Financing
Fewer Appraisers in Industry Means Slower Home Sales
In a prior blog post, entitled “What Home Buyers Need to Know About Appraisals,” we explained how appraisals work, and how they can sink a home sale when the appraisal value does not agree with the sale price. Yet appraisals can delay a home sale for another reason as...
Home Buyers, Start Your Mortgage Pre-Approval!
With home inventory slim in many areas of the country, home buyers face plenty of competition! A mortgage pre-approval can make the difference between getting your purchase offer accepted, or having the seller choose another offer by a better-prepared buyer. A...
What Credit Score Will Your Mortgage Lender Use?
Debt Reduction Strategies for Home Buyers
Could your debts hold you back from buying a home? It’s possible, because mortgage underwriting includes calculating your DTI, which stands for debt-to-income ratio. The more debt you have outstanding, the less money you have available for a mortgage payment. Cutting...
How to Use a Cash Gift for a Home Down Payment
Credit Protection Tips for Home Buyers
Data breaches and credit card fraud are a growing problem for Americans, according to the Federal Trade Commission. During 2016, complaints of database breaches and fraudulent credit card purchases soared by 32%. Credit card fraud and related scams amount...