Mortgage Interest Deduction: How Your House Pays You Back

Buying a home delivers emotional satisfaction as well as a proven method of wealth-building. The mortgage interest deduction is another appealing benefit for prospective buyers.

Real estate agents and home builders tout this tax deduction as an incentive to buy a home. They like to claim that it increases the homeownership rate and helps people transform from renters to homeowners.

The mortgage interest tax deduction was introduced in 1913. It has survived numerous tax reforms because of the incentive the tax provides for renters to buy homes.

Housing industry advocates have consistently lobbied to protect the deduction because it helps make buying a home easier. That increases the…

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5 Steps to Selling Your Home

Selling your home? Here are five tips you should know, including knowing comps and your home's market value.

Nobody decides to sell a home overnight. Getting the best price for your home, with the least amount of stress, takes time and planning. Here are the five steps you should follow as you prepare to put your home on the market.

1. Learn your home’s market value

Most homeowners have a relatively good idea of their home’s value. They get fliers in the mail, look at nearby homes for sale online, or even go to open houses. Maybe they recently refinanced and saw an appraisal.

But when it comes time to think about selling, you need a firm idea of your home’s “market” value. Market value is what a buyer is willing…

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Want to buy a house? here’s a checklist you need to have

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When You Buy A House With A Mortgage

Most people really like shopping when they buy a house. In fact, the average home search in the US takes about four months. During the shopping period, you'll learn what is and is not important to you for a home in your price range, which neighborhoods you prefer, and what your deal-breakers are.

However, not nearly as many consumers enjoy the mortgage process as much as the house shopping. The majority surveyed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) only considered a single lender when financing their property. In addition, a significant percentage put off contacting a lender at all until after they had found a house to buy.

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Home Flipping Is On The Rise: Want To Join The Club?

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Home Flipping Is Growing In Popularity

It’s easy to flip over an investment that seems like a sure thing. And few things are as sure as an asset that can be flipped -- home flipping involves buying at a low price and selling quickly for a profit.

It’s a big reason why many homebuyers in 2016 became real estate flippers. In fact, home flipping was hotter last year than it’s been in 10 years.

However, flipping is not without its risks. Whether you aim to upgrade and list a fixer-upper for sale, or scout a bargain in a quickly rising market, it’s smart to do your homework, and know what you’re getting into before investing directly in real estate as a flipper.

Highest Levels In A Decade

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Think home prices are too high? affordability is still at all-time bests

It's The Perfect Time To Find An Affordable Home

Homes Are Very, Very Affordable Right Now

Affordability is at one of its highest points in a generation.

It just doesn't seem like it.

Home prices are up nearly 6% since last year, and analysts predict another 5% jump in 2017. Plus, mortgage rates are at levels not seen since 2014.

Surely this can't be an affordable housing market.

Except that it is.

That's the conclusion from First American, a real estate title insurance provider and creator of the First American Real House Price Index (RHPI). The index -- one of the few of its kind -- considers not only nominal home prices, but also income levels and mortgage rates, too.

The result: home prices are 33%…

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Best home improvements for every month of the year

The best time of year to buy a refrigerator is right around the corner.

Does it feel as if your home improvement to-do list never ends? Try organizing your projects by month. Then knock these 12 items off your list.

Once you become a homeowner, the number of things you need (or want) to improve increases exponentially. There’s always something to be done. But certain times of year are better to tackle specific projects, whether your goal is to save money or sanity. Not sure where to begin? We’ve laid out a schedule below.

January: Clean your carpets and rugs

It may seem counterintuitive to do this when it’s cold out, but according to Jonathan Barnett, founder of Oxi…

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The foreclosure crisis: 10 years later

The Foreclosure Crisis: 10 Years Later | Keeping Current Matters

CoreLogic recently released a report entitled, United States Residential Foreclosure Crisis: 10 Years Later, in which they examined the years leading up to the crisis all the way through to present day.

With a peak in 2010 when nearly 1.2 million homes were foreclosed on, over 7.7 million families lost their homes throughout the entire foreclosure crisis.

Dr. Frank Nothaft, Chief Economist for CoreLogic, had this to say,

“The country experienced a wild ride in the mortgage market between 2008 and 2012, with the foreclosure peak occurring in 2010. As we look back over 10 years of the foreclosure crisis, we cannot ignore the connection between jobs and homeownership. A healthy economy is driven by…

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The big move: helping seniors downsize

There are a number of reasons why people move during their senior years, from transitioning into a care facility to moving closer to family and friends. No matter the reason for their move, most seniors who relocate choose a smaller home for their post-retirement years.

Living in a smaller home frees up funds for travel and leisure, reduces the demands of house and yard work, and lets seniors retain their independence as mobility wanes. But there’s one big disadvantage of moving into a smaller home: Downsizing.

While downsizing is a great choice for seniors, it can also be a burdensome and emotionally draining task. However, there are a few tips you can follow to keep the process manageable.

Take…

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