October 2, 2007
- Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
Your accountant might advise you to take out as large a mortgage as possible because the interest is tax-deductible. However, even though it's deductible, mortgage interest still has to be paid, and payments on a large mortgage could leave you short of cash that you'll need for other [...]
September 22, 2007
- Is Now A Good Time to Buy a House?
Is Now A Good Time to Buy a House?
One reader wrote in recently to ask us, "…if they should buy a home now or wait in case prices fall lower."
Indeed, recent data on the housing market paints a stark picture. Home prices are declining in many regions nationwide. Last month the National Association of Realtors [...]
September 17, 2007
- Three Mistakes New Homebuyers Make
Three Mistakes New Homebuyers Make
Although the list of mistakes new homebuyers tend to make could fill up this entire page, there are three that seem to stand out among all as being the most frequent mistakes made.
The first mistake people often make is to purchase a new vehicle right before they start looking for a [...]
September 8, 2007
- Steps to Consider Before Even Looking for Homes
Steps to Consider Before Even Looking for Homes
There are enough "home buyer tips" around to fill a dictionary sized book. Heck, our blog here is loaded with Home Buyer Tips…. but there are a few KEY tips to consider before you even go for that Sunday drive looking at homes, even on a "let's just [...]
August 31, 2007
- How and When to Bid Low on a Property
How and When to Bid Low on a Property
With prices stagnant or falling and inventory up in many markets, home sellers are no longer automatically turning up their noses at offers that come in far below their asking price.
Buyers who make offers asking for deep discounts still risk offending sellers to the point where they [...]
August 25, 2007
- Home Buyers: Save for That Down Payment
Home Buyers: Save for That Down Payment
As the mortgage meltdown has spread, lenders are demanding stellar credit and proof of income. Zero-down payment mortgages have almost disappeared.
This means if you plan to buy a home in the next few months, you'll need to put some money on the table. The Federal Housing Administration offers a [...]
August 21, 2007
- Buying a Second Home
Buying a Second Home
In spite of the current state of many real estate markets the time is right for the purchase of a second home. In a slower market with lower prices and great deals on valuable homes there has never been a better time to get your hands on an investment property. For many [...]
August 14, 2007
- Home Buyers: Sitting on the Sidelines and Waiting?
Home Buyers: Sitting on the Sidelines and Waiting?
Everyday brings new revelations about soaring foreclosure rates, billion-dollar losses and lenders shutting down, leaving borrowers in the lurch and thousands out of work. Yet, through it all, interest rates remain surprisingly affordable.
If you’re in the market for a mortgage, here’s what you need to know about the [...]
August 13, 2007
- Taking Advantage of a Buyer's Market
Taking Advantage of a Buyer's Market
Potential home buyers have been waiting with bated breath for a change in the real estate market. For many years the nationwide market trend has been a seller's market. In most markets, that has changed to some extent. With the construction boom this country has experienced over the past [...]
August 8, 2007
- Insider Tips for Homebuyers
Insider Tips for Homebuyers
There are many details to consider when buying a home and at times it can seem overwhelming, but if you take things step-by-step and educate yourself on the process you will soon be holding the keys to the home of your dreams. Be a smart and savvy homebuyer by following these proven insider [...]
August 6, 2007
- Home Fixes Everyone Should Consider
Home Fixes Everyone Should Consider
Whether you are buying a home or selling a home, there are some home fixes you should be concerned with.
One of the biggest concerns revolve around safety, not whether the walls are freshly painted or not. You should be concerned about the critical systems of the home and whether or not [...]
August 4, 2007
- Signs of a Housing Market Turnaround
Signs of a Housing Market Turnaround
Tighter credit is prolonging the seemingly everlasting slump in home sales, but a quarterly Wall Street Journal survey of 28 major metro areas shows that the surge in inventories of unsold homes is slowing.
The latest trends offer some hope for an eventual recovery in a U.S. housing market that generally [...]
August 2, 2007
- Buying A New Home? Get it Inspected!
Buying A New Home? Get it Inspected!
Buying a new home and think you don't really need it inspected?
Simply because your home is newly constructed doesn't mean that an inspection is unnecessary, and in fact, in many cases, the exact opposite is true. New homes require an inspection just as much as any older home and [...]
July 31, 2007
- Buying a Home? Benefits of Using a Professional
Buying a Home? Benefits of Using a Professional
Is it possible to go out and buy a home on your own without the assistance of a professional real estate agent? Sure. But it's not a good idea, and here's why…
Using a realtor to help in buying a home will make the entire process easier and [...]
July 27, 2007
- Still Better to Buy a Home
Still Better to Buy a Home
In areas where the monthly cost of owning is a big premium over the cost of renting, the long-term approach still shows that owning produces a higher lifetime standard of living than renting.
Let's say you bought a house for $150,000 with a 20% down payment and a 30-year mortgage [...]
July 23, 2007
- How Much Home Can You Really Afford?
How Much Home Can You Really Afford?
Most people take for granted how much home they can afford. If the real estate agent or mortgage professional tells you that you can get up to a $300,000 home, do you argue? Most times not. Most people don't question it. But you should understand it and make sure [...]
July 22, 2007
- Rent-to-Own Real Estate Deals - Beware!
Rent-to-Own Real Estate Deals - Beware!
Rent-to-own contracts that substitute for mortgages and conventional home loans are enjoying a surge in popularity in several regions of the country. The slumping real estate markets in parts of the U.S. fuels these deals, where homes can sit on the selling block for months at a time.
Add to this [...]
July 17, 2007
- Check Your Credit Before Home Shopping
Check Your Credit Before Home Shopping
If you are looking to buy a home, your lender or creditor will look at your credit report to see if you qualify. Whether or not they allow you to borrow the money needed to buy that home will be based on what they see on your credit report.
The three [...]
July 14, 2007
- Yield Spread Premiums Can Bite You
Yield Spread Premiums Can Bite You
The yield spread premium (YSP) is a mystery to most home buyers, but it would pay you to get more familiar with this little misunderstood feature of the mortgage business.
It's the basis for the fee a broker gets for selling a loan above the par rate, or the lowest interest [...]
July 11, 2007
- Swimming Pools: Improve Your Real Estate Value
Swimming Pools: Improve Your Real Estate Value
Summer is here and the temperatures are soaring everywhere. During the dog days of summer, there is nothing more refreshing than taking a dip in your own in-ground pool. An in-ground pool not only adds value to your real estate, a swimming pool provides year-round entertainment and enjoyment [...]
