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photo credit: ryanrumsey

To refinance or not to refinance, that is the question. If you have a fixed rate mortgage then it’s easy to tell if the current purchase rates are better than they where when you locked in to your loan. If you have an adjustable rate mortgage or ARM, then you’re rate is changing and probably on the rise, but it’s a good idea to check with a financial planner to see what their take on the future trends is. (more…)

photo credit: unforth

You’re ready to buy a home. You’ve taken all of the steps that you need to take in order to save up money and qualify for a home mortgage loan. But now you’re in the tough position of trying to figure out what type of home you might want. Are you the kind of person that would love to live in a new suburban development? Does the idea of living in a downtown condo make your heart pitter patter? Are you the type of person who could really make a life in a large historic home? Or do you want to look into cutting-edge green real estate with a sustainable design? There are different types of homes out there that will be within your price range and you need to know what type you’re looking for if you want to select the home that’s right for you. (more…)

photo credit: roarofthefour

One of the greatest benefits of owning a home is that you can use the home as collateral when you need to get a loan for expenses in your life. Most commonly this is done to cover large expenses such as repairs to the home or payment of college tuition for the kids although the funds can be used for anything. There are pros and cons to getting a home equity loan and there are different types of home equity loans to get so it’s important to understand the loans carefully before applying for them. Following you’ll find some basic information about these loans to assist you in gaining that understanding. (more…)

photo credit: Jofus | JoeTheDough

Qualifying to receive a home mortgage loan has never been a particularly easy thing and it’s an experience which has only gotten more difficult in recent years. With the sub-prime mortgage bust and the increase in home foreclosures that has taken place, banks are more hesitant than ever before to offer a home mortgage to someone. Many people who once owned homes now rent because they can’t get approved for a mortgage loan. But that doesn’t mean that getting a home mortgage is impossible. It just means that you need to know what you have to do (and prove) so that the lender sees you as a responsible bill-paying home owner who deserves a home mortgage loan. (more…)

photo credit: Brandie!

Many people feel silly asking really basic questions about mortgages. They feel like this is something that they should already know since almost everyone they know has a home mortgage. However, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask the questions that you need to ask in order to make sure that you understand what you’re getting in to with a home mortgage. You can’t expect to know this information if you’re too afraid to find it out to begin with. And failing to ask those important questions can make the mortgage process far more confusing (and financially stressful!) than it should be. (more…)

photo credit: roarofthefour

Many people are interested in buying a home right now while housing prices across the nation are low. However, they have learned their lessons from the problems of the recent past and definitely want to make sure that any home they do buy is a home that they can actually afford. It’s obviously important to figure out what you can realistically afford to pay for a home so that buying a home doesn’t get you in to big financial trouble. Unfortunately this type of important assessment isn’t actually that easy for the average person to figure out. Following you’ll learn about the different things that you need to look at when you are trying to determine how much home you can afford to buy. (more…)

photo credit: Chad Jones - Gold Coast Real Tours

So you’ve found the house that you love and now its time to make an offer. In some states you simply have to set your price, in other states you need to complete a pretty thorough form. You’ll have to find out what your state requires, if you have a Realtor or a real estate attorney helping you out they will know all the ins and outs of your local requirements. If they don’t then, its time to give them the boot. (more…)

photo credit: stangls

Landlords and property managers have noticed a trend over the past few years that they generally see as a benefit: there are more renters on the market these days. That’s because many home owners have lost their homes to the subprime mortgage bust and the general decline in the housing economy. These people can’t afford to buy another home so they end up getting back into the renting pool. (more…)

credit: Amy March

If you’re in the business of buying real estate then you probably pay close attention to the mortgage fraud cases that happen around the country. You want to make sure that the loans you get are legitimate loans that won’t turn nasty on you in a few years. It turns out that you’re not the only one who is paying attention to this issue; the FBI has reported that they’re seriously stepping up their efforts to stop mortgage fraud in its tracks. (more…)

credit: karlfrankowski

Owning a home is the basic foundation of achieving The American Dream. For minority cultures in America, homeownership has historically been a milestone revealing that they have made it here in this country. As a result, many cultural communities are concerned about the fact that the recent home foreclosures sweeping the nation have created a setback for the minority homeowner.

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