Plenty of people rely on tips for some or all of their income. In fact, millions of Americans work in the kinds of service and hospitality industry jobs that have traditionally relied on tips for compensation — and that number is expected to increase in the coming decade. You might think that buying a home is just […]
mortgage prep
When Should a Homebuyer Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage?
As a first-time homeowner, you may not know is exactly when in the home buying process you should tackle the mortgage question. Too many homebuyers wait to worry about home financing until they’re knee-deep in negotiations on their dream home. Discovering a credit or financing issue too late can derail your home-owning hopes and dreams. […]
5 Ways Closing on Your Mortgage Can Go Wrong (plus ways to deal)
This time next year, you could be standing in the doorway of your very own home. That is, of course, if can you avoid the pitfalls and perils that sometimes befall unwary would-be homeowners on the way to closing. Here are a few potentially scary scenarios that might already be keeping you up at night […]
Want to Close Your Mortgage Quickly? Here are 6 Things You Should Do.
Maybe you’ve heard horror stories about mortgages gone wrong—particularly when mortgages don’t close quickly. Homebuyers stuck in living-in-a-hotel-limbo because they underestimated the length of time it would take to finalize their mortgage. The seller who backed out of a deal because the buyer’s mortgage lender was taking too long. A delayed application leading to higher […]
Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Will Save You Hassle and Heartache
You wouldn’t go to the grocery store without bringing your wallet. And for major purchases like home appliances or furniture, you’d make sure you had enough money (or credit) to cover the cost of that new dishwasher or sofa before heading to the showroom. But when it comes to buying a home, tons of would-be […]
Thinking About Refinancing Your Mortgage?
So you’re already a homeowner. But maybe you’ve looked around and noticed that mortgage interest rates seem to be lower than they were when you applied for your original mortgage a few years back. Or perhaps you’ve heard that by refinancing your mortgage, you can lower your mortgage payments. Maybe you’re just hoping to get […]
3 Things You Shouldn’t Do Before Getting a Mortgage
You’ve decided that you’re ready to be a homeowner. Now, you need to convince a lender to give you a mortgage. As you might imagine, lenders aren’t keen to give tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to just anyone. To qualify for a mortgage, you’ll need to show potential lenders that you’ve got a […]