Blog

04
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Children Leaving the Nest? 3 Pieces of Sage Advice You Can Share About How to Manage a Mortgage

When your children are about to step out into the world on their own, you want to help them on their way. This especially holds true when it comes to buying a house. As your sons or daughters prepare to take the plunge into home ownership, make sure they follow three crucial tips that will help them during the mortgage process. Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew One of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make is choosing a home that is beyond their price range. Your children need to remember that they are going to be paying for…
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03
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Applying for a Mortgage? Three Questions Your Lender Will Ask You – and How to Prepare Your Answers

Before approving a mortgage, your lender is going to have to do his due diligence to ensure that you can afford a loan large enough to pay for a house. That means your lender will be asking you several questions about whether or not you can afford a mortgage. Here's how you can prepare to answer these questions in a way that will increase your likelihood of approval. How Stable Is Your Income? Your lender is going to want to know that your income is going to be stable over the life of the loan. This means that you should…
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02
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – Sept 2, 2014

Last week's economic news included several reports related to housing. The Case-Shiller and FHFA reports for June showed a further slowing in home price growth. New home sales for July fell short of the expected reading, but pending home sales exceeded expectations. The details: Case-Shiller, FHFA: June Home Price Growth Slows The Case-Shiller 10 and 20-City Home Price Index for June moved from May's year-over-year reading of 9.40 percent growth to 8.10 percent in June. Home prices grew by 1.00 percent on a month-to-month basis in June as compared to May's reading of 1.20 percent. Demand shrank due to increasing…
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29
Aug
By Jim Hasek
Home Seller Tips, ,

Six Key Questions to Ask when Hiring a Real Estate Agent to Market and Sell Your Home

The work of a real estate agent can make or break how a prospective buyer feels about the property. Now that it's time to sell your home, you want to find the right agent to market it. How do you find someone you can trust who will make you feel confident they can sell your home quickly for the best price possible? Here are the questions you should be asking. Are They Licensed? This one is the easy one. You should be working with a member of the National Association of Realtors®. It is also important that you check whether…
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28
Aug
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

Case-Shiller, FHFA Report Slowing Growth in Home Prices

The Case-Shiller 10 and 20-City Home Price Indices for June reported year-over-year gains of 8.10 percent while the Case-Shiller National Home Price Index covers all nine census regions and reported a year-over-year gain of 6.20 percent. Readings for all three indices worsened as compared to May readings, and all cities tracked showed slower growth in home prices. The National Home Price Index, which is now published monthly, rose by 0.90 percent from May's reading, and both the 10 and 20-City Index posted month-to-month gains of one percent. Five cities including Detroit, Las Vegas, New York, Phoenix and San Diego posted…
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27
Aug
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Refi or Wait? How to Choose Between Refinancing Your Mortgage Now or Waiting Until You Need the Money

Refinancing your existing mortgage may provide you with the opportunity to lower your interest rate, reduce your mortgage payment and adjust your loan term. For those homeowners who have lived in their home for more than a few years, pulling equity out of the property for everything from a luxurious vacation to making home improvements is a tempting potential benefit. However, with property values and interest rates adjusting frequently, you may wonder if now is the best time to refinance your mortgage. Using Equity From Your Refinance One factor to consider when debating between refinancing now and waiting relates to…
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