In October, the Obama administration announced changes to its Home Affordable Refinance Program for borrowers who are under water on mortgage loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The changes are intended to make it more attractive for borrowers and lenders to refinance mortgages by waiving some forms of liability for lenders and broadening the universe of borrowers who may qualify.

As of August, HARP has helped nearly 894,000 borrowers refinance their mortgages. To be eligible for the HARP program, the existing mortgage must have been sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or before May 31, 2009; the current loan-to-value ratio must be greater than 80 percent; and borrowers must be current on their mortgage payments, with no late payment in the past six months and not more than one late payment in the past 12 months.

To find out if you have a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan, visit FannieMae.com/loanlookup and enter your address; or see FreddieMac.com/corporate and click on "Do we own your mortgage?" To take advantage of this refinancing opportunity, homeowners should contact their existing lender or any other mortgage lender offering HARP refinances.


On to some good news on the local front. Sales of single-family homes rose by nearly 75 percent — to 103 in October from 59 a year earlier — in Santa Fe city and county. With a brisk pace of sales, the overall median price continues to show downward market pressure, to $325,000 in October 2011 — down 4 percent from $339,650 last October.

The volume of home sales climbed by 51 percent during this same period: to $46.4 million, from $30.8 million in 2010. The increase reflects several anecdotal remarks from local Realtors, who stated how busy they were during October.

Condo and townhome sales remained flat, with 23 in October 2011 — up one unit, although the median price rose to $230,750 from $220,000 last year.

Land sales saw modest growth, with 13 sales reported in October 2011 compared with 12 land sales in October 2010. The median price of land sales saw an increase as well, from $124,502 in 2010 to $149,000 in 2011, nearly a 20 percent jump.


So you think you have a bad neighbor? HouseLogic.com now offers advice on how to manage neighbor-to-neighbor conflicts. Discussed disputes range from stolen chickens to fence offenses.

One story involves a dognapper. Neighbors had been arguing for several years when one of them kidnapped the other's dog and took it to a local shelter. The dognapper told the shelter that he found the dog running around some railroad tracks. When the dog's owner asked, the neighbor denied any knowledge. But after finding the pet at the shelter, the owner contacted the police. The dognapper was arrested and sentenced to a month in jail.

While a neighbor's frustration could be perceived as reasonable if it's stimulated by a loose dog that could be dangerous or be harmed in traffic, a call to Animal Control would have been a better solution. Most of the neighborly tips provide common-sense solutions, but there are times when mediation may be an option before landing in court. HouseLogic.com also provides a step-by-step mediation guide.

Donna Reynolds is chief executive of the Santa Fe Association of Realtors.