27
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Mortgage, ,

Understanding the Factors That Impact Your Credit Score

Most consumers believe if they pay their bills on time, they need not worry about their credit score. Oftentimes, it is a rude awakening when they apply for a mortgage loan, car loan, or any revolving credit to learn they are not going to get the lowest rates available due to their credit score. This is because paying bills on time only accounts for 35 percent of your credit score. The remaining 65 percent is spread out among other factors that impact your credit score. Credit Usage and Impact on Score Nearly one-third, 30 percent, of your credit score is…
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22
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

3 Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Time House Hunting

In the ideal home-buying scenario, you'd have plenty of time to find the perfect home. However, this is not always possible. Maybe you are relocating for a job and have to buy a house from across the country. If this is the case, you might have to limit the time that you spend house hunting. Here are some tips to help you make your search as productive as possible.  #1 Get A Mortgage Pre-Approval  Before attending open houses and searching for a home, you should get pre-approved for a mortgage. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage will help you identify the…
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20
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

House Hunting When You Are In A Time Crunch

In an ideal world, you'd have plenty of time to find the perfect home. However, that does not always happen. Maybe you are relocating because of a job transfer. Fortunately, it doesn't have to take months to find the perfect home. You can speed up the process of buying a home utilizing some tried and true tips.  Here are some of the best ways to speed up the house buying process.  Find An Experienced Real Estate Agent  An experienced agent likely has an extensive network and many connections. They might know what properties are coming on the market before anyone else…
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15
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Is Buying A Short Sale Right For You?

If you have been looking for a new home, and you find one offered under a short sale, this may be to your advantage. While some buyers are wary about buying a home that needs to be sold with the approval of the lender, it's a great way to get a bargain on a home that you love. A short sale may be a perfect way to buy a home, as long as you are able to wait until the offer is approved. The Basics Of A Short Sale A short sale occurs when the homeowner is facing a foreclosure…
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08
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Long-Distance House Hunting Tips

It pays to start with a solid strategy when you have to house hunt from afar. Hunting for a house is stressful enough even if you are moving to another part of town. However, when you are searching for a house from afar, it can make the task of finding the right home for your needs seem almost impossible.  Fortunately, in today's high-tech world, you have an array of tools available right at your fingertips that can make it easy to find the perfect house for your needs. So, even if you are looking for a home thousands of miles…
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06
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Mortgage, ,

What You Need To Know About Short Sales

On the surface, a short sale seems like the perfect deal. However, before you take the plunge, you need to understand how this type of home purchase works. What Is a Short Sale? A short sale is a home sale in which the homeowner is selling the home for less than he or she currently owes on the mortgage. In most cases, this means that the buyer is paying less for the home than it's worth, which leads to instant equity. Short sales allow homeowners to get out from under mortgages without damaging their credit as much as a foreclosure.…
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