During the Spring season is a great time to check for water damage on the interior of a property. Water damage often starts to show in late winter and spring, as the integrity of the roof becomes challenged by snow sitting on it all winter, or spring rains cause more water than a home is capable of withstanding. When you’re checking out the interior of a home, look for water damage on the ceilings, walls and in the basement. Continue reading “Look for Water Damage on the Interior of a Property” »
The Spring real estate market is classically the busiest time of year if you want to buy or sell real estate. Sellers love the Spring market, as the flurry of activity means they can often command higher prices during this time of year. And buyers love it, because they can browse a great selection of inventory and attempt to find their dream home. With the weather getting warmer early this year in many parts of the country, the spring market is already beginning to kick into gear – which means we’re just around the corner from peak buying and selling season! What do you need to know about the Spring market? Continue reading “Spring Market is Around the Corner” »
Home staging is when a real estate agent or home staging professional re-arranges the home, artfully places certain pieces of furniture, flowers or artwork, or even just de-clutters the home a little. The idea is that the home staging will make the home seem more attractive to buyers, and professionals who have a good understanding of making a home attractive can make even the dullest home seem sparkling and brilliant. When you’re shopping for homes, it’s important to look beyond home staging – or the lack thereof – to see the home you’ll buy. Continue reading “Look Beyond Home Staging – or the Lack Thereof” »
Your payment history is obviously an important part of your credit report. You build a good credit history by making regular payments on-time; late payments or accounts that have gone into collections are what kills your credit history. But account age is also an important element of improving your credit score. To maximize your credit score, you should hold a few accounts, keep them open for a long time, and make regular payments on them. If your credit score needs work, here are some quick tricks to improve these elements of your credit report: Continue reading “Improve Your Credit: Payment History and Account Age” »
Poor credit can be a big problem when you’re trying to get a mortgage loan, but improving your credit isn’t that difficult if you know how to do it. One way to improve your credit is to get and make regular payments on an installment loan. This works best if you have a limited credit history, and keep in mind that a new installment loan is also going to increase your debt ratio; here’s how to do it right to both improve your credit and also keep it from causing problems with getting a mortgage loan: Continue reading “Improve Your Credit: Installment Loans” »
Getting a mortgage loan with poor credit has become a lot more difficult than it used to be. In 2007 and 2008, the sub prime lending market took a big hit – more and more homeowners in this segment defaulted, and it caused lenders in this area to pull out of the sub prime market, meaning fewer options for homeowners with poor credit. During this two-year period, hundreds of lenders were either shut down, suspended operations or were sold. This crisis has lingering affects on borrowers with poor credit; most notably the difficulty of getting a mortgage loan with bad credit these days. Continue reading “Getting a Mortgage Loan with Poor Credit” »
Borrowing with poor credit is now much more difficult than it used to be, as mortgage lenders tighten their requirements and there’s far less sub prime financing available. If your credit score falls below a certain number, you lack a sizable downpayment or you have other borrowing-related woes, you may still have some financing options available. Consider non-traditional financing options for poor-credit borrowing, and work to rebuild your credit while you enjoy the perks of home ownership. Continue reading “Consider Non-Traditional Finance Options for Poor-Credit Borrowing” »
