Homeowner Equity and Wealth Accumulation
National homeowner equity grew in the fourth quarter of 2020 by $1.5 Trillion or 16.2% year-over-year based on a CoreLogic analysis. The study was done on the six out of ten homeowners who have mortgages on their home. The fourth quarter of 2020 also saw the number of mortgaged residential homes with negative equity decrease by 8% from the third quarter. Compared to the same quarter in 2019, negative equity decreased by 21%. Equity is defined as the value of the home less the mortgage owed. Negative equity means that the homeowner’s...
read moreSkip the Starter Home
For generations, people have begun their homeowner experience with a “starter” home. Part of the logic may be that by beginning with a smaller home, they can learn what it takes to run the home and discover some of the unexpected costs that come along with it. A slightly longer view into the future could suggest a different strategy. As of March 4, 2021, the average 30-year mortgage rate according to Freddie Mac was 3.02%; up .37% from the week of January 7th this year. At the same time, in 2020, the rate was 3.29% and in 2019, it...
read moreYour Refund Could Open the Door
One of the silver linings to filing your income tax return is finding out that you are going to receive a refund that could literally open the door to owning a home. If you happen to be one of these fortunate taxpayers, your next decision is what to do with it. With the average tax refund near $3,000, it could be the ticket to buying a home sooner rather than later. Regardless of the size of your refund, it can be used toward the down payment or closing costs of the home. Most people think it takes 10% or more down payment to purchase a home,...
read moreTransferring Property Prior to Death
Sometimes, as people approach the inevitable, they start trying to get their things “in order”. They may even have a will, but they decide to transfer title to real estate prior to their death which could be an unnecessary expense for the would-be heir. Generally, when property is passed through direction of a will, the heir will receive a stepped-up basis which means that the fair market value of the property at the time of death becomes the cost basis for the heir. If the property were sold for that fair market value, there...
read moreIs It Time to Cancel the Mortgage Insurance?
Mortgage insurance benefits the lender if a borrower with less than a 20% down payment defaults on their loan. Most conventional mortgages greater than 80% and all FHA loans require the borrower to have this coverage. Private mortgage insurance on conventional loans can range from 0.5% to 2.25% based on the loan-to-value and the credit worthiness of the borrower. A $350,000 mortgage would have a monthly mortgage insurance premium of $146 a month at the low-end of the scale and over $600 on the high-end. You may request that your mortgage...
read moreMake Your Best Offer FIRST
This strategy is not about trying to negotiate the best price; it is about beating out the competition and buying the home. It may be difficult to understand until you have lost a few homes to better offers but when the reality of the situation is that there are not that many homes on the market, the competition heats up and different tactics are necessary. Sales in December were annualized at 6.76 million, a 22.2% increase year over year according to the National Association of REALTOR®. The median sales price is $309,800 which is up...
read moreHome Insurance and Mortgage Insurance
Many homeowners with mortgages pay for both types of insurance but only one of them protects the owner. Homeowner’s insurance covers damage to your property and losses from fire, burglary, vandalism, and other named natural disasters. When an insured has a loss, they file a claim with the insurance carrier which would be subject to the deductible mentioned in the policy. If the homeowner has a mortgage on the property, the lender will require that the borrower carry adequate insurance on the property and name the lender as an additional...
read moreMoving UP or DOWN
Staying at home in 2020 caused of lot of owners to think about how nice it would be to have a larger home to accommodate the additional activities that come along with isolating. Particularly for people with children at home or possibly, the potential of either adult children or parents coming to live with them. There are other owners who are trying to weigh the pros and cons of selling their larger home and downsizing. For entirely different reasons, the advantages could be very appealing to an owner. A smaller home is easier to maintain and...
read moreRental Home Investments
Rental homes whether they be single-family detached properties, condos, two, three or four-unit properties share many of the same benefits. Most people instinctively understand many of the working parts because they are the same as their home. They have a basic understanding of value and how to maintain the property. The service providers for a home would be the same for a rental home. These properties allow an investor to obtain a large loan-to-value mortgage at fixed interest rates for up to thirty years. They appreciate in value, currently...
read morePre-Listing Inspections
Imagine what happens when there is not a pre-listing inspection. The buyer contracts for the home with a provision for professional home inspection. When it is made, there could be things that the buyer didn’t expect or even, anticipate. If it doesn’t trigger an action to terminate the contract, the buyer will inevitably, ask the seller to make all the repairs. When presented with the buyer’s request, the seller may take the opposite position of not wanting to do any of the repairs. The buyer could accept the property in its...
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