Home Financing

Down payments are challenging for many first-time homebuyers. It seems that the initial financial stab at home ownership is among the greatest roadblocks of owning a home.     If you are in the process of buying a home, using a gift can allow you to achieve that 20% down payment.…

It’s not all that uncommon. You tried to fix something in your house using all the analytic skills you apply to other parts of your life, inspired by how easy it looks on HGTV. With all the best of intentions, however, what seemed simple turned into an obviously less-than-expert job.…

The VA loan is one of the best mortgage loans there is. Here are some reasons why. First, VA guarantees the loan for 100% of the appraised value of the property (technically, the loan is for the Notice Of Value amount, which in most cases is the same thing). This…

Home appraisals are typically required during the home buying process in order to determine the current fair market value of the home.  The home appraisal process is a combination of science and opinion—but mostly science, even though the value that the appraiser delivers is called an “opinion of value” as…

Many first-time home buyers have stars in their eyes when they first begin house-hunting. Their ideal is a house that is move-in-ready, offers the number of bedrooms/baths/square footage they're looking for, is in a great neighborhood and, of course, is within their budget. Matching all that criteria is often a…

Paying down your mortgage early may be possible, but is it smart?