Rent or Buy? What’s Right for You?
For many Americans, purchasing a home was a measure of financial success for decades. After the subprime mortgage crisis, people realized buying isn’t always smart but now it seems like we’re taking it to the other extreme. You need to understand the reasons for both to make the proper decision. Normal buying pros: You eliminate […]
Are you financially ready to buy a house?
A home is likely the single largest investment you will make in your lifetime. It has enormous potential to build up your wealth over time. But did you know that even in a relatively unpredictable market, you can purchase a home? If you adjust your thinking and your vision, you can almost always buy something […]
Why Buying a Home is Better than Renting
Owning your own home has distinct advantages over renting, especially when it comes to building your net worth and providing a stable environment for your family. If you’re struggling with whether to buy versus rent, consider these 10 reasons to take the plunge into homeownership: 1. You can ramp up energy efficiency. Energy-efficient improvements—from adding […]
When Should I Buy a House in Texas?
It is most Texans’ dream to one day own their own home in Texas. However, if you buy before you are ready, your home can quickly drag you down and make you house poor, meaning you owe more on your property than what its estimated worth is. You want to buy a home. Eventually. But […]
Don’t Assume You Can’t Afford to Buy a Home in Texas
You too can buy a house, even in a relatively unpredictable market. Talking with first time home buyers in Texas, they often say their reasons for why they haven’t chosen ownership over renting. Some common themes always emerge, which we discuss below. I don’t have a 20% down payment! Most people assume that you need […]
Millennials’ Home Buying Expectations
Born between the early 1980s and mid 2000s, Millennials range in age from mid-teens to mid-thirties. They total more than 80 million individuals, representing the largest generation in the U.S. In fact, in five years they will make up 50% of the working population of the USA, and by 2025 they will claim three-quarters of […]
How to Calculate a Mortgage
If you’re shopping for a new home in Texas, you can calculate the home price you can pay and the mortgage schedule you will need based on the payment, down payment, taxes, and insurance you can afford. This calculation will provide an estimate of your house price range based on the monthly payment you can […]
What Is Going to Happen to the Housing Market in 2016?
As the end of 2015 looms near, there are a couple things you can be sure to find on the internet, and I’m not talking about cyber deals for holiday shopping. I’m talking about lists. The end of the year brings with it countdowns that look back at virtually everything that occurred over the past […]
Don’t Worry So Much About the Down Payment
With rental vacancies at historic lows, and rental rates stronger than ever, many renters are considering becoming first-time homebuyers. However, some potential new homeowners may be held back by what they think they know, even if their preconceived ideas are incorrect. GoBankingRates.com posted 7 Common Myths About Home Buying this week, and the number one […]
Unique Challenges Faced By Millennials Buying Homes
Millennials are the “it” demographic these days. Everyone is talking about them, now that they’re entering their 30’s and they’ve overtaken the Baby Boomers in numbers. Though the term “millennial” was coined nearly a quarter century ago to define the generation born after Gen X, it wasn’t used much until pretty recently. Now, the word […]
