What To Know About Credit Scores Before Buying a Home
If you want to buy a home, you should know your credit score is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage. Lenders review your credit to see if you typically make payments on time, pay back debts, and more. Your credit score can also help determine your mortgage rate.
Why We Aren't Headed for a Housing Crash
If you’re holding out hope that the housing market is going to crash and bring home prices back down, here’s a look at what the data shows. And spoiler alert: that’s not in the cards. Instead, experts say home prices are going to keep going up.
Understanding a 3-2-1 Interest Rate Buydown
Higher interest rate environments can make it difficult to buy a home, but there are silver linings and workarounds. The good news is that higher interest rates often mean less competition, lower prices, and eager sellers. These sellers can be more willing to consider concessions than they would have been in a hotter market.
It’s Time To Prepare Your House for a Spring Listing
If you’re thinking of selling your house this spring, now is the perfect time to start getting it ready. With the market gearing up for its busiest time of year, it’ll be important to make sure your house shines bright among the competition. Here are some valuable tips you can use to get your house market-ready.
Rental Property Inspections
Rental property inspections are conducted for a variety of reasons to assess the condition of the property in order to protect (1) the owner’s financial investment, (2) the physical property, and (3) tenants’ health and safety.
Writing a Successful Offer
When a new listing hits the market, it is commonplace for there to be a rush of interested buyers that result in multiple offers. It is prudent to research and consider which of these ideas you can implement before you find the home; it is much better to have more time to make these decisions.
“Mise en Place” for Home Buying
An excellent meal includes fresh, good food, the right ingredients, superb preparation, and execution. Whether you are following a recipe or doing it from memory, each step is important and affects the outcome. The same is true for buying a home.
How long do I have to keep this stuff?
The included table will give you an indication on how long certain documents related to your home need to be kept according to best practices of tax professionals.
Say No to FSBO
Before embarking on the sale of your home by yourself, talk to a real estate professional or possibly two, to get as much information as possible to make an informed decision. Your objective should be to maximize the proceeds from the sale.
Transferring Property Prior to Death
Even though the mechanics of transferring title to a property is simple, there are many things to consider for both the person giving the property and the one receiving it. Consult an attorney and tax professional to determine the best informed decision available.
Time to Cancel Mortgage Insurance?
When buying a home, purchasers may not have enough resources for a large down payment. It is understandable to use the best mortgage available to buy the home. The next goal should be to manage the mortgage to lower the overall costs.
Rental Home Investments
Rental homes - whether they be single-family detached properties, condos, or multi-unit properties - share many of the same benefits. Most people instinctively understand many of the working parts because they are the same as their home. The service providers for a home would be the same for a rental home.