Blog

16
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate Tips,

Buying or Selling a Home This Winter? Keep These Tax Tips in Mind!

With all of the expense that can go into buying and selling a home, it's good to be aware of what you can claim and how a home can benefit you come tax time. When the New Year rolls around and you're sitting down to the task of completing your taxes, here are a few things that you'll want to keep in mind. Gaining from Capital Gains In the event that you've made money off the sale of your home through a capital gain, it's possible that you may be able to exclude this amount from your tax filing. If…
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15
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Refinancing This Winter? Follow These 5 Expert Tips to Get the Most from Your Mortgage

Refinancing a mortgage is a great way to take advantage of historically low interest rates or change your payment terms to be more affordable. And with interest rates at historical lows, there's never been a better time to refinance your mortgage. If you're planning to refinance your mortgage this winter, though, you'll want to make sure you get the best possible deal. How can you make sure that your mortgage works for you, and not the other way around? Here's what you need to know. Know What Your Break-Even Point Is Your break-even point is the point at which the…
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14
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 14, 2015

Last week's scheduled economic releases included reports on job openings, retail sales and consumer confidence in addition to usual weekly releases on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. The details: According to the U.S. Labor Department, job openings were down 2.70 percent in October to a reading of 5.38 million as compared to September's reading of 5.50 million job openings and the all-time high reading of 5.67 million job openings in July. October's reading was the third highest since the recession ended in 2009. Analysts said that a gap between job skills sought by employers and job skills applicants bring…
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11
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips, ,

Moving to a New Home? Use These Websites and Apps to Research Potential Neighborhoods

Relocating to a new city? Thinking about moving to a new neighborhood? While word of mouth from friends and family is valuable, sometimes it's necessary to get a different perspective. With the advancement of technology, it's now possible to research new neighborhoods without getting up off the couch. Here are some websites and apps that have proven invaluable with researching new areas: Use The Forums On City-Data For Exact Answers While city-data.com is a valuable resource for people who are looking into relocating to a different city, one of the best uses of the site is the active forums. Here,…
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10
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Yes, It’s True: Mortgage Closing Costs Are Down. Here’s How You Can Take Advantage

Mortgage closing costs have been coming down in recent years, which is good news for buyers. But if you're buying a home in the near future, you'll want to ensure you're prepared to take full advantage of these lower fees - after all, keeping more money in your pocket is always good. When you close on your mortgage, take these three steps and you'll find that you'll pay far less in closing fees than most buyers would. Ask The Seller To Pay Some Of The Closing Costs In most situations, the buyer is responsible for paying all closing costs –…
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09
Dec
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips, ,

Real Estate Investing: 3 Secrets of Successful Home Buyers That You Can Use Today

While making a real estate purchase can be a matter rife with many questions, buying to invest in a long-term property can be even more confusing. If you're looking into investing in real estate and wondering what variables to consider, here are a few tips that you'll want to keep in mind before deciding on a fruitful investment property. Be Aware Of The Market You're Buying Into Since you'll need to be aware of what other people are looking for in a property if you're diving into real estate to invest, you'll want to carefully consider the neighborhood and city…
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