The inspection is one of the most important parts of the real estate transaction, and this is especially true if it’s your first time purchasing a home. Before you head to the home improvement store to pick-out appliances and other personal touches, make sure you...
Most people know just how important their credit score is, especially when it comes to purchasing a big ticket item like a car or house. But a new report finds that U.S. consumers are overlooking their credit reports. The report released by the Consumer Financial...
Last year, one of the country’s largest real estate brokerages said they were pulling their listings from national real estate portals like Realtor.com and Trulia. Their gripe? The advertisements that almost seem to compete with the listings. These advertisements pay the bills for third-party listing...
It’s getting to be that time again – Property Taxes are due! This is a friendly reminder that Property Tax bills are mailed out in October, and your first installment of taxes is due on November 1st. Important Dates to Remember: - Fiscal year begins July 1st and...
Buyers are becoming more and more savvy when home shopping, and many have a specific idea of what they’re interested in before they even set foot inside a home. When a buyer thinks about spending their hard-earned money on a new home, most expect the...
A new 3.8% surtax, or “transfer tax,” that takes effect on January 1, 2013 could impact certain real estate transactions next year. There has been a lot of discussion about this new surtax and how health care could start to impact real estate, but understanding...
The Mortgage Debt Relief Act is something worth familiarizing yourself with in order to better understand your tax liability as it relates to forgiven debt. Right now, the program has been extended until December 31, 2012, but there is talk of extending it further to...
In an effort to establish better relationships between servicers and home owners, Fannie Mae is offering a new program called “Know Your Options Customer Care” for servicers. The customer care training program will benefit servicer call center employees who are on the front lines answering...
There’s good news for military home owners who have been permanently moved because of a job. Effective June 1, the rules concerning who is considered owner-occupants changed, and some military families could qualify for the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). The HAMP program helps lower...
There are indeed many benefits of owning a home. Here is a list of some of the best. Every month you are building equity on your home. Equity is the amount of money you can sell your home for, minus what you still owe on it....