Mortgage calculators are great tools for helping you stay within your budget when finding a new home, helping you determine the loan principal, compound interest and a regular payment schedule to pay back the loan. While they might be perfect for home buyers, couples looking for a construction loan to upgrade their existing home might
Whether you’re thinking about putting your house on the market now or down the road, if your home isn’t up to date you may not get its full value it comes time to sell. Updates and improvements help add value to your home and increase its appeal to potential buyers. If you’re not sure where
If you’re looking to increase the value of your home through improvements and upgrades, financing your project can be expensive and the best way to cover your costs is often through a construction loan. Construction loans vary depending on the nature of your project but making sure you get the right loan plays an important
Even before you’re ready to replace your current home loan with a new loan, you may be asking yourself, “Where do I start? Who should I talk to? What documents will I need?” In other words, the mortgage refinancing process may seem a bit overwhelming. The good news is there are steps to refinancing that
When you hear financial news, see advertisements or listen to friends talk about refinancing, you may wonder if it’s something you should do also. However, if finances aren’t your forté or you’re just not sure if it’s the right time, there are a few things to consider before you decide. Here are four questions you
If you are thinking about making upgrades to your home to improve its value, you should consider additions to the lower level that will make your home a haven from the outside world. Unlike a living room, kitchen or dining area on your main floor, your home’s lower level is often one of the most
Outdoor kitchens are the ultimate way to entertain guests in the comfort of your own home. Not only are they a way to add an experiential element and increase your living space, but adding an outdoor kitchen can increase your home’s value with a 130% return on investment. Knowing where to start planning the design
If you're selling your home, your real estate agent has likely advised you to stage your home to sell. But why exactly do people stage homes to sell? Some people go to great lengths to stage their home too, even going so far as moving possessions into storage units or renting furnishings!
Home price growth slowed again in May according to Case-Shiller home price indices. Home price growth slowed for the 14th consecutive month to its lowest rate in 12 years. Case-Shiller's National Home Price Index showed 3.40 percent growth year-over-year in May as compared to April's year-over-year reading of 3.50 percent.
Eminent domain is a law that gives the federal, state, county, and municipal governments in the United States the legal right to "condemn" property and then seize it to allow its use for development. Eminent domain is supposed to be used by the government at the various levels to do things for the public benefit, such as to build new roads or construct new public schools.
The federal government adopted the Housing and Community Development Act in 1977, and the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) portion was designed to prompt lending institutions to provide mortgages for low- and moderate-income Americans. The underlying reasoning for the CRA was to discourage discriminatory lending practices that inhibited low-income communities and neighborhoods.
Last week's economic reports included readings on sales of new and pre-owned homes and weekly reports on mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims.
