What are VA Loans? Near the end of World War II in 1944, the U.S. government showed its appreciation to returning veterans by creating the VA loan program to help vets buy homes. VA loans help eligible veterans by guaranteeing the loans that banks, credit unions and independent mortgage lenders underwrite. The U.S. Department of…
Use these house shopping tips to decide on a Fixer Upper When you’re ready to buy a house, you’re likely to get many house shopping tips from people you know. And while everyone means well, you can be sure that everyone has a different, and often contradicting, opinion. One topic that might come up is the…
Carry these house shopping tips with you when you begin house-hunting. After you’ve found the best new home for you and your family, you go through the process with your real estate agent and mortgage lender. On the day you close on the loan and get the keys to your new house, it’s usually the…
New technologies and changing social attitudes drive innovation. By the year 2020, close to 20 percent of new construction in America will be green. About three-quarters of American builders and remodelers will be working on those green houses. And that’s just the bare minimum. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the National Association of…
What to look for when considering sustainable housing The quest for green is good. That’s not an endorsement for seeking money or the perfect lawn. Instead, this quest for green reflects a growing desire to live in a more sustainable world on a grand scale — and in a more sustainable home on a smaller…
Millennial homebuyers have specific desires that real estate agents must acknowledge. It’s been trendy to bash millennials for their proclivities as a generation. There’s been a lot written about millennials: How much they’re tied to their electronic devices What they want in a job or career Why they’re seeking experiences over products In terms of…
If you’re looking to buy a new home, getting a home inspection is crucial for so many reasons. Having a home inspector come in and check out the house protects you before you buy the house, and it’s one service you should definitely take advantage of. Sometimes, homebuyers think that if things look good, they…
Tips to build your credit history so you can own your own home Having no credit is as bad as and sometimes even worse than having poor credit. When you don’t have any records with one of the major credit reporting agencies, then creditors really don’t have anything to base their trust upon. In the…
10 Home Buying Tips to Get the Right Amount of House Home Buying Tips – When deciding the size of your next home, you’ve got a number of considerations: If you plan to have more children Whether you want a home office If you need a yard big enough for a dog… or chickens What…
Follow these 5 mortgage tips to assure you get the best deal. Meet Penny. She’s not an impulse shopper by nature, but when she finds something she likes, she buys it. Now that’s fine for the pretty sundress she found in the downtown boutique, but even Penny wouldn’t think to shop that way for everything.…