Equity represents how much you own of an asset. So home equity is the percentage of your home that you own. If you paid off your mortgage (or purchased the house with cash), you have 100% equity in your home. If your home is worth, let’s say … $400,000, and your outstanding mortgage balance is
Existing Home Owners
Traditional homeowners and renters insurance does not cover earthquakes, making earthquake insurance one of the few options available to people in high-risk zones like California, Hawaii or Alaska. While many homeowners skip earthquake insurance due to high costs, that doesn’t mean you should make the same choice. To better understand the advantages and disadvantages of
Wondering if your homeowners insurance policy covers plumbing? Whether you’re experiencing a plumbing issue or want to understand your policy better, it’s good to be prepared. Homeowners insurance protects your property from the unexpected, like fire or storm damage. Luckily, many plumbing mishaps are covered. But when they aren’t, reviewing your policy and understanding what’s
Your electrical panel is essentially the brain of your home’s electrical system. It is the control center of your home’s power and one of the most crucial systems in your home. Like anything else, your electrical panel can malfunction or break, requiring you to repair or replace it. When the time comes to upgrade (aka
After you buy a home, the first thing that probably comes to mind is how much it’s going to cost you every month. There’s the monthly mortgage payment, insurance, repairs, maintenance, utilities, etc. And don’t forget the taxes. Regardless of where you live, you will owe property taxes. Fortunately, most states offer an easy way
Have you been thinking about trying to save money by refinancing your home equity loan, home equity line of credit (HELOC) or another second mortgage? If interest rates are lower than they were when you first took out your loan, you can save money by lowering your monthly mortgage payment or shortening the loan’s length
When you have a mortgage, you are not the owner of your home – at least, not yet. Until the property has been paid off in full, a portion of your home is owned by the mortgage lender. Eventually, if you keep making your monthly mortgage payments, you’ll own your home in full. This process
Oddly enough, owning a home does not give you complete control over it. There may be a variety of limits or claims on your property rights, including liens and encumbrances. Liens and encumbrances are different – and understanding these differences will help shed light on the broader topic of titles and other legal matters around
If tapping into your home’s equity is in your future, so is a whole lot of paperwork. And whether you’re taking out a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit (HELOC) (both are types of second mortgages or junior liens), you may be presented with a subordination agreement to sign at closing.
As a homeowner, you don’t plan on having to deal with foreclosure – and hopefully, you won’t ever have to. You can help prevent foreclosure by making your payments on time and communicating with your lender, but sometimes life hits unexpectedly hard, making it difficult or impossible to pay your mortgage. A single late payment
If you spend any time around homeowners, you’ll probably hear at least one of them talk about making an extra mortgage (or principal) payment to pay off their mortgage faster. This process is sometimes called mortgage curtailment or a principal reduction (although most people don’t use that term in casual conversation). It’s a common strategy,
If you’re a homeowner, you’re probably wondering if there’s a way to get a better deal on your mortgage. After a couple of years of homeownership, you may have better credit and more income than you did when you first bought your home. So why not get a better mortgage than the one you started
The mortgage interest deduction is a popular tax break that allows homeowners to write off the home loan interest they pay each year. But what about considering the deduction for a second home? What qualifies for the mortgage interest deduction? And more importantly, can you deduct mortgage interest on a second home? The short answer
Mortgages can last for 10, 15 or 30 years. Naturally, this creates ongoing responsibilities for both the borrower and the lender. If a mortgage is active, it will need to be continually serviced, and the process often contains a lot of moving parts. While one mortgage lender will want to manage your mortgage loan for
In the U.S., most people own their home for about 13 years, after which they hope to sell the property for a profit.[2] Naturally, you’re probably curious about home appreciation and how much it affects the value of your home today and in the future. Understanding home appreciation is important because it can give you
When it comes to owning a home, some surprises aren’t as welcome as others. If you just found out that your outstanding mortgage balance is more than your home is worth, you have what’s known as an underwater mortgage, also known as an upside-down mortgage. If you have an upside-down mortgage, don’t panic. You have
If you’ve never been to a closing, it pretty much looks like this: You sign a bunch of paperwork, pay your closing costs and get a mortgage. Then the moment you’ve been hotly anticipating arrives, and you finally get the keys to your new home from your real estate agent. Once you’ve cemented your status
When comparing different mortgages, one of the most important variables you will need to consider is the interest rate. Over a 30-year mortgage, a single percentage point change in your interest rate could cost or save you thousands of dollars. Many people assume that whatever interest rate their lender offers them is an interest rate
Home equity in a primary residence is the largest source of wealth for families across the nation, according to the National Association of Home Builders.[2] As a result, many people see homeownership as a sure path to building their nest egg – and in many cases, this can be true. But the heart is not
Can your parents pay off your mortgage? Yes. Can you pay off your parents’ mortgage? Aww … and, yes. In fact, you don’t have to be related to a homeowner to offer the gift of a mortgage payoff or a mortgage payment. You can make a payment on someone else’s mortgage to help them out
Three things in life are certain: taxes, iPhone updates and unexpected expenses. Unexpected expenses can cost homeowners a lot – even their homes. If you’re struggling to make your mortgage payments because of a medical emergency, an accident or the upheaval we all experienced during the COVID-19 lockdowns, you’re not alone. In March 2021, over
A deck is one of those home improvements that keeps on giving. While you’re living in your home, it expands your living space and makes it more comfortable to enjoy the great outdoors. When you’re ready to sell, a deck can increase your home’s property value and bring in a bigger profit. If you’re thinking
Sure, your home’s main purpose is to give you and your family a place to live. And you might even use your home as a kind of real estate investment. But if that’s all you think your home is good for, you’re missing out on some other ways to use your homeownership to your advantage,
If you’re thinking of refinancing your mortgage, auto loan or your student loans, you may be wondering if it will affect your credit. The short answer is yes. But the good news is that the impact won’t be major or last too long. Want to refinance and keep your credit in good shape? Read on
When you got your mortgage, you might have applied with a spouse or other co-borrower to get better mortgage terms, split the financial responsibilities or because you wanted to live together. But life happens and things change. Maybe you’re getting a divorce or you’ve decided you want to live on your own. Now you’re probably
Let’s say you recently sold your home and want to buy a new home. Or maybe you’ve decided to refinance your mortgage with a new lender. In either case, your new lender is going to want to know more about your history with your previous mortgage lender. To get that information, they may request a
Home loan refinancing is all the rage nowadays. In 2020, mortgage refinances (aka refis) were so popular that 1 out of every 10 refinances was done on a mortgage loan that had ALREADY been refinanced at least once in the previous 12 months.[1] That’s a lot of refinancing! Historically low interest rates have made refinancing
If you’ve been through bankruptcy, you may feel more cautious than ever about taking out new loans – especially on your home. But if you’re careful and well informed, refinancing can help you save money and unlock the equity in your home at a low-interest rate. What Are the Reasons To Refinance After Bankruptcy? There
House hunting can be both exhilarating and exhausting – you’re all swept up looking at other people’s interpretation of a dream home. While there might be that one property that could tick all your boxes, it’s not a guarantee. So, what if you had the opportunity to build your own dream house? A construction loan
We talk about land loans a lot less than home loans. And that’s not surprising. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 87% of home buyers buy existing, previously owned homes.[1] But some life goals may need a piece of land as their launchpad. And there are lots of reasons why someone might buy land,