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How Large Of A Down Payment Do You Truly Need?

If you are interested in purchasing a home, how much money should you put down? This is a difficult question that all potential homeowners need to answer, as it will dictate the size and location of the house you can afford. There are a number of factors to consider, so what do you need to know? Generally, Putting More Down Is Better There is a solid chance that a home loan is going to be the largest loan you will ever take out in your life. Therefore, there is some risk involved, and you must make sure you can pay…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 5, 2022

Last week’s economic news included readings on home prices, inflation, and data on public and private-sector jobs. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. S&P Case-Shiller Posts Lower Home Prices in September September home prices fell in all cities tracked by Case-Shiller’s 20-City Home Price Index. Home prices were - 8.7 percent lower year-over-year in September than August’s reading of -10.40 percent. Home price declines showed signs of increasing after a period of rapidly rising home prices sidelined would-be home buyers. The Federal Housing Finance Agency Home Price Index rose by 0.90 percent in September as…
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Escrow And Your Mortgage: The Most Important Points To Know

There are many complicated terms thrown around regarding your mortgage, and one of them is an escrow account. You will probably hear that your lender will collect some additional money every month for escrow payments. If you take a look at your mortgage statement, you will see your interest, your principal, and your escrow. What does this mean, and why do you have to pay additional money that isn't going toward the balance of your loan? The Definition Of An Escrow Account An escrow account is an extra account that your lender opens on your behalf to make sure certain…
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The Right (And Wrong) Reasons To Buy A House

There are many people who dream of owning a home, but you need to purchase your home for the right reasons. Simply purchasing a house because other people are doing so is not a strong reason to make such an expensive purchase. What are some of the reasons why you should purchase a house? What are some examples of bad reasons to buy a home? The Right Reasons To Buy A Home There are several strong reasons why you should consider purchasing property. If you have children, you may want them to attend a specific school. Therefore, you might be…
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How Can You Increase The Safety And Functionality Of Your Home?

What do you need to do if you want to improve the safety and functionality of your home? You may not think that your home has a lot of safety hazards, but you might be surprised at how many people get hurt at home every year. Particularly if you have older people in your home, or if you have people in your house with disabilities, you need to pay close attention to your safety and functionality. What are a few tips you should keep in mind?  Target The Lights In Your Home If you have an older home, it may…
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To Stay or to Go: Should You Hang Around During Your Open House?

Are you thinking of listing your home for sale? Whether this is your first sale or you have been through the process a few times, you are probably aware that you will need to host at least one open house. Welcoming strangers in to tour your home can range from delightful to irritating, but it is all part of the selling process. So, should you stick around or disappear when potential buyers are viewing your home? Let's explore your options. The Best-Case Scenario For almost every buyer, the ideal situation is that they are viewing a clean, vacant home which…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 28, 2022

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on new home sales and consumer sentiment. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also published. No economic data was published Thursday or Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. New Home Sales Surpass Expectations in October The Commerce Department reported higher-than-expected sales of new homes during October. New homes sold at a seasonally-adjusted annual pace of 632,000 homes sold.  Analysts expected new homes to sell at an annual pace of 570,000 sales as compared to the revised annual pace of 588,000 new home sales in September. The supply of available new homes…
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Do You Own an Income Property? Here Are Four Tips for Finding Great Tenants

Trusting another individual with your property can be nerve-wracking because it's difficult to gauge how well they'll care for their home from a viewing and rental application alone. However, there are several steps you can take to help ensure that you select responsible tenants that will take good care for your property while they live there. 1. Make Your Home Desirable When creating your rental listing, show your property at its absolute best and list its attractive features. The listing should be well written with proper capitalization and full sentences, even if it's only going on Craigslist. Include plenty of…
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The Top Ways To Keep Pests And Infestations Out of Your Home

There are a lot of pests that may try to make their way into your home, and they can cause significant health and safety issues in addition to detracting from your property values. It can be very difficult to remove infestations once they have infiltrated your home, so it is always better to prevent them from happening. What are a few tips you should keep in mind?  Seal The Doors And Windows One of the easiest ways for pests to get into your home is to crawl through open doors and windows. Therefore, you should start by sealing your doors…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 21, 2022

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on U.S housing markets, housing starts, and building permits issued. Data on sales of previously-owned homes were released along with weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims. Builder Sentiment on Housing Markets Declines in November November’s National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index fell five points to an index reading of 33; analysts expected a reading of 36. November’s reading was the lowest since June 2012 except during the pandemic. All three indices contributing to the Housing Market Index were lower in November than in October. Homebuilder sentiment regarding current sales conditions…
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