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 Money – an earnest payment (sometimes called earnest money or simply earnest, or alternatively a […]
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 emotion. Yes, there are some tax advantages of owning real estate, as well as the […]
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. The title company responsible will then take on the legal expenses to defend the property […]
Understanding the FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP)
The FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium is an important part of every FHA loan. There are actually two types of Mortgage Insurance Premiums associated with FHA loans: 1. Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP) – a one time mortgage insurance fee financed into the total loan amount at the initial time of funding. 2. Annual 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 of Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind throughout the mortgage approval process: DO: Continue […]
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: A home equity line of credit is a loan in which the lender agrees to […]
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 are several reasons to refinance, lowering your mortgage rate to save on interest payments over […]