Category: Michigan Foreclosures
New 3% Down Conventional Mortgage Programs
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have recently announced that they will begin backing conventional mortgages with as little as 3% down. This puts conventional mortgages into a new arena which they have not been in for almost 5 years, namely, the low down payment space. Until the announcement on Monday, the lowest Fannie and Freddie […]
Can I Buy a House if I Had a Short Sale?
On Tuesday, I wrote about what to do to buy a house after a foreclosure. I didn’t think to include anything in reference to buying a house after a short sale, but several people have already asked, so I figured I would address it here. Buying a house after a short sale is much like […]
Can I buy a House if I Had a Foreclosure?
With everything that has happened over the last eight or nine years, an unfortunately common question is whether or not you can buy a house if you had a foreclosure in the not-too-distant past. There is a common misconception that any foreclosures mean you can’t buy a new house for seven years. And while it […]
Can I Get a Mortgage on a House I Plan to Flip?
The market for house flipping has never been stronger. Even as house prices surge, more and more people are stepping into the house flipping game to make a quick buck. And as such, more and more clients are calling me to ask if they can finance a house they plan to flip. Now, in a […]
Forms for the Tax Assessor’s Office After Buying a House
After you buy a house in Michigan, there is a lot that needs to be done. You need to set up utilities, figure out moving arrangements, childcare arrangements if you have kids, update your driver’s license, and so on. But there are two important forms which must be filed with the Tax Assessor’s Office that […]
Are Foreclosures Still a Viable Option in Michigan?
The foreclosure inventory has waned over the last few years and the foreclosure price tags have come up. Where in 2010 or 2011 you could have purchased just about any Real Estate Owned home (foreclosure), it is now a much riskier gambit. This has led many of the talking heads to warn homebuyers of the […]
Things Every First Time Home Buyer Should Consider
I know there are dozens of these lists available online, but I think it is important to discuss some of the most common problems I have seen first time home buyers run into, so that you can try to avoid them. There is nothing worse than getting a week to closing and having to drop […]
Did I Wait Too Long to Buy a House?
We all know the housing market collapsed in 2008 and 2009. House prices plummeted and there were deals aplenty. And the deals remained through 2009, 2010, and 2011. Foreclosures and short sales were everywhere, and you could buy a house at less than half it’s original price. But then in 2012, the market started to […]
Home Renovation Mortgages
When looking for a new home, it can be tempting to look for a “fixer upper.” These houses are usually offered at a steep discount, allow buyers to get into the neighborhood they want, and can offer some unique customization options. Aside from a custom built new home, these can be the best way to […]
How do I Calculate Income if I Filed an Extension on my Taxes?
There are a number of reasons why people declare extensions on their taxes, but I have found that it is most commonly done by small business owners who have very complicated returns due to multiple income streams and a number of different types of write offs. These people are often earning a nice living, own […]