Hey, I gave my real estate agent a $5000 Earnest Money Deposit check… Where does that money go? A basic and very obvious question that most First-Time home Buyers ask once their purchase contract gets accepted. According to Wikipedia: Earnest …
Renting vs Buying A Home
Buying a home versus renting is a big decision that takes careful consideration. While there are several biased sources that can make arguments for or against owning a home, we’ve found that most home buyers base their ultimate decision on …
What Does Title Insurance Protect Me From?
By including title insurance when purchasing property, your title insurer takes on accountability for legal expenses to defend your property title, should it ever be challenged. Many different occurrences can come into play to warrant the need for title insurance. …
Understanding the FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP)
* Disclaimer – all information in this article is accurate as of the date this article was written * The FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium is an important part of every FHA loan. There are actually two types of Mortgage Insurance …
First-Time Home Buyer Credit Checklist
Getting a new mortgage for a First-Time Home Buyer can be a little overwhelming with all of the important details, guidelines and potential speed bumps. Since there are so many rules and steps to follow, here is a simple list …
Should I Refinance or Get a HELOC For Home Improvements?
For homeowners interested in making some property improvements without tapping into their savings or investment accounts, the two main options are to either take out a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), or do a cash-out refinance. According To Wikipedia: …
Calculating The Net Benefit Of A Refinance Transaction
Calculating the net benefit of refinancing can be a challenging task if you do not understand what to calculate. We are going to focus on the net benefits of refinancing from the standpoint of lowering your interest rate. Although there …
Understanding the Difference Between an Appraisal vs Neighborhood Listing Prices
Why is there such a difference between what my appraised value is and the price similar homes are selling for on my street? It’s a great question, and you don’t have to be a mortgage professional or a real estate …
Making Sure Your Cash-To-Close Comes From The Proper Source
Providing proper asset documentation and the actual source of the funds is a critical element of the loan closing process. There’s nothing worse in a real estate purchase than making it all the way through the hoops and hurdles just …