Home Equity You can use a home equity loan or line to pull cash from your current home to use as the downpayment on an investment property. The interest rate on a home equity loan may even be lower than what you’ll pay for an investment property first mortgage. The disadvantage of going this […]
Do you want to spend more time outside? If so, you may need to consider which outdoor furniture works best in your space. You also want to think about how guests and children will use the space as well as its durability based on the weather. Here are some ideas to get you started. Seating […]
Most lenders immediately tightened qualifying guidelines on many or all loan programs once we all realized the potential economic fallout looming over our heads. Some lenders even suspended popular loan programs like FHA, VA, and USDA. While that did immediately impact some buyers’ ability to qualify for home financing, it seems that recently the lending […]
What to Know: The Fed Funds Rate vs. Mortgage Rate The overall economy and actions by the Federal Reserve have an indirect impact on mortgage interest rates. This explanation below from themortgagereports.com is helpful: The federal funds rate or “fed funds rate” is what banks charge to lend money to one another overnight, and it ultimately affects […]
Full Article You may have been told that you should put down 20% to buy a home. This may give you more choices and let you avoid private mortgage insurance, but this large amount may not be prudent, or necessary, in all circumstances. Some experts advise keeping your mortgage down payment small — a strategy […]
What Buyers Want – Do You Agree? I was browsing through a popular mortgage blog a couple days ago and this captured my attention: A recent study conducted by Porch.com revealed the top features buyers across several generations listed as being very important in their home search. Among the top 10 were finished basements, natural […]
Wondering where home values are, where they have been and what it looks like for the future? The CoreLogic Home Price Index for October is out and the news for homeownership is good. Click through for your state info. From CoreLogic: Home Values have risen by 3.5% in October 2019 compared with October 2018. […]
As a home buyer, there are many steps that need to be taken before calling a home yours. While the process of finding your dream home was the most important part of the buying process, the steps you take after you make your offer are what ensure you make a smart decision—both for your family […]
Amenities that were seen as “nice-to-have items” are now “must-haves.” For example, balconies and furnished apartments are in greater demand. “More millennials are moving between cities—and they’re moving fairly often,” researchers note. “For someone who’s constantly moving, lugging furniture from one spot to the next is inconvenient. Furnished apartments offer renters’ the benefit of not […]
Living comfortably in the lifestyle you desire can be done without acquiring an overbearing amount of debt. The reality is that with a few simple alterations in both your habits and your mindset, you will be able to have a comfortable life with the things most important to you. The most important way to maintain […]
