Blog

14
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Mortgage, ,

What Items Can Change My Mortgage Pre-Approval Status?

When you are purchasing a home, your lender may recommend you obtain a mortgage pre-approval before you find the home of your dreams. There are some benefits to being pre-approved before you find a home, but oftentimes, people confuse pre-qualifications with pre-approvals. So the question many buyers have is what exactly is a mortgage pre-approval? In a nutshell, it's when the lender provides you (the buyer) with a letter stating that your mortgage will be granted up to a specific dollar amount. What Do I Need For Pre-Approval? In order to obtain a pre-approval for your home purchase, you will…
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13
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Mortgage, ,

Can I Have A Co-Signer For My Mortgage Loan?

Like credit cards or car loans, some mortgages allow borrowers to have co-signers on the loan with them, enhancing their application. However, a co-signer on a mortgage loan doesn't have the same impact that it might on another loan. Furthermore, it poses serious drawbacks for the co-signer. Mortgage Co-Signers A mortgage co-signer is a person that isn't an owner or occupant of the house. However, the co-signer is on the hook for the loan. Typically, a co-signer is a family member or close friend that wants to help the main borrower qualify for a mortgage. To that end, he signs…
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12
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Financial Reports, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – March 12th, 2018

Last week's economic releases included reports on Non-Farm Payrolls, ADP payrolls, and the national unemployment rate. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released. Public and Private Sector Jobs Show Mixed Readings ADP Payrolls reported 235,000 private sector jobs added in February as compared to January's updated reading of 243,000 jobs added. Analysts estimated 205,000 private sector jobs would be added, but this was based on the original reading of 234,000 jobs added. February was the fourth consecutive month when private sector job growth exceeded 200,000 jobs. According to the federal government, Non-Farm payrolls added 74000…
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09
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

Tired of Waiting for Summer? 3 DIY Projects That Will Keep You Busy Until the Weather Warms Up

Do you find yourself staring out the window, longing for an early sunrise, hot days and late evenings? With spring just around the corner, it might feel like summer is a lifetime away. However, the good news is that you can be productive around the home while you wait for summer to arrive. Let's take a quick look at three easy do-it-yourself projects that will keep you busy until the summer sun is shining. Add A Splash Of Spring-y Color As long as you are willing to do the prep work, painting is one of the most straightforward home improvement…
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07
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Mortagage Tips, ,

The Benefits of Using a Veterans (VA) Loan To Purchase Your Home

U.S. military veterans have opportunities to enjoy some richly-deserved benefits in other aspects of their lives, including some special options for financing their homes. VA loans may give active military personnel, retired veterans, and sometimes surviving family members of veterans the ability to purchase homes that might not prove available to them through more conventional mortgage loans. But the mere fact that you can do a thing doesn't necessarily mean that you should. In some circumstances, military home seekers may find other types of loan options more amenable to their specific needs. If you've decided to pursue a mortgage loan during or…
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06
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Should You Improve Your Home Before Selling Or Not?

Selling your home is one of the most stressful things you'll ever go through and one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. However, there's a lot more to selling your home than just sticking a sign out in the front yard. Most likely, your home will need a little work before it is perfect. Therefore, you'll have to decide whether you need to take care of home improvement issues yourself or, to sell with the expectation that the buyer will be the one to do so. We put together a few pros and cons to doing it each…
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