Ideal Debt-to-Income Ratio And why it’s important to manage Debt-to-income ratio refers to a formula that compares the amount of money you owe to the amount of money you earn. It’s an important formula in the grand scheme of your financial health, yet few people can even recite their figures. But before tackling what it’s…
Want to save money and time? Shop for your mortgage! Habits die hard. Perceptions die even harder. If you have it in your head that only banks (and maybe credit unions) issue mortgages, then you’re painting yourself into a corner that may end up costing you precious time and money. These days, you have a…
Appreciation and housing starts up in many North Carolina markets Despite economic conditions that continue to improve in North Carolina, the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond reports that North Carolina real estate markets have not fared quite as well. Jobs are still plentiful in the state, with a steady 5.4 percent unemployment rate holding through…
California Real Estate ~ Golden State homebuyers, sellers and lenders should take advantage of deals as they arise. The good news is that, after the worse drop since 1938, the U.S. economy has been growing steadily since 2010. Job growth has been stable as well, although it did stall this past September. Even with the…
Finding the Perfect House ~ First-time homebuyers should keep expectations low and acceptance levels high. After living in an apartment, a rented house, a dorm or your parents’ house, you decide the time is right to take the plunge and buy your first house. As a first-time homebuyer, the prospect of owning a house can…
Do you need mortgage down payments? Not always. Too many people believe they need to save a large pile of money to even think about buying a house. They believe that having a down payment separates the homebuyer wannabes from the endless renters. These same people probably have never tried to buy a house. It’s…
First-time homebuyers often learn the hard way to evaluate the neighborhood as well as the price. Your first home is perhaps the biggest investment you’ll ever make. And while your independent mortgage lender — like Prime Mortgage Lending of West Asheville — ensures that you get the best loan possible as a first-time homebuyer, he…
Does Credit Repair Really Work? The higher your credit score, the easier you can get a loan. Your credit rating doesn’t run your life, although it can ruin it. Normally, you don’t experience any day-to-day consequences of your financial health, so it’s hard to even believe that it matters at all. But your credit score…
You don’t need a lawyer to buy a house, but he’s on your side at your NC real estate closing. Homebuyers often complain about having to pay for a lawyer in addition to all the other fees and costs they encounter at their closing. After all, your Realtor is a licensed professional. You hire other…
Escape from the Bubble: Housing Trends Since 2008 Independent mortgage lenders have helped stir home buying. When the housing market bubble burst in 2006 and 2007, it brought down the entire U.S. economy. People lost their houses, their savings and their dreams. The U.S. Government bailed out several financial institutions deemed “too big to fail,”…