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Realtor.com has an article today on the best U.S. cities to invest in budget real estate. Included in the top-ten cities are: Jacksonville, FL, (At #1), Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, and Phoenix, AZ. You can read the report, and see the remainder of the list, here.  

The New York Times has a piece on buyers beating out competition on sought-after properties by buying in cash, then securing financing at a later date. Depleting your savings to secure a real estate deal is not a sound investment strategy in most cases, but the article is worth a look. More, here.  

The NAR reported that existing home sales were up 1.1% in June to an annual rate of 5.57 million units, the highest level since early 2007. More, here.  

NerdWallet has an article on considering taking out a smaller loan than you qualify for. The article lists 6 reasons to consider, but it could be distilled into one broad point—Protect Yourself. Not overextending your credit provides you with greater flexibility should anything unexpected arise. More, here.  

Claes Bell, reporting for Bankrate.com, shares national survey results on long-term investments. Real estate leads the list, followed by cash, gold, then the stock market. More, here.  

HousingWire has a piece today about the Community Mortgage Lender Regulatory Act of 2016, a new legislation that could bring relief to independent, community-based mortgage lenders. More, here.  

Fortune shared an informative piece yesterday using a series of charts to explain the current state of the real estate market. In short, we’re continuing to move in the right direction. More, here.  

Mortgage refinance applications are up 11%, while total mortgage application volume is up 7.2%. Refinances are up nearly 60% from a year ago. Rates remain at a 3-year low, and there is strong buyer activity in the real estate markets for Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Denver and Austin, Texas. More, here.  

Justin Pierce has a piece in The Washington Post about securing investment properties for the best possible price. Among his recommendations—and one we wholeheartedly endorse—is partnering with a good Realtor: “I recommend you get a good Realtor to do market analysis and assist you with the contract and closing process.  A Realtor can also help…

Bankrate reports on mortgage rates dropping even further, despite positive job growth in June. Employment increased by 287,000 last month, which could have led to an increase in mortgage rates. However, that clearly was not the case. Read more, here.