Category: Oakland County Mortgage Banker
Should I Use A Family Member As My Realtor?
Family is wonderful most of the time, but do you want them as your Realtor, helping you with what might be, the biggest purchase/sale of your lifetime? The short answer is, there is no right answer. Working with family can be great, but it also can be problematic. If you take into consideration the following steps when […]
And We’re Back……….
So it’s been a while, but now “we are back from a commercial break”, as my good friend Ken Kellner says over a megaphone in his tiki bar every time someone new walks in. Why is this relevant, you may be asking yourself? Well, during my “commercial break” I honed my writing skills, educated myself on the virtues […]
Can I Use my Tax Return for a Down Payment?
In my ongoing effort to help my clients understand the taxable implications of a mortgage during tax season, today I will talk about how a tax return can and cannot be used to help with a home purchase. I run into many clients who qualify for a mortgage; they have the income to sustain a […]
Important Mortgage Documents From Closing
As I said last week, I will be dedicating this month to tax season on my blog. I am doing this in an effort to help my clients and readers prepare themselves for their current tax filings, as I know this is top of mind for most people at this time of year. Today, I […]
Welcome to Tax Season
As January comes to a close, we are once again welcomed into tax season. For some, this is a happy time of year where a big refund check will soon be on its way. For others, it’s a time of annoyance as a big check needs to be written to the IRS. But either way, […]
MSHDA
Last week, I talked about down payments and options for down payment assistance. I discussed what the “right” down payment is and ways to get help in putting that money down. Today, I’d like to talk about one of the best options available to Michigan residents for down payment assistance: the Michigan State Housing Development […]
Down Payment Assistance Options
Coming up with a down payment can be a daunting task. Assuming a standard down payment of 20% on a $300,000 home, for instance, would be $60,000. And if that number feels outside of anything you could ever dream of saving, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Affording a down payment is one of the largest […]
What is the Right Down Payment?
This has probably been the most consistently common question I have received from new and prospective clients over the last nearly 15 years that I have been in this industry. There have always been differing opinions about how much to put down on a new home purchase, some arguing for larger down payments, others arguing […]
What to Consider When Buying in the Winter
On Tuesday, I wrote about selling a house in the winter, some of the potential difficulties of selling this time of year, and some of the tips I’ve learned over the years to help any winter-time seller. Today, I would like to talk about the other side of that transaction; the winter-time buyer. I find […]
What to Consider When Selling in the Winter
Popular wisdom would tell you to never sell a house in the winter months. Your house will not show as well (especially here in Michigan), there are fewer buyers looking for houses, and you will take a big hit to the value of the house as a result. And while there is some merit to […]