Think you’re ready to buy a house? Here’s 4 signs.
“Am I ready to buy a house, or should I just keep renting?”
It’s one of the questions that we hear most often and something to which first-time homebuyers often spend months, if not years, trying to figure out the answer.
Below are a list of four tell-tale signs that you’re ready to bite the bullet and take the leap into home ownership: View full post…
(BPT) – With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 having been signed into law, here are some of the things you should be thinking about as tax season approaches, according to Robert Fishbein, vice president, and corporate counsel, Prudential Financial Inc.
2017 tax returns
The new tax law is generally effective starting in 2018, which means that your 2017 income tax return is largely unaffected. However, there may be actions you can take now to benefit from the change. For example, assuming you are eligible, you could fund a traditional IRA before the due date of your tax return; the income exclusion may be more valuable under higher 2017 tax rates.
Lower tax rates and new withholding
The hallmark of the new tax law is lower marginal View full post…
(OL) – Buying a home for the first time is a big deal.
To help you get ahead, we’ve outlined some first-time homebuyer tips by calling out six of the biggest mistakes that you should avoid going into the purchase of your first home that could end up saving you a lot of time, money, and frustration.
Many first-time buyers make the mistake of thinking that they don’t need to get approved for a mortgage until they’ve found their dream home.
Unfortunately, that often ends up being too late.
These days, most sellers require that pre-approvals be submitted along with any offer, and, since your finances need to be vetted before the lender will agree to grant you a loan, this process can take days or even weeks.
Instead, we recommend applying for a pre-approval before View full post…
(BPT) – Whether you are buying a home for the first time or you are just looking for an upgrade, it is never a bad idea to arm yourself with home buying tips that can make your search go from overwhelming to enjoyable. Rather than learning the hard way about hidden expenses and difficult neighbors, there are things you can do to feel more confident as you begin your search.
With a seller’s market in many parts of the country, these home buying tips are even more important as you battle other buyers for the home of your dreams. The more efficient and straightforward you are in your search, the better chance you’ll have to hear “offer accepted.”
When starting the home-buying journey, the first thing to consider is the cost and expenses. When pre-approved for a mortgage of a certain amount, keep in mind that number is not a target – it is a maximum. While a View full post…
If you’re a military veteran, you’ll be glad to know that the Department of Veterans Affairs has a program to help you buy a home. This program, known as VA loans, makes it much easier for a veteran to get a VA mortgage through a private lender. The VA does not make loans directly and instead, guarantees home loans for veterans.
One advantage of a VA loan is that a down payment isn’t always necessary. Other advantages are that mortgage insurance is not required, plus there is no VA requirement of a minimum credit score.
VA loans are available to active duty military personnel and also military veterans, who generally find that they can qualify for a VA loan easier than a conventional mortgage, especially View full post…
