Best Mortgage Companies in Texas

Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or are a seasoned veteran, you’ve got so many choices when it comes to purchasing a house. Finding the best mortgage company to structure a loan for your individual lending needs can be a challenge. Should you work with a mortgage lender? A mortgage broker? Or should you use […]

How the Federal Reserve Affects Your Mortgage

This week, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the third time in 2018. This quarter-percentage rate increase brought the federal funds rate into the target range of 2 – 2.25 percent. The committee sets monetary policy, primarily by raising or lowering the Fed’s target for the federal funds rate, which is used as the […]

How to Prepare Before Disaster Strikes

Every part of the world is susceptible to natural disaster, as we’ve seen in the USA this year. Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and wildfires have affected numerous locations across the country. Learn about the types of disasters that are likely in your community and the local emergency, and shelter phone numbers, websites, and plans for […]

Top 10 Things to Know About Your Credit

How do you build credit? Focus on the five fundamentals that determine your credit score: payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix. A general rule is to use credit sparingly and make payments on time. It takes years to build good credit, but it’s worthwhile to be patient. Is […]

Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid

Becoming a homeowner in Texas is one of the most exciting and potentially stressful things you can do. There’s a lot to learn and a lot to do, which can leave quite a bit of room for mistakes. The home buying process is an emotional experience that is personal for each buyer. Just remember that […]

What You Need to Apply for a Home Loan

Whether you’re a first-time home buyer in Texas, or are an empty nester ready to downsize, you’ll need to complete a lot of steps before you consider talking with a lender. There are many things you’ll need to do to get ready to buy a home. It can be overwhelming. It might sometimes feel like […]

Buying a Home? You’ll Need Insurance.

It’s overwhelming to think about the numerous types of insurance available during the home buying process. You already have so much to do between packing, scheduling movers, and closing on your home. Do you really have to jump through more hoops? Unfortunately, yes. No sensible car owner would drive without insurance, so it figures that […]

Be Ready Before Disaster Strikes

No one wants them to happen, but disasters can occur anywhere at any time—especially during hurricane season and wildfire season. To endure an already stressful situation a little more easily, you should prepare not only an emergency kit, but also an evacuation plan for your family. No matter whether you need to evacuate or shelter […]

Everything You Need to Know About Closing Costs

Closing costs are expenses over and above the price of the property in real estate transactions. They are basically a collection of administrative fees. Closing costs can include: Loan origination fees Discount points Appraisal fees Title searches Title insurance Surveys Taxes Deed-recording fees Credit report charges Before you sign your loan documents, you should have seen […]

How to Survive Buying a House¶

Preparation¶ You’ll probably start entertaining the idea of looking for a home years before you’re totally financially prepared. It can be daunting, but it will give you a better idea of what you want, like a master suite, basement, or garage apartment. Using our online mortgage calculators, you’ll also be able to get a rough […]