The cards, worth $25 each, are available starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday on a first-come, first-served basis.  FedEx said gift card recipients are encouraged to use their cards to “Shop Small” on Nov. 26, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

An additional 10,000 cards will be distributed directly to FedEx customers, the company said.

To get in on the action, visit facebook.com/FedEx.

Friday

“Will foreigners save the U.S. housing market?”

Back in July, our own Peter Miller introduced just how important foreign homebuyers were to the U.S. housing market. According to the National Association of Realtors, for the 12 month period ending March 2011, foreign buyers and recent immigrants accounted for a total of $82 billion in internationally oriented sales, representing 8 percent of total U.S. sales.

Understanding their influence on the market, two U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bill that encourages foreign buyers to purchase U.S. real estate.

Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mike Lee (R.-Utah) have co-sponsored a bill that is designed to grant a U.S. residence visa to any foreign borrower who spends at least $500,000 on residential real estate here in the U.S…

Thursday

“Will lenders add to reverse mortgage requirements?”

The FHA’s reverse mortgage program has undergone a number of changes in the past year, and now HUD says more are to be expected.

HUD is also telling reverse mortgage lenders they can add additional requirements above the FHA standard to help reduce program claims…or are they?…

Wednesday

“Mortgage rates rise for second straight week”

Mortgage rates have now risen for the second week in a row.

According to the latest weekly mortgage rate report from HSH.com, rates on two of the most popular types of mortgages rose the week ending October 18. Yet despite the increase, mortgage rates remain near record lows.

“Economic news continues to brighten, pushing mortgage rates upward somewhat,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH.com. “But despite the increase this week, there are few reasons for rates to continue to climb”…

Tuesday

“Want to sell your home fast? List it on a Friday”

The last few years have been a buyer’s market, not a seller’s market. Falling home prices and strict lending conditions have left many sellers unable to find qualified borrowers willing to pay top dollar. 

Sellers need to do everything they can these days, from making the proper repairs, to hiring a home stager, to deciding which day of the week to debut their home listing.

Wait, what’s that? You’ve never heard about that last part?

As it turns out, home sellers can help their cause by debuting their property on a specific day of the week…

Monday

“Mortgage rates on the rise. Why?”

We’ve noted many times that even mild improvements in the economic picture would likely turn mortgage rates upward a little bit.

After a less-dire tone to some key economic reports two weeks back (and even rumors of some improvement on the Euro-mess front), we got our first taste of that last week, as mortgage rates moved off record lows to former record-low levels seen just a few weeks ago, according to HSH.com’s latest Market Trends newsletter.

Over the past 10 days or so, most major stock indexes have moved considerably higher, with the Dow Jones adding about 1200 points. The money to push stocks higher has come from the selling of “safer” investments, like Treasuries, and that has pushed yields and mortgage rates a little higher…

“Boost your credit score before applying for a mortgage“

Too often, mortgage borrowers are rejected for a home loan on the basis of poor credit. Whether you’re in the market for a purchase-money mortgage, a refinance or even a home equity loan, coming to a lender with a strong credit score–especially in this present environment–will truly increase your chances of success.

According to HSH.com contributor Alexandra Kay, there are five ways borrowers can improve their score prior to submitting an application…

Friday

“Wave goodbye to refi”

In a market where homes aren’t selling and many consumers are afraid to buy, refinancing has been instrumental in keeping the mortgage industry on its feet. Sure, programs like HARP haven’t help the number of homeowners it set out to, but persistently low mortgage rates have kept mortgage borrowers interested and engaged in trying to lower their monthly mortgage payments.

Yet according to a forward-looking forecast from one industry source, this country will experience a huge falloff in refinance volume in the very near future…

Thursday

“California says, ‘No more foreclosures’”

There’s a new effort in California with would end the foreclosure crisis as we know it.

The idea is to have a referendum and simply ban foreclosures. And while this is a thought which is surely attractive in many ways, as a practical matter it’s not going to happen…

Wednesday

“Mortgage rates rising, according to HSH.com’s new Wednesday release’

“Mortgage rates rising,” that’s not a phrase we’re used to hearing.

According to the latest weekly mortgage rate report from HSH.com, rates on two of the most popular types of mortgages rose the week ending October 11…

Tuesday

“Will mortgage rates keep falling?‘

Back in August, I’m not sure anyone anticipated that mortgage rates would fall as low as they have in recent weeks.

While HSH.com, along with many other mortgage-market observers, knew mortgage rates would remain at historically low levels, the depths to which they’ve fallen over the last two months surprised just about everyone.

And according to the latest forward-looking mortgage rate forecast from HSH.com, low mortgage rates are going to be around for a while…

Monday

“Mortgage rates falling once more”

While the economic data out this week couldn’t easily be characterized as “great”, the collective tenor of the available reports was arguably the most solid in some time, lending at least a little hope that we will not slide into recession as we close 2011.

This pulled some money out of hiding, and the stock market had a little better time of it for at least the time being. To the extent that things aren’t getting economically worse at the moment suggests that mortgage rates might stabilize at bit. After a small upward blip two weeks ago, mortgage rates sported a small downward blip last week (ending October 7)…

Are you holding off on a purchase for fear that prices might fall further? Chances are that some sellers might be thinking the same thing. If you’re smart about it, you can use that as an advantage to strike the best possible deal on a home today for once a seller believes that prices have bottomed or are going back up, your advantage will be gone.

Don’t confuse Price with Payments – Gambling on the expectation of a lower price tomorrow at the risk of higher rates can cost much more in the long run than locking in a sure thing today. Ex. $200,000 30 Yr. fixed loan @ 4.625% = $1028/mo. today vs. $180,000 @ 6.5% = $1137/mo. later. In other words, paying less can still cost you more.

Own, Rent, or Borrow - One way or another, a home is something we all need every day. The numbers here tell the story and it’s no secret that values have fallen, yet over time, that’s not the case.  values over the last 10 years in most states show very healthy appreciation, and over the long haul  all states have.

We don’t get a history lesson in the news because the news is about the moment and the more dramatic the better. That’s what sells advertising and that’s how they get paid. For the rest of us, taking a rational, longer term view of things makes more sense. This is particularly true when it comes to a home, for this is something we are likely to own for many years rather than just moments.  

Toys “R” Us started hiring this week for retail positions such as toy demonstrators and sales associates.

The toy seller is also hiring for 10 distribution centers including its newest facility in McCarran, Nevada.

Hiring will continue through November.

Toys “R” Us said that this year’s holiday hiring is in line with previous years and added that seasonal jobs could result in permanent jobs for some of these new hires.

In 2010 10% of its holiday workforce was hired full time, the company said.

“We are proud to create tens of thousands of jobs across the country this Christmas, while providing the potential for hardworking individuals to find a permanent position with us,” Dan Caspersen, Toys “R” Us Executive Vice President said in a statement.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/22/news/economy/toys_r_us_job/index.htm?iid=HP_Highlight

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