When Bradley Shaw decided to move to Coronado, California last year, he was drawn to the laid-back beach lifestyle the area offered. But after he sold his old house and needed to find a new place quickly, he blew off some of the research he planned to do and ended up in a neighborhood he …
What’s Good in the Hood? Six Ways to Check Your Neighborhood’s Vibe Read More »
Preparing for a mortgage is like planning for a big party. The more you do ahead of time, the less hectic things will be when the day finally arrives. Getting a mortgage is a rigorous process that puts your financial life under a microscope. It isn’t just as easy as pulling your credit score. There …
Two Years, One Year, Six Months: Your Get-Ready For a Mortgage Timeline Read More »
When you start the home financing process, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Making one of the biggest financial decisions of your life deserves more than a trial and error education. In school, you learned your numbers, then algebra, and eventually probability and statistics, but personal finance was probably not on the list. It simply …
Buying a home in the new year? Whether this is your first go-around or you’ve purchased before, there are steps you can take to make sure you’re a qualified homebuyer —and being a qualified homebuyer is the key to getting the best deal you can on your mortgage. Remember the 4 C’s as you get …
New Year, New Me: How to Become a Qualified Homebuyer Read More »
Key Takeaways Many homebuyers count on cash gifts to use toward their down payment when purchasing a home. But, there are rules and guidelines that need to be abided by in order to make that work. Before you ask your sister’s best friend’s uncle for a cash gift, make sure you understand these nuances of …
Before You Ask Santa for Down Payment Assistance, Know This About Cash Gifts Read More »
Buying a home during the holidays can be a great way to find a fabulous deal. Sellers who list during the holidays are often quite motivated, you may benefit from tax deductions, and everyone involved is often incentivized to help move the transaction along quickly so they can close out their year. Whether you just …
9 Tips to Get You in Your New Home Before the Holidays Read More »
Starting out in real estate can be tough. It’s likely you’re wearing a lot of hats: scheduling, marketing, research, prospecting, negotiating, and more. For new real estate agents just starting out, consider these four no-brainer pieces of advice we’ve collected from some of our seasoned real estate partners. #1. Pick the Right Place to Call Home Getting …
NEWS FLASH: If your mortgage is older than four years, it’s time to consider the advantages of refinancing your home. Here are three telltale signs that refinancing is right for you: 1. Interest Rates Are On Your Side In general people refinance because current interest rates are lower now than back when the loan was created. Let’s say you had a $500,000 mortgage in 2011 …
Getting your credit in good shape for your mortgage application means doing what’s necessary to improve your score, fixing any errors – and then leaving it alone. Too many changes to your credit in the year before applying for a mortgage can raise a red flag with lenders. It’s a good idea to review your …
Credit Counts: How to Prepare Your Credit for a Mortgage Application Read More »
Mortgage lenders care a lot about your credit. In particular, your 3-digit FICO® Score. It’s a fast, objective way to assess your creditworthiness – the likelihood that you will repay your home loan on time. The strength of your credit not only determines whether you qualify for a home mortgage, but it is also the single most important …