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A lower rate will not only result in a lower payment, it will amortize the loan quicker. A $250,000 mortgage at 4.5% for 30 years will have a $1,266.71 principal and interest payment. At 4%, the same loan will have $1,193.54 payment saving $73.18 a month and the unpaid balance would be $1,776 lower at the end of five years. ...CONTINUE READING

You'll need to earn $2.00 for every $1.00 you want to spend assuming you pay 50% of your earnings on income tax, social security and Medicare.   On the other hand, you get to keep 100% of every dollar you save on your personal expenses because the taxes have already been paid. ...CONTINUE READING

The advantages of a 15-year loan over a 30-year include the obvious shorter term, usually a slightly lower interest rate and that equity builds faster.  The disadvantages are higher payments that are required regardless of temporary personal economic conditions. ...CONTINUE READING

There are a multitude of companies across the Internet, referred to as iBuyers, who are suggesting that sellers can save the hassle of putting their home on the market, showings, repairs, open houses and other things by accepting their instant offer to purchase. ...CONTINUE READING

Home improvement loans provide a source of funds for owners to finance the improvements they want to make.  These are usually, personal installment loans that are not collateralized by the home itself.  Since there is more risk for the lender with this type of loan, the interest rate is higher than a normal mortgage loan. ...CONTINUE READING

Sometimes, there can be confusion on what goes with the house and what goes with the seller when they move.  Generally speaking, the house is the land and buildings and any fixed or attached property. ...CONTINUE READING

What do you think the motivating reason would be for the 5% of all homebuyers who chose not to work with an agent but instead conducted their own home search, contacted the seller, negotiated the contract, located their financing, arranged their inspections and all of the other services provided by REALTORS®?  Most people would probably guess the buyers were wanting to do the work themselves and earn the commission in the form a lower purchase price. ...CONTINUE READING

Now that the standard deduction is increased to $12,200 for single taxpayers and $24,400 for married ones, many homeowners are better off with the standard deduction than itemizing their deductions to write off their mortgage interest and property taxes.  There was some speculation that without the tax advantages, homeownership is not the investment it once was. ...CONTINUE READING

A mortgage lock-in is a lender's agreement to hold a specific interest rate for a stated period for a loan at the prevailing market interest rate. This provides the borrower some protection against the interest rates going up during the lock period. ...CONTINUE READING

Imagine having an emergency in your home and needing to find something that will solve the problem.  You need to be able to put your hands on it quickly.  ...CONTINUE READING