dearly and believe they should sell at a higher price than the market will allow. Unfortunately, this can spiral downward in the form of price reductions and frustration, and can result in the home selling for less than it could (or should) have.

Everyone knows the real estate market has been shaky – even if Arlington has been considered the second strongest housing market in the U.S. At the time, Steve had walked us through the comparatives – homes that were on the market, had sold and/or had gone under agreement – that were on par with ours.

When Steve lists a home, he scouts out the open houses of similar homes the week before to see what the pool of buyers look like, and what they’re interested in. In our case, he proposed a price and was able to secure an offer in three days of our open house that was not only higher than what we listed it for, but it was higher than what we bought it for at the near-peak of the housing bubble seven years earlier.

Today, I’m settled in my new home in time for the holidays. I may not be in Arlington anymore, but I can just about click my heels together and hear Steve following up on calls and emails, Erika scheduling viewings and guiding buyers, Mitzi finalizing documents, and Donna going out to meet her favorite firemen to get smoke certificate inspections. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to stay tapped-in thanks to the wonders of modern technology.

But take it from an insider who is also one of you, you’ll sleep better at night knowing your agent and their Team are in your corner, working hard to make all of your real estate dreams come true.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Read the entire story here.

Interest rates hit another all time low yesterday and today primarily due to the European crisis. As the markets have been hovering in negative territory more than they have in positive, the response to yesterday’s treasury auction (10 yr Note) sent most longer term interest rates steadily lower (lower rates are less enticing for investors bidding at auction), today’s 30 year bond auction was still much stronger than expected, both in terms of the amount of bids as well as the aggressively low yields. That helped the overall fixed-income rally and the Mortgage-Backed-Securities (MBS) that drive mortgage rates were able to benefit, moving to their best levels since early October.

In other words, the higher the demand for U.S. treasury’s, the lower the yield on them becomes. The yield on U.S. treasuries (especially the 10 year treasury) move in the same direction as mortgage rates do. The European financial crisis has caused the U.S. market to become a safer investment ground for investors making the U.S. treasuries higher in demand.

The rate on the 30 year fix conforming (up to $417,000) loan hit 3.75% and the 15 year (conforming) fix hit 3.125%. The interest rate on high balance conforming loans (between $417,001 & $625,000) are at 3.875% for the 30 year fix and 3.25% for the 15 year fix.

Interest rates on ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgages – 30 year loan term with a shorter fix period) were also very attractive. ARM’s include 3,5,7 and 10 year fix rate periods.

This was the opposite last year this time as the holiday sales boosted hiring and spending making the U.S. economy show signs of improvement. This caused interest rates to move significantly higher last December and did not come back down until April 2011.

If you are considering refinancing or purchasing, it is a great time to do so. Especially, if you are in or about to go into a purchase contract. These are historically low-interest rate opportunities that we are observing.

The U.S. economy has almost put behind it what The European Union is going through nowadays. As the unemployment rate continues to drop very slowly, I believe if/once we are able to put the political disagreements in D.C. behind and see a more stable Europe, we will see an improvement and faster growth in the U.S and global markets.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Best Regards,
Narbik Karamian
DRE Lic: 01372576
BeneGroup, Inc.

A Premier Mortgage Brokerage and Real Estate Consulting Firm

Cell: (408) 315-2834

www.narbik.com

Today’s market presents a difficult mix of conditions for many sellers. The housing market dipped in recent years in response to recession conditions and continues to struggle.

Accessing credit is challenging. Many of today’s lenders require hefty down payments of at least 20 percent along with excellent credit scores for the best rates. Many homeowners with “good” credit may indeed find themselves wholly unable to procure a mortgage.

Some homeowners find themselves selling out of necessity instead of a true desire to move. They may be facing foreclosure or have had sizable decrease in their household income and now need to size down.

Making selling even more challenging is the fact that home prices have been on the decline. Many homeowners may be surprised to find their home is now worth less than they bought it for 10 years ago. Prices are now at 2003 levels in many areas of the country.

If a homeowner bought during the peak of the market, during the boom years, they may find they now own a house worth a fraction of what they paid.

How do you know if now is the time to sell?

First, be sure to solicit the advice of a local real estate agent. They have access to mountains of statistics for your area, including how long homes are taking to sell, what neighborhoods are hot, median prices, and so much more.

Find out what your home is worth in the current market. This will help you decide whether you can afford to sell or what kind of loss you mind be facing if you are needing to sell now.

Once you have armed yourself with solid stats, it’s time to evaluate your own financial standing. Do you have the money to make a move?

