Featured Posts
4 Signs You’re Going To Need A Bigger House
There comes a time in every young homeowner's life when they need a bigger house. When you buy a starter home, it's unlikely that will be your forever home. But how do you know when it's time to spend the time and effort to upgrade to a larger home? Here are four signs you're gonna need a bigger house! 1. You Have To Move Stuff To Get To Other Stuff In a house where there is enough room for everything, you can move freely and access all your things without having to rearrange furniture. If you … [Read More...]
NAHB: Home Builder Confidence Grows After Lowest Level in 3 Years
After two months of declining builder confidence, the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index gained two points in January with a reading of 58. Component readings of the HMI were also higher with builder confidence in current market conditions rose two points to an index reading of 63. Builder confidence in housing market conditions over the next six months rose three points to 64. The index for buyer traffic in new housing developments rose one point to 44. While index … [Read More...]
Strategies For Buying And Selling A Home At The Same Time
If you're already a homeowner and you're getting ready to buy a new home, you know it's tricky to buy and sell a home at the same time. There are lots of questions about how to handle this scenario. What if your old home doesn't sell quickly? Will you have to make two mortgage payments? What if you sell and the new owners want to move in before you close on your new home? Depending on your situation, here are some strategies available to you. Get A Bridge Loan If you find yourself facing more … [Read More...]
4 House “Flaws” You Can Safely Disregard
When you walk through a house with your real estate agent, you're seeing if you and your family would be happy living there. But you're also probably looking for signs of trouble that might spell big expenses later on. Be careful, though. It's important to see the "bones" of the house rather than focusing on minor issues. Here are four flaws you can safely disregard. 1. Stained Carpet Stained carpet is more an indication of the owner's poor cleaning habits than of any real problems with the … [Read More...]
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 14th, 2019
Last week's economic reports included remarks by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, readings on inflation and core inflation. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and first-tome jobless claims were also released. If the government shutdown continues, it is expected to impact release dates for readings from federal government agencies. Federal Reserve Watches and Waits on Interest Rates as Inflation Slows Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve … [Read More...]
4 Ways to Improve Your Curb Appeal
You have about five minutes to impress (or not) prospective buyers at a showing. For curb appeal, you get about five seconds for buyers to decide whether they want to go inside. Here are four tips to help you get the wow factor from your home's street-facing views. Update Entryway Hardware A wall-mounted mailbox, chic house numbers and a pretty porch light add interest to your entryway. However, dated and dinged hardware impress no one. In a perfect world, all your hardware matches in style, … [Read More...]
3 Tips To Save For A Down Payment
Saving up for a down payment can feel overwhelming. Most people have never saved up the kind of money it takes for a down payment. It can be done, though. The goal is to put 20% down on a house. This is what it takes if you don't want to have to pay private mortgage insurance every month. However, you don't have to absolutely put 20% down. Some mortgage programs, such as VA and FHA loans, let borrowers put down as little as zero down or about 3.5% down. There are extra requirements with any kind … [Read More...]
What Happens After Your Offer Is Accepted?
When you make an offer on a home, you wait anxiously to see if it will be accepted. Sometimes you're lucky enough to hear back within hours. Other times you could wait days or even weeks. But once you get that good news that your offer has been accepted, what happens next? It's a common question, and one that your real estate agent can help you with. In general though, here's what you can expect. There's A Home Inspection A home inspection needs to be conducted in order to assess the condition … [Read More...]
Top 5 Ways To Pick A High Quality Real Estate Agent
Your real estate agent can be the difference between a successful home buy and a bad purchase. Take a look at the characteristics of a good real estate agent and how you should vet your next partner in real estate. Patience Does the real estate agent immediately tell you to give up your rights to audit a home for a quicker sale? You may want to move on. The best real estate agents realize how big of a commitment a home is, and they are willing to walk you through the process at whatever pace you … [Read More...]
