That lack of an adequate down payment is the primary obstacle to many new or first time home buyers. While most may have heard that assistance is available, many don’t know where to turn. The mortgage industry has become very … Continue reading
We all prefer to do business with someone we like. It helps take some of the stress out of the equation. And if you like someone, you usually trust them. So wouldn’t it be great if your friend was a … Continue reading
Do you know what those numbers mean? Do you understand how to go about changing them, to the positive? Do you know what a difference of only one point can cost? A recent survey by Opinion Research asked 22 credit … Continue reading
Not having a home to sell has actually been a plus for those looking to purchase a home recently. That meant the first time home buyer had the advantage. That may be changing with the new rules and fees going … Continue reading
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgages are set to increase by .25% this April. This follows an increase last November from .50% on 30 year fixed rate loans to .85%. For 15 year fixed rate loans those figures were from .55% … Continue reading
Interest rates have inched up to over 5%. That’s higher than they have been since May 2010, nearly one year ago. For the week ending 11 Feb the average was 5.05% with the 0.8 average buy-down rate included. Loans not … Continue reading
Tax Benefits Just about everyone has heard that there are tax benefits to owning your own home. Just what are these benefits? Do they apply to everyone? One of the major tax advantages of owning is the ability to write … Continue reading
Shortening the Short Sale In today’s market, bank owned and short sale properties are the norm rather than an exception. Understanding them can do more than just make them more tolerable. It can actually lead to a faster and more … Continue reading
Many people became first time home-owners encouraged by the First Time Buyer’s Tax Credit. That was great, for them and the market and economy in general. Now tax time is here and they need to collect but unfortunately there is … Continue reading
The real estate industry, in general, has been slow to accept change, especially in the large brokerages. In fairness, large companies are generally less nimble than “the small guy”. But in real estate the “way we’ve always done it” mentality … Continue reading