Your credit score can have a major impact on your ability to buy a house and the types of loans that are best for you. Not to mention how big your down payment needs to be, and how much interest you will need to pay. For first time buyers, knowing how much house you...
Becoming a homeowner is a huge accomplishment, and a solid investment. When you purchase a home, your first thought likely isn’t about the price you’ll get for it when you sell someday. Instead, you’re probably thinking of improvements you want to make, or how to...
So you’ve decided to buy a house. Congratulations: You are now on your way toward purchasing a home. The first step is understanding how you get pre-approved to buy a house. Being pre-approved for a mortgage is not the same thing as being prequalified. Pre-qualified...
If you're a potential home buyer, you've probably estimated a mortgage payment. One of the items that makes up your monthly mortgage payment is property tax. In this article we cover what it is and how to determine your property tax. What is it? Quite simply,...
You decide to move, put your house on the market, and generally hope for a quick sale with strong offers. And then all of the sudden, you receive a cash offer. Fortunately for you, accepting a cash offer provides several advantages over a traditional real estate...
House hacking. It’s one of the less popular terms in real estate. But you’ve probably heard of it without realizing there was an official name. Simply put, it is a strategy where you live in a primary residence, but also rent out portions of your home to offset the...
Traditional real estate agents make their money through a commission structure. Agents are paid directly for services rendered in the sale of or the purchase of property. But, how much commission does a realtor actually make? While this is public information that all...
There are countless ways in which people can invest their money. The stock market, businesses, bonds, etc. to name a few. But what about real estate? More specifically, Airbnb investments. Some people have made Airbnb investments their entire career. It’s...
Whether you’re in the beginning stages of your career, have been working for a while, or are even retired; the thought of investing has probably crossed your mind. There are various avenues in which you can explore for investing, and real estate has become an...
Buying a house is often considered one of the most stressful times in a person's life for a number of reasons. But a significant part of this is the amount of money changing hands. Undoubtedly, what adds to that stress are the mysteriously dubbed "closing costs" that...
Selling a house can be expensive, but as they say, sometimes you have to spend money to make money. While real estate agent commission costs are the biggest part of what you stand to pay, there are other costs to be aware of too. In our experience, sellers pay roughly...
It’s a commonly asked question - how much does it cost to build a house vs buying a pre-existing house? You’d think there would be an easy answer to that simple question, but there isn’t. The answer you seek will arise from many different factors that you need to...
Most people finance a home with a mortgage which will require them to go through the underwriting process. The mortgage underwriting process can be a nerve racking time because it’s so revealing of one's personal and financial history. Because of this, it’s important...
The death of a spouse is a terrible event to go through and dealing with the deceased spouse’s affairs can be an equal nightmare. Survivorship or inheritance of the home is a concern for most people and it should not be taken lightly. Generally, a spouse inherits...
Redlining in real estate has been going on at least formally since 1934, when the National Housing Act was created, which also established the Federal Housing Administration. According to the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which made redlining officially illegal,...
Many homeowners these days are considering renting out their spare rooms or entire homes on Airbnb (or other short term rental sites) to make some extra cash. It’s a tempting endeavor to pursue because many homeowners have empty rooms they can share or may be out of...
Over the years in the United States, mortgage lenders have unfortunately been as guilty as other parts of American society in denying equal rights to minorities. This practice in mortgage lending was known as “redlining.” And while redlining has been labeled as...
With the passage and signing of the CARES Act into law on March 27, 2020, the federal government set into motion a massive $2.2 trillion covid-19 relief bill and the largest single economic rescue plan in the history of the US. And in this act are plans to help...
During a transaction that requires a substantial amount of money, like a real estate purchase, trusting the person on the other side of the deal is essential to the success of a deal being made. The concept of escrow can help minimize risk during these large...
When you decide to buy a house, it is important that you have money saved. Not only will you need money for closing costs, you are going to need to be able to put as much money down as possible. In fact, the higher your down payment is, the more money that you can...
If your house is in foreclosure or on the verge of foreclosure, you are probably feeling incredibly overwhelmed and stressed. Maybe all you want to do is pretend it’s not happening. But, you’ll help yourself out (short-term and long-term) if you spring into action....
Property tax has an impact on your monthly mortgage payment. Therefore, it is extremely important to have an estimate when deciding to buy a home. Several aspects of a property are assessed for its valuation, including the value of similar properties and the...
So you're thinking of investing in real estate? If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make a profit on an investment, you should find something else to invest in. Real estate investment is time-consuming. And, like with most investments, you never know what’s...
If you’re thinking about investing in real estate, there’s a lot of things to keep in mind. Plus, a lot of numbers to crunch. While it’s important to consider every variable, there are a few simple formulas that will guarantee you’re not making a terrible investment....