Blog - Page 66 of 125 - Lori Blank & Associates

03

Mar

Home Mortgage Tips

What Is Mortgage Insurance and How Does It Benefit Me?

Are you in the market for a new home? If you are considering a mortgage, you may be curious about mortgage insurance, commonly referred to as PMI or MI. Let's explore the topic of mortgage insurance, including how it works to reduce risk and how it benefits you as the mortgage borrower. Mortgage Insurance = Risk Reduction You might not know this, but the toughest part of the home buying process for many individuals and families is coming up with the required down payment. For example, if you were to buy a $200,000 home, you may want to invest $40,000…

02

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

S&P Case-Shiller: December Home Price Growth Slows

Home price growth slowed in December according to the S&P Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index. Year-over-year home prices rose by 4.6 percent in December as compared to November’s reading of 6.8 percent growth. Rising mortgage rates caused home prices to dip as potential buyers delayed home purchases and demand for homes fell. Craig J. Lazzara, managing director of S&P Dow Jones Indices, said: “The prospect of stable, or higher mortgage rates means that mortgage financing remains a headwind for home prices, while economic weakness, including the possibility of a recession, may also constrain potential buyers. Mr. Lazzara concluded: “Given these…

01

Mar

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

The Do’s And Dont’s Of Making Your Offer More Competitive

Today, the housing market is more competitive than it has ever been in the past. You may have your eyes on your dream home, but how can you make it stand out from the crowd? There are a few tips that you should keep in mind. What are a few things you should do, and what are a few things you should avoid? Do Get A Pre-Approval Letter Because the housing market is so competitive, the seller is probably going to have many offers. The seller wants to make sure that the buyer they choose already has financing lined up.…

28

Feb

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

Should You Improve Your Home Before Selling Or Not?

Selling your home is one of the most stressful things you'll ever go through and one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. However, there's a lot more to selling your home than just sticking a sign out in the front yard. Most likely, your home will need a little work before it is perfect. Therefore, you'll have to decide whether you need to take care of home improvement issues yourself or, to sell with the expectation that the buyer will be the one to do so. We put together a few pros and cons to doing it each…

27

Feb

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 27, 2023

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on sales of previously-owned homes, the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s most recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting, and weekly readings on average mortgage rates and jobless claims. Federal Reserve leaders raise key interest rate range The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve raised the Fed’s key interest rate range by 25 basis points to 4.50 to 4.75 percent. Fed officials cautioned that failure to ease inflationary pressure by raising interest rates could lead to inflation remaining higher than the Fed’s target inflation pace of two percent per year. In other matters, …

24

Feb

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

What To Know About The 2-1 Buydown Program

You are probably excited to close on your home, but you may have also seen that your interest rate might be a bit higher. If you are looking for a way to save money, particularly if you have a lot of work to do on the home, you might be looking for a way to reduce your interest rate during the first couple of years. One option is to perform a 2-1 buydown. What do you need to know about this option, and how do you know if it is right for you? How A 2-1 Buydown Works This is…

23

Feb

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

How To Successfully Use Your Down Payment to Achieve Your Home Buying Goals

When you are considering purchasing a home , understanding the lending guidelines regarding a down payment is important. Here are a few key tips to consider: Gifting of a Down Payment There are some programs that will allow you to use a gift for your home down payment. However, before you assume this, make sure you talk to your loan officer. Generally speaking, the lender will require the person making the gift to provide a letter stating the money was a gift and does not require repayment. Windfalls as a Down Payment When people hit the lottery or come into…

22

Feb

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

The Most Common Real Estate Investing Terms You Need To Know

If you are thinking about investing in real estate, you probably know it is a great way to diversify your investments. But, like any investment, you must make sure you choose your targets wisely. That means understanding a lot of the jargon in the field. You will come across a lot of real estate investing terms, but what are some of the most important ones you need to know? Hard Money Loan There are a variety of real estate loan options, and one frequent choice among real estate investors is called a hard money loan. This is typically a loan…

21

Feb

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 21, 2023

Last week’s economic news included readings on housing markets, inflation, retail sales, and data on housing starts and building permits issued. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also published. NAHB: Homebuilder sentiment improves in February The National Association of Home Builders reported higher builder confidence in current U.S. housing market conditions with an index reading of 42 for February; Analysts expected a reading of 37 and January’s reading was 35. NAHB index readings over 50 indicate that most home builders have a positive view of housing market conditions. Factors influencing positive builder sentiment included lower mortgage rates…

17

Feb

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

In a Hurry to Buy a Home? Speed Your Mortgage Approval up by Following This Checklist

Have you finally found your dream home after months of searching, only to discover that the seller has received other offers? Few circumstances can raise your stress level as much as finding yourself in a bidding war against another buyer. However, being unprepared by not having your finances in order can make the situation even worse. Let's take a quick look at a few ways that you can speed up your mortgage approval if you are in a hurry to buy your next home. Pull Your Credit Report ASAP The first step you will want to do is check your…