If you’re a first-time home buyer, you may be wondering: Should you purchase a small starter home to get into the market now, knowing you may grow out of it in a few years? Or, should you stretch your budget — or spend more time saving — to get a “forever home” that will take care of…
Many people think that in order to add value to your home, you must undergo a big remodel or add a major feature like a pool. However, it doesn’t have to be that hard! Here’s five easy ways to add value to your home. Paint Repainting parts of your home every once in awhile is…
Have you been thinking of trading in your previously adequate apartment for a bigger living space? Here are five signs it might be time to move into a single-family residence. 1. You’re ready to expand your family This is one of the most popular reasons to upgrade. If you’re thinking of having kids, it’s hard…
The down payment. It’s the only thing keeping you from a home of your own. You’ve got a good job, you’re paying down debt, and mortgage rates are still remarkably low. And rental rates are getting ridiculous. Let’s see if we can break down this home buying barrier. It doesn’t always take 20% down If…
The Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates another quarter percentage point today. No surprise there. If only you could talk the central bank into a game of high-stakes, no-limit hold ’em. The Fed doesn’t have a poker face — and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Chair Janet Yellen and her Federal Open Market…
Looking for the first-time home buyer tax credit? You may be thinking of the federal program implemented under the Obama administration. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it doesn’t exist anymore. However, don’t despair: Other programs can help you get a first mortgage. To learn what happened to the first-time home buyer tax…
Buying a home can be nerve-wracking, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer. Not only is it probably the biggest purchase of your life, but the process is complicated and fraught with unfamiliar lingo and surprise expenses. To make the first-time home buying journey a little less stressful, NerdWallet has compiled these 25 tips to…
Millions of Americans look to mortgage loans to help them buy homes, but the number of applications — and the percentage actually getting approved and funded — varies by where you live. To determine the states with the most mortgage purchase, not refinancing, loan applications and approvals, NerdWallet analyzed 2015 data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act…
Let’s be real: Rejection hurts. It’s particularly hard if you’re denied for a mortgage preapproval, which is one of the biggest hurdles in the home-buying process. Mike and Brittany Delgado know the feeling all too well. In 2013, the couple tried to get a mortgage preapproval and were denied. Why? Mike’s credit report showed no…
Home prices are still rising — they’re currently averaging just below all-time highs set in 2006, according to the Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. Combine that with slim housing inventory in many markets, and you may believe you’ve missed the opportunity to buy your first, or your next, home. But bank-owned properties, also known as real-estate…
