Housing prices are constantly changing, which can make both buying and selling a home more complicated. While it’s difficult to predict future changes, it’s important to understand the key factors that affect the housing market and home prices. Here are the five major things that affect housing prices: Economic Change The overall health of the economy is a...

The U.S. government has multiple options available for military veterans who may be facing foreclosure. Through the Department of Veterans Affairs, borrowers can get financial relief through means such as forbearance, deferment, refinancing and more. However, there are some crucial details to be aware of. Here are some of the most important things to know about current veteran...

Photo by Anthony Shkraba from Pexels Building your new home should be a rewarding experience, but it's important to know how the financing for a new construction is different from the financing for a previously owned home. You will need a specific type of loan called new construction loans, and they can be harder to get than a...

Photo by Charles Thompson via Pixabay A vast majority of homebuying transactions rely on the buyer qualifying for a mortgage through a bank. After all, most people don't have enough cash lying around to buy a home outright. Nowadays, you have more options with different types of lenders and alternative financing companies where you can seek pre-approval online....

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay A land contract and a mortgage have a number of similarities. For example, you can use either option to purchase a home Both loans must be repaid on a monthly basis. Understanding the Differences A land contract is a legal agreement between a buyer and a seller. Rather than a traditional mortgage...

Image by Precondo CA from Unsplash Buying your first home can be stressful enough without worrying about whether or not your mortgage loan pre-approval is going to go through. You may not be prepared for the mountains of paperwork that you'll need to submit before a lender gives you the thumbs' up. That's why it's such a good...

Deciding to pay off your mortgage can be a confusing decision to make. You might be wondering about how you would take care of other financial debts or emergencies should they arise. Deciding to pay or not to pay off your mortgage early should be a decision made by you. The economic circumstances around you should determine this...

In your quest to buy a home, you might check out properties online or looking up houses around your neighborhood up for sale. These are all steps you must first make to attain your desire of becoming a homeowner. Before you go into your search proper, there is something you need to do; it’s called getting pre-approved for...

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) refers to mortgage refinancing as a crucial aspect of all mortgages. This is partly because comparatively, low mortgage interest rates have encouraged homeowners to restructure their financial situations using their home equity. Homeowners should base their refinancing decision on their circumstances rather than mortgage interest rates. Here are tips to consider when considering...

If the nerd in you comes out as soon as someone starts talking numbers, you might find yourself wondering how hard it is to create a mortgage calculator. Technically called an amortization calculator, the numbers you put into the calculation tell you what your payment each month breaks down to in terms of what goes to the principal...

Multiple options are available when it comes to real estate loans. Figuring out which one you need can be disconcerting, to say the least. So, if you’re new to the game, here’s a quick guide to help you along. Standard Mortgages: Conventional – Loans that fall within the FNMA/FHLMC (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac) guidelines where the Federal government is...