When you need an inventory of your personal belongings in your home it is usually too late. You can try and create one from memory, but you will forget something important and it will cost you money on an insurance claim. Your homeowner’s policy might give you a blanket amount of coverage for personal items […]
In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act increased the standard deduction for married couples to $24,000. In some instances, homeowners may be better off using the standard deduction than itemizing on their return. Previously, homeowners could get a better benefit with itemizing but there is now a $10,000 limit of state and local taxes […]
When we shop for home loans, we often gravitate toward the ones the require less down payment or are more lenient with credit scores. Often that can turn out to be an FHA loan. Then you get stuck with mortgage insurance premiums. On a $265,000 FHA mortgage that can add $200 extra to your monthly […]
Creating a good outcome requires a little knowledge about what you are about to do. To be aware that there are tax laws about homes that you might not know about and may come up in your tax return. But if you are informed, you can point these out to your tax preparer or seek […]
If you are in the market to buy a home and find one that checks off most of your “must-haves” list, you may want to go ahead with the purchase. First-time home buyers can be at a disadvantage since they put most of their available cash into a down payment and closing costs. This forces […]
We often assume that as we age we will have house payments and car payments for the rest of our lives. But if you plan now and stick with it you too can be mortgage free. Retire planning should begin when you start your first job. However, most of us procrastinate on this vitality important […]
A question I often get from people who have filed bankruptcy, had a short sale or foreclosure is, “How long do we have to wait to qualify for another mortgage.” What kind of new loan you can get will differ according to how long it has taken to heal your credit score. The chart I […]
Freddie Mac predicted it and it is happening. We are past the first quarter of 2018 and the 30-year fixed rate mortgage is going up. The rates will exceed the 5 percent, if this pace continues, by the end of this year. The first of an expected three raises in rates by the Fed has […]
Concerned buyers who were unsure about the new tax laws that affect home ownership can breathe a sigh of relief. The 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act which was passed by Congress and signed into law treats real estate as a favored investment. Tax laws are in place whether you are living in the home […]
Back in 1968, mortgage rates were 8.5 percent. Then the following year, rates dropped to 7 percent. Homebuyers were able to buy a 15 to 20 percent larger home with the same payment if they could get their mortgage assumed. Back then FHA and VA mortgages were very popular for certain price ranges and these […]
