Eight Experts Weigh in on Managing Student Debt

Bennie D. Waller

“Students need to first consider taking on too much student loan debt in conjunction with their choice of degrees/career. [They] should resist borrowing if expected salaries of their degree does not substantiate the amount of student loan debt they are considering. For example, many students want to be an actor, but very few ever make it to Hollywood. How can they best decide? Cost/benefit analysis.”

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Virginia Pilot
Philip Walzer
July 9, 2015.

Whatever happens in Iran and Greece, gas prices almost surely will fall during the remainder of the year, analysts say.

That will benefit not just drivers, but also homeowners looking to move, according to a Virginia researcher.

A drop in gas prices pumps up the average sales price of a house while slicing the time it takes to sell it, said Bennie Waller, a professor of finance and real estate at Longwood University.

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The Closer the Broker, the Quicker the Close
Homes Closer To Brokers’ Offices Sell Faster – WSJ

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Getting the Most Out of Your Home Inspection

Buyers should check the credentials of the home inspector they’re hiring, especially if the inspector comes recommended by their real estate agent. If a home purchase deal falls apart because of problems found in a home inspection, the agent won’t sell the house and earn a commission, says Bennie Waller, a professor of finance and real estate at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

Should You Sell Your House or Renovate It?

by: Geoff Williams

Should You Sell Your House or Renovate It? – US News

Treatment Centers Can Impact Home Prices

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

Residential substance abuse treatment centers can impact the price of neighboring homes, according to a study that uses MLS data to show just how much it can potentially hamper nearby values.

Centers for treating substance abuse are increasingly being located within residential neighborhoods, and the number is expected to grow. Many property owners respond with a “not in my backyard” attitude when a center is proposed, with nearby residents arguing that recovering addicts could bring higher crime risk to their community.

Researchers Claire Reeves La Roche, Bennie D. Waller, and Scott A. Wentland at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., used MLS data from central Virginia to estimate the impact of substance abuse treatment centers on nearby home values. They also used the data to figure out whether homes near substance abuse treatment centers stayed on the market for a longer amount of time.

They found that home values within one-eighth mile of a residential treatment center is associated with an 8 percent reduction in home prices when measured against comparable homes that are farther away. The discount is magnified even more when the treatment centers are for those that specifically treat opiate addiction, which includes addictions to heroin or morphine. In those cases, home values are reduced by up to 17 percent, researchers found.

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Should You Use a Credit Card to Pay Taxes?

By Miranda Marquit

“Generally speaking, you should not use a credit card for expenses like paying taxes,” says Bennie Waller, a professor of finance and real estate at Longwood University. “However, there may be situations in which it makes financial sense.”

When to consider using a credit card to pay taxes

Waller suggests that using a credit card can be reasonable in a pinch. “If there is a 10% penalty for not paying your property taxes by a certain date, but you can use a credit card and will be able to pay off the credit card within a couple of months, it probably makes sense,” he says.

Being able to quickly resolve the problem, as long as you can repay the debt quickly, is the key. “This assumes that you will not allow these charges to be carried on the card for longer than two or three months,” Waller says.

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 This is still the easiest way to lower your mortgage payments

By Sarita Harbour
July 16, 2014 9:23 PM

Looking to reduce your monthly mortgage payments? Depending on your situation, refinancing could still be your best option for achieving this goal.

“Refinancing is a great way to lower your mortgage payment,” says Bennie Waller, professor of finance and real estate at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

And while rates are higher today than they were a couple years ago, for some homeowners, today’s rates are still low enough for refinancing to make sense.

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5 things to consider for Brevard real estate

First-time homebuyers

Still, lending standards aren’t going away. And they’ll couple with rising interest rates, which discourage some first-time homebuyers, says Bennie Waller, professor of finance and real estate at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

“Compounding the difficulties for buyers is the rapidly increasing student loan and credit debt debacle that looms over the economy,” Waller says. “This will severely limit the purchasing ability for first-time home buyers and low to mid-income homebuyers.”

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