lizlaurenb

22

Mar

Around The Home

Expecting a Newborn? Baby-proof Your Home With This Quick and Easy Checklist

It's a very exciting time for most parents when their kids begin to crawl, but it can also be much more difficult to watch over your child and ensure their safety. If your child is starting to get along on their own and you're preparing to baby proof, here are the main areas and items you'll want to watch out for. Clearing Away The Crib There's no place your child is going to spend more time, so ensure that there are no toys left in their crib when they're going to sleep. You'll also want to stay away from fluffy…

21

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

An Overview Of A Wrap-Around Mortgage: What To Know

Are you having a difficult time qualifying for a traditional mortgage in the current market? If so, there are other options available, and a lack of financing can frustrate not only the buyer but the seller as well. For example, one option that you may have heard about is called a wrap-around mortgage. The entire goal of this mortgage is to help the buyer get financing to purchase the house while making sure the seller still turns a profit. What do you need to know about a wrap-around mortgage? What is A Wrap-Around Mortgage? A wrap-around mortgage is a specific…

20

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – March 20, 2023

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on housing starts and building permits issued, the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index, and Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s Senate testimony. The Commerce Department reported on housing starts and building permits issued published, and a monthly reading on consumer sentiment was published. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. Two bank failures instill fear in depositors In the aftermath of two bank failures last week, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that “the banking system is sound” during testimony to the US Senate last Thursday. When asked if…

17

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

How to Get Along With Your Homeowners Association

Rules and covenants of a homeowners association can be a bit overwhelming, especially for a first time homeowner. Understanding that the regulations are designed to protect the value of your home helps make some restrictions easier to live with. Homeowners Association CC&Rs, which stands for "covenants, conditions and restrictions," can be intimidating. But, with the growing number of communities and subdivisions that have existing HOAs, it's important to know what you're getting into before you buy a home. Associations Come In All Forms An association's goal is to maintain the ambience of the community and assure that home values are upheld.…

16

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

Manage These 3 Items Before Applying For A Mortgage

Mortgage lenders weigh the risk of getting their principal and interest paid back by looking at the qualities of the prospective borrower. And due to the amount of money being requested and lent to purchase homes, those requirements can become daunting. Working with a trusted and qualified mortgage professional makes this sometimes confusing process a little clearer. To this end, there are three things that a potential homebuyer can do to prepare for the mortgage approval process: Manage Debt And Credit Levels For many homebuyers, managing their credit score is the biggest challenge. Mortgage lenders like buyers with strong credit.…

15

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

Short-Term Vacation Rentals: What To Know

If you are interested in purchasing a rental property, you might want a short-term rental that you can use as a vacation home. This can be a great way to generate some additional income, and you might be able to make thousands of dollars every week if you purchase a property in the right location. On the other hand, there are several important factors you need to consider before you purchase a rental property. The Marketing Process You are only going to make money on your rental property if you can convince people to stay there. Why would someone decide…

14

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

What To Know About Property Lines

If you are in the process of buying a new home, you know that there are a lot of moving parts involved. You need to know everything you can about a potential house before you decide to purchase it, and that includes the property lines. What do you need to know about property lines, and why are they so important? How Are Property Lines Drawn? While property lines are the borders that separate one property from another, they are also legal boundaries. Essentially, property lines determine what you do and do not own. There is a chance that someone may…

13

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – March 13, 2023

Last week’s economic reporting included Fed chair Jerome Powell’s testimony to the House of Representatives, data on job growth, and weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims. Fed: Chairman Powell says no decision on March rate hike Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that no decision has been made about raising the Fed’s target interest rate range in March. Mr. Powell said, “We have not made any decision about the March meeting. We’re not going to do that until we see the additional data.” Mr. Powell said that the Fed is not on a “pre-set path. We will be…

10

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

The Top Benefits Of A Single Close Construction Loan

If you are thinking about building your own home, you might be wondering how construction loans work. There are plenty of options available, but one of the most popular choices is a single-close construction loan. This type of loan allows you to close on not only the construction expenses but also your financing costs at the same time. Essentially, a single-close construction loan will convert into your mortgage after the construction on your home is finished. What are some of the top benefits of this type of loan? Save Time One of the first benefits of a single-close construction loan…

09

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

Navigating A Market With Higher Interest Rate

Even though interest rates have gone up significantly during the past few months, there are still opportunities for you to find a home at a great price. The high interest rate can be discouraging for some people, but as long as you know how to navigate the market, you can still put yourself in a position to be successful. Put More Money Down The easiest way to combat a high interest rate is to reduce the amount of money you borrow. That means that you might need to put more money down. Of course, this means that you might need…