Personal Finance and Lifestyle Guide
Realtors and mortgage lenders should be required to hand out a pamphlet to buyers – particularly first-time homebuyers – stating all the things that they need to pay for once they close on their home. I’m not talking about doc stamps and closing costs and down payments and mortgage origination fees or any of that […] More
You won’t find me buying a house without a down payment, but it’s a growing trend to do just that. Personally, I’m not a fan of going into anything owing more money that something is worth and/or not having any equity. You can do what makes you most comfortable, but that’s just where I stand. […] More
According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), millennials, often categorized as a generation of renters, have begun making the shift to purchasing homes. Most of these homes, unlike the apartments they often rent, are in the suburbs rather than in urban areas. The 2016 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends […] More
Low interest rates are tempting. We refinanced our brand new home only 9 months after we purchased it to drop our rate and save significantly per month on our brand new mortgage. It was a great deal. However, we are 32 and 33. Retirement is still a *few* years off for us. Saving money on […] More
Buying a new home is exciting. It’s one of the most exciting things you will ever do, as well as one of the most stressful. There is nothing quite like walking into your dream home for the first time knowing that it is yours from this point forward. On the flip side, there is nothing […] More
Mortgage debt is probably the biggest debt you have; hopefully. My first mortgage came when I was 20 – though we technically didn’t have it until I was 21. My husband and I were engaged to be married the following year and we decided to build our starter home. It was a small, adorable little […] More
A reverse mortgage is a little bit complicated and a little bit simple. It’s complicated because it’s not always easy to understand the process, but it’s simple once the pieces finally click and you understand how the entire process works. What confuses most people is the fact that it’s a mortgage, but it means you […] More
The burning of the mortgage is a party that everyone once hoped to celebrate. In fact, it’s something that many people do as often as they can. Paying off a home is a big deal and it’s one of the biggest debts you will ever rid yourself of paying. However, a home is an investment […] More
Buying a new house is not often something you can do without a mortgage of some sort. The vast majority of buyers are not qualified to pay cash for a new home, and that’s where banks and other lenders come in handy. These lenders offer buyers the chance to finance their homes through something called […] More