Photo by pbo31.If you’re on the road to buying a home, life is about to get busier. You’ll need to choose a Realtor, tour homes, get mortgage pre-approval, and make offers. With all that to keep track of, don’t miss one of the most important … [Read more...]
Tax Benefits of Home Ownership
July 12, 2010 by Sarah Davis
Some benefits of home ownership are obvious: there's the investment value, the pride of ownership, the privacy… What you might not have realized is that the tax benefits are one of the greatest benefits to owning a home. In fact, many of the … [Read more...]
Create a New Home Expense Fund
July 7, 2010 by Amber Gilstrap
I take home ownership pretty seriously. It’s probably one of the biggest financial move any of us will ever make. Jumping into owning a home before you’re ready is easy to do, but it will most likely just land you in a tight financial situation … [Read more...]
The High Cost(s) of Buying a Home
July 6, 2010 by Sarah Davis
If you’ve never bought a home before, you may see a $300,000 asking price and think,“I can afford that” (with a mortgage, most likely). But, can you really? Are you aware of the fees and expenses involved in purchasing a home? … [Read more...]
The Secrets to Winning a Bidding War
June 10, 2010 by Sarah Davis
Putting an offer on a home can be exhilarating, especially if the offer you submit is exactly what the seller has asked for. When you reach this stage, chances are you've already started to fall in love with the home and are picturing yourself … [Read more...]
All About Earnest Money
May 24, 2010 by Sarah Davis
When you make an offer to buy a house, the seller may ask you to remit money as an earnest deposit. Most purchase contracts stipulate a specific amount of earnest money to be given by the buyer along with the offer. What is an appropriate amount? … [Read more...]
Get a Mortgage Pre-Qualification Letter Before House Hunting
May 4, 2010 by Sarah Davis
Once you’ve made the decision to purchase a home, I recommend you get pre-qualified for a home loan as soon as possible. Pre-qualification is a quick but very important step you should take before making any offers. Why? Pre-qualification … [Read more...]
How to Find a Good Realtor When Buying a Home
April 29, 2010 by Sarah Davis
You’ve seen the “For Sale” signs and you’re anxious to buy a home. But, how do you navigate all the various kinds of home loans and figure out how much house you can really afford? Plus, how will find out the inside scoop on each home and how … [Read more...]
Home Loans: The Good, the So-So, and the Stupid
April 22, 2010 by David E. Weliver
Time may be up on the home buyer tax credits, but you may hear “it’s still a great time to buy a home”. Why? Because interest rates on home loans are low and, most likely, have nowhere to go but up. Smug home owners love to extol the … [Read more...]
Two Deadlines Loom
April 9, 2010 by David E. Weliver
Before dashing off the weekend, I want to remind everybody of two important upcoming deadlines. Don't forget, April 15th is tax day, and it's next Thursday! Still plenty of time to use TurboTax to finish your returns. Also, for anybody interested … [Read more...]
