Are you starting home improvement projects to celebrate spring – or to recover from this year’s wicked heating bill? Are you looking to sell your home soon, and investigating home improvements to improve the sale price? In any case, you want your home upgrades to result in savings and/or increased value. But which improvements are
Borrowing
Refinancing your home can be a difficult task under any conditions, but with a low appraisal value, it is especially challenging. The recent housing crisis left many homeowners in this position – the overall drop in home values produced loan-to-value (LTV) ratios that were unacceptably high to banks, putting refinancing out of reach.
Even without
According to the Federal Reserve Board, there are three things to consider when determining whether refinancing your home is a good idea:
How long you have already been paying your mortgage.
How long you plan to remain in your home.
Whether or not your current mortgage has a prepayment penalty.
When you
Are you considering refinancing your home? You may want to act before interest rates rise further.
The refinancing plan that’s right for you and your family depends on your current financial situation. Is your home underwater (that is, you owe more on your home than it is currently worth) and you need to secure a
Interested in buying a fixer-upper? There are several different methods of acquiring a renovation loan, but two federally backed renovation mortgage programs will allow you to do a combined purchase and repair mortgage loan – the FHA 203(k) loan and the Fannie Mae Homestyle Renovation mortgage. They are perfect for rehab work on foreclosed properties,
As the housing market recovers, many homeowners still owe more on their house than it is presently worth. In many cases, people who are “upside down” on their mortgage, as this is known, can negotiate with their lenders to sell their homes for less than what they owe, rather than go through foreclosure. These types
When it comes to financing your mortgage, trying to navigate the labyrinth of lenders can get confusing. Like any significant financial transaction, there are advantages and disadvantages that come with each type of lender. Get started by asking your realtor for referrals. With a large commission at stake, realtors have the right sort of incentive
Many potential homeowners who are considering how to finance their dream home think of going to a bank or other type of traditional lender themselves. However, there is another option: they can hire a mortgage broker to handle the research and comparison shopping for them. These professionals have access to products, rates, and other information
Conversation | 8 Comments You must be logged in to comment Submit Carla | 05.16.16 @ 20:01 I would have loved to have had these tips when we bought a home. My Son will need them soon. Thanks! trish | 05.16.16 @ 20:03 Wow what great tips I could have used 10
Tax filing season is upon us. Soon you will be filing your paperwork and perhaps receiving a nice check — unless thieves file a return in your name first and falsely claim your refund.
Unfortunately, if a thief has your Social Security number and other relevant information, tax identity theft is very hard to prevent.
Most credit cards have rewards programs or sign-up bonuses these days, and many of those rewards increase with your level of spending. Doesn’t it make sense to funnel your large regular expenses, such as mortgage payments, through your credit card to reap those rewards?
Paying your mortgage with a credit card may be a reasonable
You’ve received a phone call from a utility company demanding a payment right now or your utilities will be immediately shut off – or maybe representatives of your utility show up at your door to make the same threat. What do you do?
Don’t pay them. It’s almost certainly a scam.
Utility companies don’t make
As you approach retirement, you may find yourself in need of cash to deal with certain expenses. Perhaps you have decided to address a long-delayed home remodeling, you want to travel, or you just need extra living expenses for a given period.
There are several ways for you to use the equity in your home
A reverse mortgage is an increasingly popular way for older Americans to acquire funds based on the equity in their homes. You must be at least 62 years old, use the home as your primary residence, and have at least 50% equity in it to qualify for a reverse mortgage. You are also required to
You may have heard of reverse mortgages through Fred Thompson’s ubiquitous daytime television ads, but you may not know much about them or how they work. So let us take over for Fred and explain them in detail.
In essence, the reverse mortgage is a variation of a home equity loan that is used to
Mortgage Protection Life Insurance (MPI) is designed to cover your mortgage payments in case of a catastrophic life event. Policies can vary, but MPI generally covers your mortgage payments if you are disabled or lose your job, and will pay off the mortgage if you pass away.
Note: Because of the close acronyms, people sometimes
While most people know what a foreclosure is, a short sale is still a bit of a mystery. Short sales began to occur more frequently after the 2008 sub-prime mortgage housing crisis, as distressed homeowners found themselves unable to handle their mortgage payments.
Essentially, in a short sale, the homeowner sells a home for less
Getting approved for a mortgage can be a daunting task as a young adult. You are just getting your financial life started and your finances may not be in perfect shape. Do not worry, though; it is possible to get a mortgage as a young homebuyer with the help of the five keys listed below.
Declaring bankruptcy can take quite a toll on your life, as well as your credit rating. Because of this, people tend to look at bankruptcy as the end of potential home ownership.
While bankruptcy is a serious issue and should only be undertaken as a last resort, it is not the end of the world.
Holiday Debt On the Increase Are your credit cards still smoking from holiday overuse? Based on a recent MagnifyMoney survey, it wouldn’t be surprising.
Consumers who financed their holiday spending averaged $1,325 in holiday spending debt – a sharp increase from 2018’s $1,230, 2017’s $1,054 average and 2016’s $1,003 average. Increases in wages and consumer
You probably comparison-shop for items such as shoes or computers and prioritize your choices – “I’ll buy the merchandise at vendor X if I cannot get a better deal at vendors Y or Z.” Why wouldn’t you do the same comparison-shopping for mortgage lenders on arguably the largest purchase you will make in your life?
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, imitation of your credit cards must be the sincerest form of identity theft.
For years, identity thieves have produced copies of credit cards (otherwise called card cloning) by stealing the information stored on a card’s magnetic stripe and transferring it onto fake cards for their own use.
While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau require all lenders to follow specific guidelines when it comes to pricing, rates, and other factors, that does not mean that all lenders are equal. While it is true that some may be able to give borrowers a slightly better rate, that is not the only difference between them.
Many homeowners know to shop around for mortgages and to compare more than just the interest rate before selecting a lender, but even these borrowers may end up with a monthly mortgage payment that is higher than it could be. While smart borrowers will save money, they can save even more by following these tips:
When preparing to select a mortgage lender, potential homebuyers should do more than simply get quotes from several different lenders. While that is a good place to start, there are other key pieces of information that a borrower needs in order to be able to fully compare the different lenders and what they offer.
Firstly,
The convenience of modern digital commerce comes with an unfortunate side effect: it makes identity theft more convenient as well. The 2019 Identity Fraud study from Javelin Strategy and Research found that 14.4 million consumers in the U.S. were victims of identity theft during 2018, to the tune of $14.7 billion.
“It may seem time-consuming
Conversation | 12 Comments You must be logged in to comment Submit Brittany | 04.14.16 @ 23:04 Saving money when it comes to mortgages is seriously extremely beneficial. Especially when it comes to today’s current market. Kamie | 04.14.16 @ 23:12 I know you definitely want your realtor or even a mortgage
The loan approval process may seem convoluted with confusing language and odd delays. In a way, it does have its own language – and understanding that language can give you a better feel for where you are really at in the process.
Let’s draw an analogy while we look at things from the lender’s perspective.
MoneyTips You’re determined to make 2020 the year you raise your credit score. Why not get off to a good start with these five New Year’s resolutions to send your credit score in the right direction? 1. Resolve to Check Your Credit Report – All your efforts will go to waste if identity thieves have
MoneyTips Can you avoid a New Year’s Day hangover? We’re not referring to the traditional hangover that comes from too much alcohol, but the financial hangover that comes from too many charges on your credit card. Of course, you can avoid a New Year’s credit hangover – especially with some help. Consider these eleven ways
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