Lori Blank

28

Sep

Around The Home

Baby on the Way? Learn How to Child-proof Your Home so Your Baby Is Safe From Harm

Do you have a baby on the way? If so, you are likely already wondering how you are supposed to make your home safe from harm. The good news is that with a little work, you'll be able to make your house or apartment that much safer. Let's take a look at how you can child-proof your home in under a few hours. Start With The Baby's Bedroom For the first few months, your baby will be spending a lot of time either sleeping or resting in their crib. You'll want to keep the crib away from any cords, blinds,…

27

Sep

By Lori Blank

Real Estate

How Can A Cash-Out Refinance Help You?

If you have been in your home for a while, you might be able to refinance. If your credit score has increased, your income has gone up, or the average home loan interest rate has gone down, you might be able to conduct a cash-out refinance. During this process, you can keep your mortgage payments the same, secure a lower interest rate, and withdraw the difference as cash. What can you do with this extra cash? You Can Make Improvements To Your Home One of the most popular ways people use a cash-out refinance is to increase the value of…

26

Sep

By Lori Blank

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – September 26, 2022

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on housing markets, building permits issued, housing starts, and sales of previously-owned homes. The Federal Reserve released its scheduled monetary policy statement and gave a press conference with Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also published. NAHB: Home Builder Confidence In Housing Markets Lags for 9th Consecutive Month The National Association of Home Builders reported lower builder confidence in housing markets in September; this was the ninth straight month that builder confidence fell. Readings of 50 and above indicate that most home builders surveyed reported positive views…

23

Sep

By Lori Blank

Real Estate

What To Know About Your Debt-To-Income Ratio When Buying A Home

When you apply for a mortgage, your lender will do some quick math to figure out how much of a loan you can afford. Your lender will consider many factors, and one of the most important ones is your debt-to-income ratio. It is usually shortened to DTI, and understanding this formula can help you better understand how big of a house you can afford. An Overview Of A DTI Your DTI represents the amount of money you spend compared to the amount you make. Your lender is going to have very strict DTI requirements when deciding whether you can be…

22

Sep

By Lori Blank

Home Seller Tips

Let’s Talk Buyer Qualification: How to Ensure You Sell Your Home to the Right Buyer

Are you listing your home for sale? If so, it is time to get ready to meet with buyers and their real estate agents. And while you surely want to sell your home as quickly as possible, you will also want to do your homework to make sure you're selling to the right person. Let's explore the process of buyer qualification and why it's important to do a little digging into potential buyers of your home. Is Your Buyer Pre-Approved For Mortgage Financing? First, you'll want to check with your buyer to see if they are approved for mortgage financing.…

21

Sep

By Lori Blank

Real Estate

Should You Buy Mortgage Points?

When you take out a home loan, you might have the option to purchase mortgage points. Essentially, this is money that you pay to the lender upfront in exchange for getting a lower interest rate over the life of the loan. If you got a great deal on the house, you might have some extra cash on hand. Should you use that money to buy down the interest rate? This is a math problem that you need to calculate for yourself. How To Do The Math If you want to figure out if the mortgage points are worth it, you…

20

Sep

By Lori Blank

Home Seller Tips

The Quick and Easy Guide to Finding the Best Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home

Is it time to move on from your house, townhouse or condo? If a sale is in your near future, you will want to start looking for a professional selling agent or broker to help manage the process. Let's take a look at our quick and easy guide to finding the best real estate agent to handle your home sale. Check Your Social Network The easiest place to start is your social network, as almost everyone knows a great real estate agent. Get a post up on Facebook sharing that you are about to sell your home and you're looking…

19

Sep

By Lori Blank

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – September 19, 2022

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on inflation, retail sales, and consumer sentiment. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. Consumer Inflation Rate Falls as Gas Prices Decrease Lower gas prices was welcomed news to consumers last week, but analysts said that high inflation would continue to impact consumer goods including groceries. The core inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices, rose by 0.60 percent, which was twice the expected month-to-month pace of 0.30 percent. Rapidly rising inflation could cause the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve to raise its target interest…

15

Sep

By Lori Blank

Real Estate

Using Your Equity To Buy Another House: What To Consider

Buying a home is a dream that many people want to make come true. At the same time, many people dream of buying a second home. Perhaps you are looking for a rental property. Maybe you are looking for a vacation home. Regardless, you might be wondering how you can come up with the necessary cash to finance this dream. You might even be thinking about tapping into the equity in your current home to make that happen. It could be your down payment for your second house, but what do you need to know? How To Get A Home Equity…

14

Sep

By Lori Blank

Mortgage Tips

Thinking About a New Home? 3 Reasons Why a Mortgage Will Be the Best Money You Ever Borrow

In these days of low interest rates, it can be a great idea to get into the real estate market and invest in a home. However, if you don't have the funds saved up to buy a home outright, it may seem like more of a burden than it's worth. The good news is that you might qualify for a mortgage loan, which tends to come with more favorable terms than a traditional bank loan. Here are three reasons why a mortgage might just be the best money you ever borrow. Taking Advantage Of Low Interest Interest rates have been…