Most people would not normally begin the home buying process until they felt that they were ready to make a move. In the case of a New Construction home however, it is almost always advisable to initiate your search much sooner than that, even up to a year in advance of your desired moving date…. Read More
What are closing costs?
Learn the Lender Lingo! (#2- Mortgage Options for First Time Home Buyers)
You’re fortunate, not to mention unusual, if you are a first-time home buyer who has the means to obtain a Conventional mortgage. Commonly the biggest stumbling block is down payment. For the majority of home buyers, their first purchase will not be their forever home. I generally tell buyers to consider their first home to… Read More
Low Mortgage Interest Rates and Coronavirus – Unprecedented, Unified and Urgent
Along with Coronavirus being a novel occurrence, so too are Mortgage Interest Rates. I know I’ve never seen anything like it, some rates are under 3%. Personally, I would be thrilled if I were in a the market for a home right now. It might seem like a strange time to be buying a home,… Read More
Video: Is a Historic Home Right for You?
It’s a given, that home ownership of any kind comes with a steady diet of upkeep and repairs. Even a newly built home is going to require some level of routine maintenance. However, if your dream home happens to fall into the ‘historic home’ category, or a location within in a historic district, be advised… Read More
Foreclosures Reach Their Lowest Level Since Tracking Began
According to The Title Report, foreclosure filings in 2019 reached their lowest level since tracking began in 2005, with the highest potential for distressed properties cropping up in the major metro areas of Baton Rouge LA., Atlanta GA, Salt Lake City UT, Orlando FL and Portland, OR. The states of Nevada, New York, New Jersey,… Read More
Mortgage Sense… Conventional? FHA? or Something Else
I’ve talked a great deal about VA Mortgages in these posts, and I have no doubt we’ll be touching on that subject again very soon as a lot has changed. But for those of you who are not lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the VA’s zero-down option, today we touch on… Read More
Home Buyers: Tips for Maximizing Limited Kitchen Storage Space
Kitchens and garages are often carefully scrutinized when shopping for a home. Why? My theory is that much of the home’s storage space is located in the kitchen area and in the garage. Considering the scarcity of basements in our region, storage space claims an even higher spot on an Arizona home buyer’s list of… Read More
At Home Feature: We’ve Mastered Minimalism, So What’s Next?
‘Living with less’. This is the minimalistic definition of minimalism. Minimalism can be taken to extremes or barely discernible, be deliberate or incidental, but if you’re on the minimalist track you are solidly on trend. Actually the minimalist lifestyle may have begun as a fad, but having caught on so quickly and completely, we have… Read More
Foreclosures Dropping Nationwide. Is Your Local Market an Anomaly?
Nationwide, foreclosures have been steadily decreasing since 2010. However there are a few isolated markets that have been seeing a recent increase in foreclosures and foreclosure starts. This is not necessarily baffling. It’s no coincidence that the majority of these locals are the same ones that have experienced a faster-than-average rise in home prices. Most… Read More
New Home or Pre-Owned, Cash or Financed, Do You Need Title Insurance?
Home buyers are frequently surprised to learn that they need to have a title insurance policy in place in order to close on their home loan. In fact, if you’re using a mortgage to buy your home, a lender’s title insurance policy will be required. In addition to protecting the mortgage company, home buyers should… Read More