Mortgage Rates: Why What You See Is Not What You Get
You’ve probably read articles or saw on the news that mortgage rates are at “historically low levels.” This news may have even caused you to act, calling your mortgage lender and checking out a couple...
View ArticleOptions to Turn Your Upside-Down Mortgage Right-Side Up
Many homeowners across the country have a mortgage balance that is more than what their home is worth. This phenomenon is known as an “upside-down mortgage” or an “underwater mortgage.” Refinancing...
View ArticleRent? Own? HELP!
3 Reasons Homeownership Matters Each year, the National Realtor Association conducts a survey. The survey primarily focuses on questions that obtain the answers to evaluate the state of the housing...
View ArticleDoes Your Home Have Curb Appeal?
When you’re selling your home, you only have one chance to make a first impression. The first few seconds that your home comes into the view of the potential buyer can make or break the deal. The...
View ArticleHousing Market Wrap-Up
The past few years in the real estate market have been a rollercoaster ride, at best. The National Realtors Association (NRA) conducts an annual survey to give consumers an idea of what’s happening in...
View Article5 First Time Homebuyer Mistakes to Avoid
Before you purchase any big-ticket item, you should do your homework. Buying a home for the first time is no exception to this rule. Fortunately, many homebuyers that have come before you have paved...
View ArticleRefinancing: Look Beyond the Lower Interest Rate
Homeowners often think that if interest rates drop that they should run out and refinance their property. While a lower interest rate can save you money, it doesn’t mean that a refinance is the right...
View ArticleCould HARP 2.0 Help Me?
What does HARP 2.0 mean for your mortgage? During the past few years of the housing market downturn and recession, many Americans found themselves “underwater” on their mortgages. They were living in...
View ArticleMixed Emotions – Finance, Obama, Gay Marriage and Quicksand
Above all things I am a pragmatist. As a political operative, like a spy, a good businessperson, a sound financial adviser or an undercover cop, the ability to divorce yourself from the emotional ties...
View ArticleBorrowers Turning Down Great Refinancing Deals
It seems like a no brainer: Drop two or more percentage points off your mortgage interest rate, and save a couple hundred dollars a month without extending your mortgage term. However, many consumers...
View Article5 Reasons to Buy a Condo Instead of a House
When my husband and I were looking to buy a home, we discovered that there weren’t any homes that we liked at our price point. Our real estate agent suggested we consider condos, and we ended up buying...
View ArticleSingle Women Outpace Single Men In Home Purchases
Keeping pace with a home-buying trend that has emerged over the past generation, statistics show that single women are purchasing homes at twice the rate of single men. According to MSN, which used...
View ArticleHow to Submit the Best Offer on Your Dream Home
Buying a home can be as exhilarating as it is exhausting. After months of searching for your first (or next) home, you might have stumbled upon your dream home. This is a very exciting time, but it’s...
View ArticleMost Expensive Home in the U.S. on the Market for $190 Million
Would you pay $190 million for a home? What if that home had 13,519 square feet and came with 50 acres of land that spread out on two islands? Copper Beech Farm, an estate with views of Long Island...
View ArticleSinging the Praises of a Blended Mortgage
It had always been a goal of mine to own a home. In fact, I had a pretty aggressive goal to own property before the age of 30—all on my own and in Boston (where I had landed for grad school). There...
View ArticleSo You Want to Refinance?
If done properly, refinancing your mortgage can save you thousands of dollars in interest over the life of the loan. It can also decrease your monthly payment, freeing up precious cash to pay down debt...
View ArticleAre Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments For You?
For many people, purchasing a home is a smart financial decision. Even in rocky economic times, a house is an investment that has the potential to provide financial security to the home buyer. Still,...
View ArticleInterest Rates on 30-Year Mortgages on the Rise
An improving economic picture in the U.S. means that fewer people are unemployed, home values are on the rise, and consumer spending is up. It may also mean that consumers could see higher rates on...
View ArticleAvoiding PMI – It Can Be Done!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you know that home-buyers today are fortunate to have the opportunity to be able to take advantage of historically low mortgage interest...
View ArticleFive U.S. States Still Struggling With Foreclosure
Although foreclosure rates have been dropping nationwide, five states in the U.S. continue to struggle with high numbers of homeowners defaulting on their mortgages. According to MarketWatch, using...
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