Get the Best Mortgage Rate in 2016
If you’re looking to purchase a new home this year, you already know there’s a considerable amount of preparation ahead of you—especially when it comes to getting a fair rate on your mortgage loan. Although your credit score does play a major role in your interest rate options, there are definitely a couple more factors that come into play. Below …
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Home Security Tips
As a homeowner, there’s a seemingly endless list of considerations you need to take care of. Keeping track of all the financial, structural, and legal responsibilities of owning a home can be a bit overwhelming at times, but something that should never be neglected is the protection of your home. Below are basic tips to keeping your home and its …
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Today’s Technology and Real Estate
According to a 2015 Pew Research Center report, nearly two thirds of Americans own a smartphone, and more and more are beginning to depend on these mobile devices for obtaining information on—well, just about everything. 44% of smartphone owners have used their phone to look up real estate listings or information about a place to live: 54% of 18-29 year …
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The Advantages of Building Green
The U.S. Green Building Council recently issued a press release detailing the top 10 states that have been making strides in sustainable development and design. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is the most widely used green building certification program in the world, and the USGBC report was based on the states with the most LEED-certified square footage …
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De-Clutter Your Home Before Selling
New sellers, take notice: less is more. Before you even consider putting your house on the market, you’re going to want to make sure it’s ready for fresh eyes. The goal is to clean your home so thoroughly it looks like a 4-star hotel room. It may seem like a daunting task, but you can make it less intimidating by …
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Get Smart About Home Buying
Do your research More and more buyers are turning to online listings in their real estate search. You may also want to drive around the neighborhoods you’ve been considering to find for sale signs and open house schedules. Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions: is the home in a flood plain? Have they ever had problems with pests? …
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Mortgage Rules You Should Know About
The latest mortgage initiative released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is for the purpose of helping consumers stay informed about the loan options that are available to them. The Know Before You Owe rule has replaced four mortgage disclosure forms with just two: the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure, which can be viewed here. Here are a few …
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Do I Need Professional Listing Photos?
The answer to this question is almost always YES. When the typical buyer looks at your listing, the first thing that will draw their attention is the photos you have chosen to represent your home. Listing photos can either encourage more offers, or inhibit them. With an increasing number of buyers turning to online listing services to shop for homes, …
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What to Expect for Closing Costs as a Buyer
Closing costs are the fees paid at the end of a real estate transaction when the title is transferred from seller to buyer, which are usually required to be in the form of a cashier’s check. According to federal guidelines, all closing costs associated with residential transactions financed by a mortgage must be documented within an HUD-1 form, a standard …
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Choosing the Right Home Insurance
The first thing you’ll want to do before shopping for homeowner’s insurance (ideally before even buying the home) is review the home’s insurance claim history report, which can either be obtained from the seller or one of the two largest insurance databases: CLUE and A-Plus. This is the best way to evaluate previous damages you may not have been aware …
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