7 Tips for Buying Your First Home in the U.S.

May 4th, 2017 Categories: Random Thoughts

Nothing says you’re truly an American like owning a home. And just over half of all foreign-born households living in the U.S. own their own home. Read the rest of this entry »

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7 Homeowner Tax Advantages

March 30th, 2017 Categories: Random Thoughts

Owning a home can be a real help at tax time because it generates deductions that may reduce the income tax you owe.

Here are seven tax benefits for homeowners. Read the rest of this entry »

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Should You Look for Your First House Or Keep Renting?

March 27th, 2017 Categories: Random Thoughts

Tired of working so hard just to build your landlord’s equity instead of your own? Been dreaming about paint swatches and obsessing over Pinterest projects? Making that leap from renting to owning a home comes with many perks — both financial and emotional. And even though home ownership comes with great responsibility, you might be surprised how achievable it can be. Read the rest of this entry »

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5 Tips for Deciphering Your Home Loan’s Good-faith Estimate

September 20th, 2016 Categories: Random Thoughts

When you’re shopping for a mortgage loan, it’s sometimes hard to understand the jargon lenders use in the good-faith estimate explaining the costs and fees you’ll pay when taking out a mortgage.

When you apply for a mortgage, the lender has three days to give you a good-faith estimate of the fees and interest rate you’ll pay, as well as other loan terms. Here are five tips for using the new three-page form to your advantage. Read the rest of this entry »

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5 Tips for Buying a Foreclosure

September 16th, 2016 Categories: Random Thoughts

When lenders take over a home through foreclosure, they want to sell it as quickly as possible. Since lenders aren’t in the real estate business, they turn to real estate brokers for help marketing their properties. Buying a foreclosed home through the multiple listing service can be a bargain, but it can also be a problem-filled process. Here are five tips to help you buy smart. Read the rest of this entry »

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How to Tell If You Should Look for Your First House — Or Renew Your Lease

May 10th, 2016 Categories: Random Thoughts

Tired of working so hard just to build your landlord’s equity instead of your own? Been dreaming about paint swatches and obsessing over Pinterest projects? Making that leap from renting to owning a home comes with many perks — both financial and emotional. And even though home ownership comes with great responsibility, you might be surprised how achievable it can be. Read the rest of this entry »

Spoken by Maggie Dokic | Discussion: Comments Off on How to Tell If You Should Look for Your First House — Or Renew Your Lease