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Showing posts from February, 2013

Refinancing Again

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We're constantly bombarded by lenders to refinance our mortgage under a variety of programs. The volume of offers can almost make you numb to the rational consideration. There are common rules of thumbs that homeowners and agents use such as not refinancing more often than every two years or there must be at least 2% savings from your previous mortgage rate may not always be accurate. The reality is that if you can refinance for a lower rate and you'll be in the home long enough to recapture the cost of refinancing, it should be considered. The costs of previous refinancing that haven't been recaptured by monthly savings may need to be added to the costs of the new refinance. Take a look at the chart that shows the average rates according to Freddie Mac for 2012. They are lower today than they were in January of 2012 and for the ten years before that. Refinancing may save you a substantial amount of money, especially if you're going to be in your home for a lon...

It It Shows Better... - 2/18/2013

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If it shows better, it will probably sell faster and maybe for more money. Once your home is on the market, it's time to look at it like a commodity and through the eyes of potential buyers. In all likelihood, you'll need to take care of these items eventually, so do them now to help it sell sooner. Make repairs - it doesn't matter if it's been that way since you bought it. You need to fix it so that the buyer doesn't think that the rest of the house is about to fall apart. Not too personal - you may have bought your home to express yourself but if the buyer can't see themselves in the home for all of your things, it's going to take longer to sell than you want. Drive-up appeal - the old saying "you never get a second chance at a first impression" applies to your home too. They may never even get out of the car to come inside. The nose knows - it may not smell like home but it shouldn't smell like a place they would ne...

More Expensive Than Expected

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The 3.5% down payment on FHA loans could be more expensive for buyers than expected. Beginning April 1, 2013, the mortgage insurance premium will go up by .1% to 1.35% which may not even be noticeable to most would-be homeowners. The staggering increase will occur on 6/3/2013 when FHA's policy on the duration of the required mortgage insurance will be increased for the life of the mortgage. It basically doubles the amount of total MIP if the loan is paid to term.  Example: Purchase Price $175,000 with 3.5% down payment at 4% mortgage rate on 30 year term Current After 6/3/13 MIP duration 78% of original loan Life of mort...

Before You Leave Home...

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The last thing you want to do while you're on a trip is to worry about someone burglarizing your home. Use this checklist to add some peace of mind to your travel plans. Ask a trusted friend - to pick up your mail and newspaper and keep the yard free of trash and advertisements. Stop your mail but maybe not your newspaper - you can easily handle this online by going to the US Postal Service's Hold Mail Service . A recent story implicated an employee from a major newspaper who was passing customer hold requests to burglars. Don't post about your trip on Facebook and Twitter until you return - some burglars actually look for this type of announcement to schedule their activities. Do notify police and/or neighborhood watch - especially if you're going to be gone for more than just a few days. Let your monitoring service know when you'll be gone and if someone will be checking on your home for you. Light timers make it look like someone i...