Are you looking to refinance? If you want to get a second mortgage so you can make renovations to your home, it can be difficult if you have poor credit. A second mortgage can use a home’s equity as collateral for a second home loan, allowing up to 80 percent of a home’s value to …
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While most condominiums are apartments, a townhouse is attached to one or more houses and can run the gamut from duplexes and triplexes to communities with hundreds of homes. Buyers separately own their homes and the land on which the houses sit. With a condominium, the unit owners jointly own the land and this common …
Experts Define How Condominiums Differ from Townhouses Read More »
Mortgage rates have been relatively low for years. Seeing them inch up can cause home shoppers to panic and possibly put their home purchase on hold. The good news is that there are options when mortgage rates are rising. First, it’s worthwhile knowing that small increases in mortgage interest rates shouldn’t affect buyers too much …
It protects them should you default on the loan, especially if you fail to make payments in the early years of the loan when more is owed on it. Foreclosure, property fix-up, and resale costs could result in a loss on the mortgage loan. That is a bad situation the lender wants to avoid. So …
Expert Insights: Why Do Lenders Require a Down Payment? Read More »
The past few months have brought the devastation of natural disasters to the forefront, as televisions, newspapers and social media have covered hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and fires up-close and in graphic detail. Those who were not affected thanked their lucky stars and rushed to help those who were by providing physical assistance or donating. But …
Cooperative apartments—known as co-ops—are not really owned by people as real property. Instead, people own shares of stock in the company that owns the building in which they live. But for all practical purposes, the experts say owning a co-op is almost like owning real property. Personal loans to “buy” a co-op apartment are written …
Good restaurants aren’t the only amenities worth looking for in a neighborhood. You can remodel a home, but there are some things about a neighborhood you can’t change. And many neighborhood factors can add value to your home. Here are some of the best features to look for: Nearby Services If restaurants, a grocery store, …
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A cluttered home can become overwhelming. Instead of dumping your unwanted items in the trash when you’re cleaning the house, donate them to a charity. Donating clothes, furniture and other things is an easy way to help people in need, claim a tax deduction and lessen the load on your local landfill. Here are some …
Financially, there’s more to buying a home than the purchase price—sometimes much more. After the down payment, and once your closing costs and monthly mortgage payments are added up, it can be easy to forget some of the costly and hidden costs of owning a home. Take these added charges into consideration: Property Taxes Property …
No matter how much of a critter lover you may be, pests in your kitchen is never fun. But many consumers are also disinclined to spread poison all over their culinary arena. Below are a handful of natural, poison-free ways to keep those creepy crawlies outside where they belong. Vinegar and oil. No, you’re not …