Moving is expensive. You will have closing costs totally thousands of dollars. You’ll need to have money ready for the buying process, including down payment cash, closing cash, and money for incidentals like home inspections and u-haul and storage rentals.

Think about your motivating factors. Why are you wanting to sell? Some people need to sell. They may have been relocated or need to follow job. The recent recession has left other families needing to sell to avoid foreclosure. Families also outgrow their homes and need to size up.

Consider social effects of a move, too. Will your children be changing schools? Will you be moving away from friends and family? Recent studies have shown that owning a home can bring the owner better health, better wealth, and a more stable household. Uprooting a family can affect those benefits.

Selling a home is a large financial and emotional decision. If the conditions are favorable in your area, then selling can be a great idea. Be sure to do your research and consider all of your options. Whether you decide now is the time to sell or not, it’ll be the right decision for you.

Realty Times – Choosing to Sell.

As we have written in previous posts, homes that are well maintained and presented in prime locations have been snatched up fairly quickly all across the bay.  And according to this Yahoo Real Estate article, homes in the Bay Area are the fastest selling in the nation.  This is based on data from real estate site Zillow, that analyzed real estate listings and statistics during mid April – mid July of this year.  Across the country, the median number of days for a home to be on the market was 117.  The median number of days for San Francisco, which was the fastest selling area in the country, was almost half of that, at 59.  Following closely behind was San Jose, which tied for the #2 spot with Seattle and Oakland, which took the #5 spot.

Despite it being buyer’s market, the data from Zillow points to little wiggle room in negotiating. The average discount negotiated on the sale from the original listing price was only 1%.  This points out again, that well positioned and priced homes will move quickly and those that are not, can languish. Approximately a quarter of the homes in the Bay Area listed during this timeframe had a price cut.

Sellers, buyers, agents, brokers, readers - is this indicative of your recent experience?  Will the Bay Area climb out of the slump sooner than the rest of the country?

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been a stalwart of today’s real estate market for homeowners looking to refinance. Now it’s facing competition from the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage.

In August, the number of applications for 15-year refinancing loans submitted nationwide through the LendingTree.com website was up 29 percent from August 2010, while 30-year refinancing loans saw a 12 percent increase.

“It’s all the trend right now. Most borrowers are asking about switching to a 15-year-loan. Everybody’s in a mood now to get those mortgages paid off. They want to see an end to those payments, and that’s what’s driving it,” said Kristine Marr, a senior loan officer with RPM Mortgage in Walnut Creek.

Such loans result in huge savings in terms of interest payments but require larger monthly payments than a 30-year loan.

In the past few weeks, there has been a big increase in homeowners who are looking to refinance into a 15-year-loan, said Kevin Conlon, senior vice president of operations at San Ramon, Calif.-based Mason-McDuffie Mortgage.

Retirement considerations play a role along with a desire to build equity faster.

Homeowners are thinking, “I really don’t want to restart the clock for 30 years if I’m retiring in 20 years,” he said.

The best candidates to consider these loans are homeowners who have paid down a 30-year mortgage for at least five years, have sufficient equity and excellent credit, are secure about their job future, and can handle the higher payments, say mortgage professionals.

“It can shave years off their mortgage,” Conlon said.

But not all borrowers are in a position to switch.

Advantages:

• Own your home in half the time.
• Builds equity faster while paying significantly less in interest.
• Interest rates are typically 0.5 to 1 percentage points lower.

Disadvantages:

• Monthly payments are higher.
• The maximum mortgage interest tax deduction is less because the borrower is paying less interest over the life of the loan.
• If the borrower becomes unemployed or if their income takes a dramatic hit because of a financial emergency, it will be harder to keep up with the payments.

Read the rest of the story here.

Credit scores seem to be a mystery to most. In a recent survey by Visa consumers were asked what factors negatively affect a credit score, and many were wrong. For example:

• Where you live can ding your credit score.
• Your job, your ethnicity or even your age could affect the score.
• Credit counseling or taking a debt management class will lower your score.

Credit counseling use to be reported in a way that had a negative impact, but that’s not the case anymore. Taking a debt management class has never affected your credit.

Short sales, bankruptcies, foreclosures and late payments will generally fall off your credit history after seven years. And the older a negative item is, the less it will impact your score. A 5-year-old debt collection will be less damaging than one that’s 5 months old.

There are three credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. By law, every one is entitled to a free, annual credit report from each of the bureaus. To request your copy go to AnnualCreditReport.com or call 877-322-8228.

Doing an annual check is a good way to spot any errors that need to be corrected and to get an idea of how your credit looks to lenders. The Visa survey found that 42% of Americans don’t regularly check their score.

Read the article by Claudia Buck here.