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Your First Step Toward Buying a Home When preparing to buy a home, the first thing many homebuyers do is… Read more: Your Savings and Down Payment

Have These Items Ready When You Apply For a Loan It used to be that lenders mailed out verifications to… Read more: Items You Need When Applying For a Loan

Years ago, credit scoring had little to do with mortgage lending. When reviewing the credit worthiness of a borrower, an… Read more: FICO® Scores and Your Mortgage

When you apply for a mortgage loan, you expect your lender to pull a credit report and look at whether… Read more: FICO® Score – a Brief Explanation

When buying a home, it is not enough to just come up with the money. With the exception of no… Read more: Documenting Your Assets – Verifying Your Down Payment

This is a detailed summary of costs you may have to pay when you buy or refinance your home. They… Read more: Closing Costs When Buying or Refinancing a Home

Now that you know what an ARM is and how it works, you may be wondering what the advantages and… Read more: Adjustable Rate Mortgages – The PROS & CONS

An adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) has an interest rate that fluctuates periodically. This is in contrast to a fixed rate… Read more: Adjustable Rate Mortgages – The Basics

Mortgage Bankers Mortgage Bankers are lenders that are large enough to originate loans and create pools of loans, which are… Read more: Types of Mortgage Lenders

What is a FICO® Score? FICO® stands for Fair Isaac & Company and is the name for the most well… Read more: WHAT’S A FICO®?

What kind of lender is best? If you ask a loan officer, “What kind of lender is best?” the answer… Read more: The Advantages of Different Types of Mortgage Lenders

How would you like a mortgage loan where you did not have to make the whole payment if you did… Read more: Which ARM is the Best Alternative?

There really is no such thing as a no-cost mortgage loan. There are always costs, such as appraisal fees, escrow… Read more: The No-Cost Thirty Year Fixed Rate Mortgage

An alternative to a non-conforming loan is the use of a land contract, which is allowed in some states. A… Read more: Land Contract

Have you received an advertisement offering to save you thousands of dollars on your thirty-year mortgage and cut years off… Read more: The Biweekly Mortgage – Who Needs It?

In the olden days, when someone wanted a home loan they walked downtown to the neighborhood bank or savings &… Read more: Where Does the Money Come From for Mortgage Loans?

Title Insurance. It’s a term we hear and see frequently – we see reference to it in the Sunday real… Read more: Why Do You Need Title Insurance?

Buying or selling a home (or other piece of real property) usually involves the transfer of large sums of money.… Read more: The Functions of an Escrow

Sellers of real property will have certain information regarding the sale reported to the Internal Revenue Service. This required reporting… Read more: Required Reporting to the I.R.S.

It’s the big day. The day you go to the title or escrow company, sign your name on the dotted… Read more: Closing and Title Costs

Creative financing: You’ve heard of it, and, as a seller, the idea sounds pretty attractive. But, do you know everything… Read more: Creative Financing

What is title insurance? Newspapers refer to it in the weekly real estate sections and you hear about it in… Read more: Understanding Title Insurance

Title Insurance: As a homebuyer, the term is probably familiar – but is it understood? What is your dollar actually… Read more: Title Insurance – Where Does Your Dollar Go?

In today’s world of busy probate courts and exorbitant death taxes, the living trust has become a common manner of… Read more: Title Insurance Requirements for Insuring Trusts

Lower interest rates have motivated you to refinance your home loan. The lower rate may save you a tremendous amount… Read more: Title Insurance When Refinancing Your Loan

What’s in a name? When a title company seeks to uncover matters affecting title to real property, the answer is,… Read more: Statements of Information

After months of searching, you’ve finally found it — your perfect dream home. But is it perfect? Will you be… Read more: Understanding Preliminary Reports

It is an unfortunate commentary, but when economic activity declines and housing activity decreases, more real property enters the foreclosure… Read more: Understanding Foreclosures

How Should I Take Ownership of the Property I am Buying? Real property can be incredibly valuable and the question… Read more: Common Ways of Holding Title

In purchasing your new home, your future monthly payments will be made up of principal, interest, real property taxes, and… Read more: Mello-Roos

The Mechanics’ Lien law provides special protection to contractors, subcontractors, laborers and suppliers who furnish labor or materials to repair,… Read more: Mechanic’s Liens

Builders, in an effort to combat the dual problem of an increasing population and a declining availability of prime land,… Read more: Condominium and PUD Ownership

When purchasing a piece of property, it is important to be aware of any environmental liabilities associated with it. For… Read more: Environmental Issues

Estate planners often recommend Living Trusts as a viable option when contemplating the manner in which to hold title to… Read more: Living Trusts

Underground heating oil tanks can pose many potential problems to both home buyers and sellers. They have been the source… Read more: Underground Heating Oil Tanks

Lead poisoning is a serious problem that can lead to adverse health problems. In children, high levels of lead can… Read more: Lead Poisoning

An increase in foreclosure rates will inevitably bring with it an increase in short sales. But what is a short… Read more: What is a Short Sale Anyway?

In order to get the highest price in the shortest time, you need to know how to market your home.… Read more: Getting the Highest Price in the Shortest Time

The price is the first thing buyers notice about your property. If you set your price too high, then the… Read more: Setting the Price

When reading an offer, keep in mind that you are out to get the best price AND the best terms… Read more: Considering Offers

If you know exactly why you are selling then it is easier for you to follow the right plan of… Read more: Know Why You are Selling

If you want buyers to be interested in your home, you need to show it in its best light. A… Read more: Making a Good First Impression

Not all agents work the same way. The most important attribute of an agent is that he/she is well connected… Read more: Finding the Right Agent

A professional home inspection protects both you and the buyer. It allows both you and the buyer the opportunity to… Read more: Insist on a Home Inspection

FSBO (pronounced fizz-bo), or For Sale By Owner, is a way of selling your home without the use of a… Read more: For Sale By Owner – A Good Idea?

Analyze why you are selling – If you understand your motives, you will be able to better negotiate and to get… Read more: Plan of Action

With the housing bubble burst and the subprime mortgage crisis, millions of homeowners found themselves unable to make their mortgage… Read more: Thinking About Buying a Foreclosure?

It used to be that buyers could go house shopping and when they have found their dream home, then they… Read more: Getting a Legitimate Lender and Getting Pre-Approved

As a buyer, you are entitled to know exactly what you are getting. Don’t take anything for granted, not even… Read more: Importance of Inspection

Don’t go on a spending spree using credit if you are thinking about buying a home, or in the process… Read more: Why You Should Not Make Any Major Credit Purchases

It’s important that you choose an experienced agent who is there for you. Your agent should be actively finding you… Read more: Use a Buyer’s Agent

The best seller is one who is highly motivated. A highly motivated seller is more likely to sell at a… Read more: Finding the Right Seller

By asking the right questions, and knowing exactly what your needs are, you can find the right loan for you.… Read more: Avoiding Financial Stress

Hot Market This is an extremely competitive market and is advantageous to the seller. Sometimes, homes will sell as soon… Read more: Hot, Normal, and Cold Markets

Buying a home will probably rank as one of the biggest personal investments one can make. Being organized and in… Read more: Build a Plan of Action and Get Ready

With the burst of the housing bubble, credit crisis, and millions of foreclosures across the country, you may wonder if… Read more: Is Buying a Home Still a Smart Plan