Blog - Page 56 of 111 - Lori Blank & Associates

10

Jan

Real Estate

An Often-Overlooked Trick Can Help You Afford A Second House

The whole idea of investing is to use a portion of your money now to get more down the road. It is important for everyone to diversify their investments, and you might be thinking about buying a second house to do so. Investing in real estate is a goal that a lot of people have, but how can you get started? It was challenging enough to buy your first house, so how can you afford a second one? Use A Cash-Out Refinance To Buy Your Second House One trick that many people overlook is that they can actually conduct a…

09

Jan

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 9, 2023

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on minutes of the most recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting and its customary post-meeting press conference, labor-sector data on public and private-sector jobs, and the national unemployment rate. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. FOMC Meeting: Policymakers seek a balance between high inflation and rising rates The minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting held on December 13 and 14 reflect committee members’ concern over controlling rapidly growing inflation while avoiding a recession. While committee members said that they made “significant progress” in raising rates to cut…

06

Jan

By lizlaurenb

Home Seller Tips

Staging Tips: How to Make a Small Backyard a Great Selling Feature

Small backyards are not the detriment that sellers seem to worry about. By putting in some work, any homeowner should be able to turn the smallest backyard into a selling feature by highlighting its assets. Here are some surefire ways to change a cramped backyard into a cozy, outdoor paradise: Invest In Size Appropriate Outdoor Furniture Too many people with small backyards make the mistake of picking out patio furniture that is meant for a larger space. While this may not matter for the people living in the house, it will make a world of difference to anybody looking to…

05

Jan

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

Lower Your Interest Rate During The First Couple Of Months With A Buydown

If you are thinking about purchasing a house today, you have probably realized that mortgage rates have increased significantly. This has made it much harder for people to afford home loans, and these higher rates have had an impact on the lender’s business as well. In an effort to make it easier for people to afford a home, you might be able to access something called a buy-down loan or a buy-down mortgage. It could help you save a significant amount of money during the first few months or years of your loan. How A Buydown Mortgage Works If you…

03

Jan

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

Why Your Kitchen Features Matter

If you are interested in purchasing a house in the near future, you need to pay close attention to your kitchen. The kitchen is considered to be the heart of the home, and you need to make sure the kitchen is laid out appropriately. You need the kitchen to match your expectations, but you also need to pick a kitchen that will help you maximize the value of your home if you decide to sell it down the road. What are a few of the most important examples of kitchen features you need to pay attention to? The Cabinets Always…

02

Jan

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 2, 2023

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on U.S. housing markets, pending home sales, and weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims. S&P Case Shiller Home Price Indices: Month-to-moth home prices fall in October U.S. home prices fell in October for the fourth consecutive month. Wavering demand for homes was caused by rising mortgage rates and high home prices in many regional markets. The 20-City home price index showed the top three cities with the highest month-to-month home price declines were Miami. Florida with a -1.0 percent decline, Tampa, Florida where home prices declined by -0,8 percent, and Charlotte, North…

30

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Around The Home

Creative Holiday Storage Solutions

Every holiday season when you get out the decorations, there always seems to be a period of organization where you need to untangle lights, sort out the broken ornaments and just get all of the trimmings in order. Next year, skip the hassle of sifting through everything. The year-to-year holiday storage strategies below will help make next December's decorating easy. Hide Paper Up High Utilize a space that is always vacant — the ceiling of your closet. Attach two strings of wire from the front wall above your closet door to the back wall. Make them parallel to each other…

29

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

Owning vs Renting: Why High Rents Are Worse Than a Mortgage over the Long Term

If you're at the stage in life where home ownership is nearly within your reach, you're probably wondering whether you should start looking for a home or whether you should just keep renting. Renting is easier, people say, and it gives you more mobility. But over the long term, all that rent money can really add up - and it eventually reaches a point where buying a home is a better deal. So why is paying a high rent a worse option than buying a house and getting a mortgage? Here's what you need to know. Renting Doesn't Generate Equity…

28

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

How To Finance A Home Renovation

The housing market continues to be very competitive, so you may have to be a bit more flexible with what you are looking for. For example, you may come across a home that is not quite perfect, but it has a lot of the features that you need. In that case, you may be wondering how you can finance a home renovation. One of the best ways to do so is using the FHA Streamline 203(k) program. What Can The FHA Streamline Program Finance? There are several examples of home renovations you may be able to fund using the FHA…

27

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

The Top Tips For Making A Successful Offer

Are you interested in purchasing a house? If so, you probably know that the market is more competitive today than it has ever been in the past. There are a lot of people who are interested in purchasing a home, and you need to take a few extra steps if you want to make your offer as competitive as possible. What do you need to do if you want to maximize the chances of having your offer accepted? Make An Offer Early If you want to increase your chances of getting your offer accepted, you need to make an offer as…