Although buying a house is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, purchase you are likely to make in your entire life, many borrowers forget how easy it is to make errors that can result in significant financial losses. It’s all the more surprising when you consider that it’s quite easy to avoid them,…
Buying property is one of the best investments you can make, but there are several factors that you need to consider before going ahead with a purchase. Before you jump in, take a few minutes to consider the following: Know your budget Before you really get started you need to know exactly how much money…
This post brought to you by Quicken Loans. All opinions are 100% mine. by Clayton Closson You read that title correctly. An estimated 2.7 million American households could refinance to today’s mortgage rates (which are near historic lows, in case you haven’t been paying attention) through the gov’s HARP program. And they can do it…
If you’re a first-time buyer, the idea of picking a mortgage can be daunting to say the least. With many different types offered, alongside some pretty scary looking numbers, you may not have a clue where to start. Never fear, because things are much simpler than they may seem. Once the jargon has been explained…
Last year, my husband and I looked into the possibility of purchasing a rental home. It seemed like a good time to buy real estate, and we could swing the down payment on a small home in our area. However, despite the fact that we were comfortable with the idea of being landlords and everything…
One of the leading causes of the great recession was the burst of the housing bubble. From around 2001 until 2006 housing prices climbed rapidly. Banks were not as tightly regulated and they were handing out loans to many people who really could not afford the payments. These people were buying houses that had inflated…
The 30-year fixed rate mortgage has long been the standard loan term for homebuyers, and for many good reasons. A 30-year loan helps to keep monthly mortgage payments lower, keeping home ownership (and larger homes) within reach of the average homebuyer. And for years, the slight interest rate improvement offered by the 15-year mortgage was…