New Assistance for First-Time Homebuyers You read it correctly! There is a new First-Time Homebuyer $4000 Grant for your down payment or closing costs! In the midst of a not so easy market this is welcome news. Flex Funds Grant Details Flat Branch Home Loans (a local lender we have worked with for years) is […]
What Is a 2/1 Mortgage Buydown Mortgage? A 2/1 mortgage buydown is a type of mortgage where the interest rate is temporarily lowered for the first two years of the loan. This results in lower monthly mortgage payments for the first two years, before adjusting to the original interest rate for the remaining life of […]
Mortgage rates have been a hot topic in the housing market over the past 12 months. Compared to the beginning of 2022, rates have risen dramatically. Now they’re dropping, and that has to do with everything happening in the economy. Nadia Evangelou, Senior Economist and Director of Forecasting at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains it well […]
Don’t Get Caught Off Guard by Closing Costs As a homebuyer, it’s important to have a good understanding of closing costs as you plan and budget for the expenses you’ll encounter when you purchase a home. While most people understand the need to save for a down payment, a recent survey found 41% of homebuyers were surprised by […]
According to information released by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Americans can expect an estimated average refund of $3,143 this year when filing their taxes. Many times tax refunds are often looked upon as ‘extra money’ that can be used toward larger goals. If you’ve considered buying a home in 2019, this can be a […]
Before you start your home search, you want to know how much you can afford, right? There are two ways to do this: with a mortgage pre-qualification and a mortgage pre-approval. As a home buyer, the pre-approval is more valuable to you during your home search. How Pre-Approval Helps You as a Home Buyer One […]
When it comes to buying a home, there are more things to consider than you may realize. After all, it’s a lot more complicated than walking into the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk! Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases the average person makes. As such, you can expect […]
How to Keep Your Mortgage Payment Under $1000 a Month Wouldn’t it be great to be able to keep your mortgage payment under a $1000 a month? Sound like wishful thinking or an illusion? Not really. First of all you need to find out how much money costs these days. The cost of money […]
What to Do with Your Tax Return? Bring it Home What to do with your tax return is a timely question this time of year. Soon many people will be eagerly checking their mailboxes looking for their tax return check from the IRS. But, what do most people plan to do with the money? GO […]
Want to visit the gym more? Finally complete the home improvement project you’ve been working on? Save money for that new watch/car/house/vacation? January 1 is the perfect time to jumpstart your goals. If you’re like most people, according to Money Magazine, you probably have “stay fit,” “spend less,” or “enjoy the most out of life” […]
Real Estate agents respond to poll asking What Are the Biggest First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes Inman News, a provider of real estate information, recently conducted a poll asking agents “What Are the Biggest First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes” they have seen in their careers. Close to 600 agents responded. Here in order are some of the top results, […]
Potential Home Buyers: What Price Home Could You Buy for $1000 Monthly Mortgage? Do you know the impact your interest rate makes? Interest rates have come a long way in the last 30 years. At current interest rates what price home could you buy for a $1000 monthly mortgage payment? The Infographic below illustrates a […]
Are Rising Home Prices Creating a New Housing Bubble? We recently reported that home prices are continuing to rise across most of the nation. This has created concern in some pundits that a new housing bubble, like we saw ten years ago, is forming again. We want to explain why these concerns are unfounded. […]
Home Equity Creates Wealth-Why it Matters and How it Gives You Future Options One of the most powerful benefits to home ownership is home equity and how it creates wealth. One of the advantages of wealth is options. Options are important to have when life deals you either an unexpected blow or an exciting new […]
Wouldn’t it be great to hear about the home buying process in plain English? No spin, easy-to-understand, straight talk sprinkled with sarcasm and comedy to keep it fun? Here it is! The National Association of Realtors, and their website realtor.com, put together a 5 episode series starring Elizabeth Banks. Elizabeth, who has appeared in the […]
Home Ownership-Does it Still Make Financial Sense? Many of us are aware of the social benefits of home ownership. Questions do arise however about the financial benefits of home ownership. Does home ownership make financial sense? The three recent studies in this article will help shed some light on the issue. RealtyTrac, a real estate […]
3 Questions to Ask Before Buying a House The home buying and selling season is almost here. How can you know if it’s the best time for you to buy a house? You’ve probably noticed an increase in radio and TV advertising telling you now is the best time to either sell or buy and […]
4 Reasons to Buy a Home Before Spring The holiday season is behind us, time to focus on what exciting new experiences 2015 can bring! If you are planning on becoming a homeowner, or moving up to the home of your dreams in 2015, here are four great reasons to consider buying a home now, […]
What Are the 4 Biggest Myths about Buying a Home? The 4 biggest myths about buying a home? A recent study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University revealed when renters were asked why they do no plan to own in the future, financial constraints were a more common response than the […]
The Average Interest Rate and Mortgage Payment Over Decades Let’s go back in time and see what interest rates and mortgage payments have been since the 70’s. Sometimes in the midst of “Breaking News” and the “World is Falling Apart” headlines it’s hard to have perspective. Usually, when we look back in time, everything tends […]
