The COVID-19 virus has appeared to have infected us in many more areas of our lives these days, other than as a profound illness. The economics of the virus has led to millions of layoffs, company shutdowns, and therefore the loss of immeasurable jobs. This burden is requiring many homeowners ...

Finding a mortgage became easier when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau began mandating that lenders provide a new, simplified disclosure form to help consumers compare home loans, but the process is still no walk in the park!  Before you offer on a home, a seller will want to have certain ...

Ready or not, the tax man's coming. Filing your taxes yourself may not be your idea of a fun night at home, but even so, it doesn't really have to be that bad. Yes, even if you own a home. Even if you itemize your deductions. Even if you ...

One of the most important steps to take prior to looking at homes is getting pre-approved for a mortgage.  Before viewing or offering on properties, you want to make sure you’re looking at homes that are within your budget; it also signals to the seller that you are a serious ...

Are you thinking of buying your first home? It’s a great time to get started with your search, as a relatively mild winter up until this point has jump-started the spring market and sellers are already listing their homes.  While it’s exciting to shop around for a place to call ...

Buying a new home without giving up all your major organs is a challenge. I am sure you are hearing the stories of finding “THE HOME” but the offer was not accepted…and then they do this over and over…submitting 45 competitive offers, only to find out that your competition is ...

When you speak to a real estate agent about buying a home versus renting, they will often give you a spiel about “building equity.” While that is a good line of thinking--the actual meaning is often lost on first-time buyers.  So let me explain:

Equity is the difference between ...

Just 20-30 years ago, the age of first-time home buyers skewed lower than it does today.  With many young adults graduating into an economy with stagnant wages and a lot of competition, want-to-be buyers often now have less work experience, lower relative income levels, and less money saved for down ...