Your property’s appearance makes an immediate impression on guests and potential buyers. It also influences the way that you feel about your home and yourself. If your house’s exterior could use some work, but you have a limited amount of money to spend, consider making some of these inexpensive but high-impact upgrades.Give Your Home a Fresh Coat of PaintYou don’t have to repaint your entire house...
An appraisal is an independent assessment of a house’s value. A lender wants to know how much a property is worth before it approves a mortgage or allows a current owner to refinance or tap into home equity.What’s Involved in a Home AppraisalAppraisals can be conducted in several ways. Sometimes an appraiser comes inside the house to conduct an inspection and measure its square footage. In other...
As you search for your next home, you might find an appealing property that belongs to a homeowners association. Owning a house in an HOA offers several benefits, but it’s important to understand the financial costs, as well as the restrictions you’d be bound by, before you buy.Benefits of Living in an HOAMembers of a homeowners association have access to amenities, such as a gym, pool, and tennis...
If you’re a homeowner, you might be torn on whether or not to sell your house right now. Maybe that’s because you don’t want to take on a higher mortgage rate on your next home. If that’s your biggest hurdle, understanding your equity may be exactly what you need to help you feel more comfortable making your move.What Equity Is and How It WorksEquity is the current value of your home minus...
The rising cost of just about everything from groceries to gas right now is leading to speculation that more people won’t be able to afford their mortgage payments. And that’s creating concern that a lot of foreclosures are on the horizon. While it’s true that foreclosure filings have gone up a bit compared to last year, experts say a flood of foreclosures isn’t coming.Take it from Bill McBride...
If you’re trying to decide if you’re ready to buy a home, there’s probably a lot on your mind. You’re thinking about your finances, today’s mortgage rates and home prices, the limited supply of homes for sale, and more. And, you’re juggling how all of those things will impact the choice you’ll make.While housing market conditions are definitely a factor in your decision, your own life...
Many homeowners thinking about selling have two key things holding them back. That’s feeling locked in by today’s higher mortgage rates and worrying they won’t be able to find something to buy while supply is so low. Let’s dive into each challenge and give you some helpful advice on how to overcome these obstacles. /*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 09-08-2023...
Some homeowners have been waiting for months to put their house on the market because they don’t think people are buying homes right now. If that’s you, know that even though the housing market has slowed compared to the frenzy of a couple of years ago, it isn’t at a standstill. Contrary to what you may believe, buyers are still active and plenty of homes are selling right now.According to...
Buying a new construction home can be an exciting experience. From being the very first owner, to customizing your home’s features, there are a lot of benefits. But navigating the complexities of buying a home that’s under construction can also be a bit overwhelming. This is where a skilled real estate agent can make all the difference.An article from The Mortgage Reports sums it up like...
When you read about the housing market in the news, you might see something about a recent decision made by the Federal Reserve (the Fed). But how does this decision affect you and your plans to buy a home? Here's what you need to know.The Fed is trying hard to reduce inflation. And even though there’s been 12 straight months where inflation has cooled (see graph below), the most recent data shows...