• First, Pay Off Old Debts| Leave a Comment

    If you are looking into purchasing your first home, you might be tempted to start saving every penny you can for your down payment. But in reality, there are some other payments you should be making first…
    If you have any outstanding debt, the time to pay it off is now. Not only will a reduced [...]

  • Good News: Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended| Leave a Comment

    If you haven’t already heard, Congress has extended and expanded the home buyer tax credit. This means extra time for those of you who weren’t able to close by the original December 1, 2009 deadline, and an added credit if you’re a current homeowner looking to purchase.
    Why is this such good news? Because there has [...]

  • Are You Eligible for a VA Mortgage?| Leave a Comment

    If you or your spouse is a veteran, getting a VA mortgage is a great option to know more about, and it guarantees the lender 25% of the home loan (up to $104,250 of a maximum loan of $417,000) if you default. This guarantee makes it easier for you to find attractive financing with no [...]

  • Catching and Understanding Closing Costs| Leave a Comment

    So you have selected a house, and now you are getting down to the nitty-gritty on what it will really cost you to get into it. Your lender is required by law to give you a “Good Faith Estimate” of your closing cost expenses along with a booklet from RESPA, outlining “closing” or “settlement” fees. [...]

  • Interested in a Fixed Rate Mortgage?| Leave a Comment

    Does the idea of a mortgage with a fixed interest rate sound appealing? After watching interest rates go up and down unexpectedly, lots of home buyers think searching and locking into the best fixed rate mortgage is the way to go.
    But just as important is a thorough understanding of fixed-rate mortgages and what it could [...]

  • Finding A Home With Real Value| Leave a Comment

    Buying real estate can be a worthy enterprise. There is a considerable amount of money in real estate, and much to be gained from investing in worthwhile real estate. There are plenty of homes on the market today, but in a tough economy it can be hard to find real estate worth buying.
    So, when buying [...]

  • Avoiding Risky Home Loans| Leave a Comment

    Nobody wants to get stuck in a situation where you buy a home and then later loose it to foreclosure. If I can offer any advice, it would be to always be careful BEFORE getting a loan by making sure you understand the terms, and seeing that it fits your budget the best it can.
    Here [...]

  • I Hear It All the Time, But What is Real Estate Escrow?| Leave a Comment

    Well, if you want to get technical, Escrow is defined as “a legal arrangement in which a neutral third party holds an asset during the period in which the conditions of the deal is being finalized by the other two parties.” But that doesn’t really help much, does it? Unless you are working with these [...]

  • 4 Ways to Save on Your A/C Bill| Leave a Comment

    If you’re like me, you’re thinking that running your air conditioning system usually ends up being very costly throughout the summer months, especially if it’s used incorrectly. And what you may not realize is that a large portion of your homes energy bill is made up from your air conditioning system. So below are 4 [...]

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