Finding Home Insurance

May 15, 2017

Purchasing home insurance makes good sense, and not just because it’s often a condition for home loan approval. It’s also a good idea for peace of mind and financial security. You definitely don’t want to find yourself wishing you’d purchased the right insurance after something unexpected happens. So if you’re in the market for a new home, check out the following tips for finding a plan that covers your home’s needs. Compare insurance quotes Consult an insurance agency with brokers that can compare costs and…

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Buying a Home

Cost Comparison: Rent or Buy

April 10, 2017

There are many benefits to being a homeowner. From a purely financial perspective, there are tools to help determine the cost of renting versus buying a home. Comparing the cost of renting to buying usually depends on key factors, such as budgeted monthly rent, target home price, the length of time you plan to live in the home and what your mortgage rate would be. Estimating these values can help determine if buying is financially advantageous. In addition to the actual buying costs, it is…

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Buying a Home, Selling a Home

What is a Seller’s Market in Real Estate?

March 14, 2017

In real estate, a “seller’s market” occurs when the demand for housing exceeds the supply. This often results in multiple buyers competing for a single home. Cue the bidding wars… A seller’s market is obviously an ideal time to sell your home—especially if you have built up a lot of equity. But is it the right time to buy a home? Imagine falling in love with a house and then having to submit a more attractive offer than 10 or even 20 competing buyers (and…

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Buying a Home

The Facts on Closing Costs

February 26, 2017

Closing costs: a generic term tossed around by mortgage originators, real estate agents and even your neighbor. But what are these fees all about? Read on to learn the basics of closing costs and how they will affect your home purchase. What are closing costs? Closing costs, or settlement costs, are one-time expenses charged in connection with the origination of your loan. They cover additional costs like loan origination fees, loan discount points, appraisal fees, title search fees, title insurance premiums, survey fees, transfer taxes,…

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Buying a Home

What Does a Homebuilder Do?

February 16, 2017

As you might have guessed, there’s much more to homebuilding than foundation and framing. If you’re thinking of purchasing a new home, read on for what you might expect from different builders. Floor Plan Selections: Homebuilders often have architectural teams that design their own floor plans (including us!), offering a variety of single- and multi-story layouts to choose from. Floor plans also vary widely in structural features, such as different bed and bathroom counts and add-on options like covered patios and finished basements. To learn…