If you are in the market to buy or build a house and need some advice for buying a new home, don’t be intimidated by the prospect. There are ways to make buying real estate easier, even if it’s your first time. Decide What Kind Of Home You Need Some first-time homebuyers make the mistake of buying a home they will grow out of, rather than grow into. It may be a good idea, depending on your short-term and mid-range plans, to buy a house you can … [Read more...]
Government-Backed Mortgages Vs Conventional Home Loans
Do you know the difference between a conventional mortgage and a government-backed home loan such as an FHA loan, VA mortgage, or USDA home loan? There are two big areas some are concerned with; those areas are down payments and mortgage insurance. We’re looking at the differences between conventional and government-backed home loans with this in mind since a home loan down payment and the insurance you’ll need over the course of the loan are … [Read more...]
Down Payment Facts For Home Buyers
Down payment facts for home buyers are incredibly important; these aspects of buying and paying for a home may be glossed over in the planning stages during the initial excitement over potentially owning a home. But once a first-time home buyer starts running the numbers and figuring out how much down might be required on a conventional or FHA mortgage, it’s a sure bet that if down payment help is available it will be used. Do you know what … [Read more...]
Should I Refinance My Home Loan?
Should I refinance my home loan? That is a question many homeowners ask. And it's a question that is especially relevant when news headlines at CNN Money and elsewhere reflect a trend toward lower mortgage loan interest rates. When rates go down, the ability to refinance into a lower mortgage interest rate is very attractive, but who should consider making the jump? The United States Federal Reserve Board weighs in on this question on its’ … [Read more...]
Do You Have to Buy a House?
In the personal finance world, it seems like people are always talking about two things - how to buy a house and retirement. You read a lot of tips about how to save enough for a down payment, how to build an emergency fund for repairs, and how to continually improve the value of your house. But what if you don't want to own a home? The Pros of Home Ownership As with most big decisions, there are definitely pros and cons to home ownership. … [Read more...]