The Difference Between APR and Mortgage Interest Rate
Considering taking on a mortgage can be confusing and overwhelming. There’s an endless amount of information and advice and weeding through it can be a monumental task. When you get a mortgage, you are charged two different rates—the annual percentage rate and the interest rate. Understanding the difference between the two rates is important and […]
How Home Loans Work in Texas
If you’ve thought about buying a house in the Lone Star State, you’re not alone. It’s a great place to live! You might wonder how to get a mortgage in Texas, so we’ve put together a list of what you should know about Texas home loans. TDHCA (Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs) Texas […]
How FHA Loans Work
FHA loans are a great option for first time home buyers — if this is your first home purchase, a Texas FHA home loan is probably your best option with its low down payment and easier credit standards. Your down payment can be as low as 3.5% of the purchase price and closing costs and […]
Ins and Outs of a VA Loan
What are VA Loans? A VA Loan is a segment of the GI Bill was that signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide veterans with a federally guaranteed home loan with no down payment. It’s one of the ways we thank our veterans for their service. The VA guarantees a maximum of […]
5 Things Mortgage Lenders Look For
Buying a home isn’t easy; after all, you have to convince a mortgage banker that you’re capable of accepting a loan. When lenders review your application, they try to determine your ability to pay off your loan. Keep in mind that they are taking a chance on you—and they need to minimize risk as much […]
Downsizing for Empty Nesters and Retirees
It sounds so satisfying, in a way, the prospect of working your whole life and then retiring—it’s a goal most of us have, to reach for a reward for decades of toil. With no deadlines to meet, no schedules to keep, no one to answer to, retirement means time to travel, engage in hobbies there […]
How to Make Buying and Selling at the Same Time Work
Buying a home is a serious undertaking, and can be stressful at times. Between keeping paperwork organized, meeting deadlines, and research—and working to sell your home at the same time can turn into one big, overwhelming headache. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re buying and selling a home simultaneously. You […]
Top Ten Reasons to Use a Mortgage Broker
Working with a direct lender like a bank may seem like the thing to do—but an independent third party can offer impartial advice. A mortgage broker has access to a much wider array of products; a mortgage broker’s services can help you make sound financial decisions. Still not convinced? Take a look at these 10 […]
Investing in a Home is an Investment in Your Future
Is buying a home a good investment? You’ve probably heard from the media, parents, older relatives, and, of course, real estate professionals that buying a home is a great investment that always helps to secure your future. You’re told buying a home is a good investment that will appreciate over time, and that it will […]
Advice for Single Homebuyers
Home-buying trends have changed over the last decade, and in today’s new market, more single homebuyers are entering the real estate market than ever before. And, single women have now outpaced single men as a percentage of homebuyers—a whopping 21 percent of all new home purchases are credited to single women. Single men and women […]
