It sounds easy, doesn’t it, selling your house on your own. How hard can it be, right? Clean up the yard, take a few pictures, list the house on Zillow, then wait for the offers to roll in. You’ve heard that houses are selling like hotcakes these days. If you sell by owner, you figure […]
One of the most confusing aspects of obtaining a home can be the appraisal process. Most people think when you buy a house that the selling price is the value of the home. The truth is, the value of the home is primarily based on other properties that have already SOLD in the same market […]
Your home is probably the most valuable thing you own. Increasing the equity you have in your home can go a long way toward increasing your overall net worth. Equity is your home’s fair market value minus how much you owe on it. Rising home prices, combined with falling mortgage rates, have helped homeowners increase […]
The spring homebuying season is upon us! It’s the most popular time to buy a home, but also the most competitive. What do you need to do to be ready for it? Given the financial commitment that buying a home represents, it’s amazing how many people wade into the process with minimal preparation. Here are […]
We live in a data-driven society. Numbers tell a story, but not always the full story. In this article, we’ve compiled 10 interesting and insightful home buying and home ownership stats. More importantly, we provide explanations for why the numbers are important and what they tell us. Would-be and existing homeowners can use these insights […]
When you apply for a mortgage, your lender runs a credit report. A key component of the report is your credit score. One of the most commonly used credit scores in the mortgage industry is FICO. In this article, we describe what FICO is, how it is measured, how it is used when approving you […]
For first-time buyers, the mortgage process raises a lot of questions. In part two of this series, we tackle some more of the most common questions we receive from customers. “How Much Should I Save for a Down Payment?“ The exact dollar amount you should save for a down payment depends on the price of […]
For first-time buyers, the mortgage process raises a lot of questions. In this article, we tackle some of the most common questions we receive from customers. “How Does a Mortgage Work?” Technically speaking, “A mortgage is a debt instrument secured by the collateral of specified real estate property, that the borrower is obliged to pay […]
For much of American history, home ownership was out of reach for most families. Prior to the 1930’s, mortgages were limited to 50 percent of a property’s market value and the repayment schedule was spread over three to five years, with a balloon payment at the end. With terms like that, it is no wonder […]
If you are considering making a move, here are 10 ways to get top dollar when selling a home. Remove personal photos and items. Buyers need to be able to imagine their own photos on the walls, and most cannot do that if sellers have personal photos up. Don’t make any buyer ask,“I wonder what […]
