Category Archives: Uncategorized

Over the next few weeks and months, the long-overheated U.S. housing market is expected to continue to cool off in the bracing chill of autumn. After a wild year of unprecedented price increases, a worsening shortage of homes for sale, and cutthroat bidding wars where offers six figures over the ask price weren’t uncommon, conditions […]

Ready to start searching listings and hitting open houses? Save yourself some time by first identifying exactly what you need and want in a home using our checklist. You’ve been pre-approved and know what you can afford, so it’s time to start home shopping. But the hunt for your dream home will stall rapidly if you don’t […]

When buying a home, you’ll probably hear your lender or real estate agent use the word escrow. The term escrow can describe a few different functions, from the time your offer is accepted to the day you close on your home — and even after you become a homeowner with a mortgage. There are essentially two types of escrow […]

At the height of the pandemic, more than 7.2 million homeowners were in the mortgage forbearance program, which allows some borrowers to pause their payments. The economy has since posted one of the fastest recoveries in history. Now, just 1.7 million borrowers are enrolled in the forbearance program. But soon it’ll be zero. The Biden-Harris administration has […]

About 46 percent of home buyers are purchasing a home for the first time, and with that first home can come particular financial hurdles around saving for a down payment, and paying for closing costs. About two-thirds (64 percent) of first-time buyers put less than 20 percent down on their first home, and a quarter put down 5 percent […]

Experts dismissed housing-bubble concerns earlier this year, but they’re not anymore. Key data points are on track to reach bubble levels soon, though most sit below their 2006 peaks. Here are three signs the US is hurtling toward another housing bubble — if it’s not there already. The US housing market doesn’t seem to be […]

Like most major milestones in life, becoming a first-time homeowner comes with quite a few learning curves. Even after you close on the house and it becomes officially yours, there’s still a lot to learn when it comes to taking care of the place—and setting yourself up for long-term success. Having recently purchased my first […]

It’s never too late to begin fine-tuning your credit habits if buying or refinancing is in your future. Let’s just cut to the chase — your credit score is super important. This three-digit number will be examined by banks, mortgage companies, and other lenders to see if they consider you to be a credit risk. […]

Whether you’re currently renting or need a down payment on a house fast, use these creative ways to save for a down payment. If you’re ready to make the jump from renter to homeowner, you’ll most likely need to save for a down payment. The typical down payment on a home is between 3% and […]

Searching for your dream home and wondering if it’s worth buying a fixer-upper and making it your own? Here’s what you need to know. While the process of buying and renovating fixer-upper homes has increased in popularity due to fix-and-flip home improvement TV shows, not everyone is cut out for  major renovation projects.  In fact, […]