On Tuesday, I discussed buying new construction homes, and the things to consider in relation to them. Today, I would like to look at the other end of the spectrum; “fixer uppers.” Fixer uppers are those houses that have great potential to be the home of your dreams, but need some love to get there. […]

If you have the cash reserves to buy your next house, it might be tempting to forego the mortgage process and use your savings, instead. You won’t have to worry about going through the mortgage process, you can generally close faster, and you avoid all of the interest paid on the mortgage. For the right […]

Many loan programs come with the option for home buyers to buy down an interest rate. What this means is the borrower can pay a certain amount in closing costs to have their interest rate reduced. The upfront cost is usually measured in points, where 1 point is 1% of the overall loan amount, and […]

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 […]

This is a really common question I get during initial consultations with clients, and it is a very hard one to answer. In a perfect world, you would put down at least 20% and that would create the perfect payment that you are comfortable with. In reality, that’s not usually the case; sometimes it makes […]

If you are buying a house with a FHA mortgage or with a conventional mortgage with less than 20% down, you will probably have some form of mortgage insurance. This is an additional monthly charge on top of your normal payment to buy insurance on your mortgage. The insurance is not for you, though, it […]

When looking to buy or sell a home, it is important to pick the right Realtor. Some are better at selling homes, others at helping you find a home, and still others are not better at either. Clearly, a referral from a friend who recently bought or sold a home and got a great deal […]

When thinking about buying a home, one important piece to consider before any other is what is your borrowing power. Said another way, this means how much house you can afford. This is important for a number of reasons; you do not want to look at houses which are out of your price range, you […]

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 […]

When you are ready to buy a new home, it is important to find the right mortgage officer for your needs. Some mortgage officers specialize in very unique products for unique situations, meaning if you fit that need, the officer is great for you, but if you don’t, he probably won’t be of much help. […]