Real Estate

The cost of housing is skyrocketing across the U.S., particularly for renters seeking affordable housing. While there are many benefits to renting a home, you don’t have to pay for repairs or property maintenance. Some utilities might be covered in your monthly rent, the freedom to move. But, many people still aspire to the American Dream of owning a home. But if housing prices continue to rise as mortgage lenders are still hesitant about lending in a post-recession economy, how can you possibly manage to save up the massive, 20% down … [Read more...] about Everything You Wanted to Know About FHA Loans

If you already have a steadily growing investment portfolio of stocks, bonds and mutual funds, then perhaps it’s time to add a new type of investment to your collection: rental property. Investing in rental properties can be an immensely rewarding venture, but it demands a lot of planning and financial involvement to be successful. Buying Your First Rental Property Are you ready for investing and buying your first rental property? Here are some things to consider while making your decision: What’s Your Current Financial Situation? To get … [Read more...] about Buying Your First Rental Property – How to Know if You’re Ready to Invest

In today’s economy, finding housing is hard enough even when you’re flush with cash. When your financial situation is problematic, finding a place to live can feel darn near impossible. Before you panic and/or reconcile yourself to being homeless, make sure you try some of these tips and techniques to help you keep a roof over your head. Finding Housing During a Financial Crisis Put Your Pride Away In spite of what you might have heard, there is nothing wrong with applying for the Section 8 program. In fact, the Section 8 program is often a … [Read more...] about Finding Housing During a Financial Crisis

If you follow housing market news and know anything about the Millennial Generation, then you probably have heard from many different sources how Millennials aren’t buying homes. In many cases, this is more due to their inability to afford the expenses of homeownership, rather than an unwillingness to pursue the American Dream of owning a place of their own. However, in this day and age, is home ownership really the best option for young adults who are either still in college or only joined the workforce in the last decade or so? A lot has … [Read more...] about Millennials and Home Ownership – Do Millennials Need to Buy Homes?

The first phase of your home renovation project deals with a lot of budgeting and meeting with your architect to discuss the design you want. But, what if your vision costs more than you expected? Matching your dream design and your budget is a challenge. You have two options: either increase your budget to meet your expectations or refine your visions to meet your financial capabilities. Most homeowners choose the latter. Some feel a little disappointed because they realized they needed to let go of the home features which increase … [Read more...] about How to Trim Down Your Dream Home’s Design If It Doesn’t Fit Your Budget

You’ve decided to look for your dream home in the area of your choice, you know exactly what kind of home you need, you’ve crunched the numbers and now you’re looking for a mortgage lender. How do you know that you are getting a reliable lender that will give you the best deal? Do you know and understand the entire mortgage process? Here are a few tips and hints to help you navigate the mortgage process. Understanding the Mortgage Process What Credit Score Do You Need to Buy a House? Although your credit score is by no means the only factor … [Read more...] about Financing a Home Purchase: Demystifying the Mortgage Process and Making Your Dreams Come True

As the cost of housing rises so does the number of renters. Buying a home just isn’t as feasible as it once was, especially for the Millennial Generation. However, maintaining a good credit score can also be challenging for many people, and given that many landlords and property rental companies require a credit check before agreeing to lease a unit to a tenant, this presents an unfortunate obstacle for folks who are looking for a new place to rent while establishing or rebuilding their credit scores. If you fall into this category, then … [Read more...] about Renting with Poor Credit: What You Need to Know

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ latest figures, property crime is decreasing in the U.S., but safety remains a pressing concern because approximately 110 households out of 1,000 still experience theft and burglaries annually. A drop in property crime might be linked to the increasing prevalence of home security and property monitoring technologies, which are more affordable than ever before. Best Ways to Protect Your Home from Burglary If you’ve considered investing in a security camera, system, monthly alarm service, or other … [Read more...] about Top 3 Simple and Affordable Ways to Protect Your Home

According to the 2016 State of the Nation’s Housing Report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, over 21 million people spend more than 30% of their income on housing. This suggests that millions of renters in the U.S. are cost burdened or “rent poor” because financial experts typically agree that housing should take up no more than 30% of an individual or family’s income. A report from CNN Money confirmed the financial burden of being “rent poor,” as poor Americans spend approximately 72% of their income on … [Read more...] about Rent Poor? How Spending on Housing Is Crippling Your Budget