Discover Which Home Loan is Best for You


No Bad Options: Decide Among The Many Good Mortgage Products Available Today

There is no "right" answer to the question, "Which loan type is best?"

In fact, the best answer is, "it depends".

No two home buyers are alike, so the best loan program for one buyer is likely unsuitable -- or plain unavailable -- to another.

That's why today's home buyer is fortunate enough to have access to multiple programs. It's up to the buyer and his or her lending adviser to make the right call based on these and other questions:

  • Which loan has the lowest monthly payment?
  • What option requires the least amount upfront?
  • What will cost me less over time?
  • Which loan type is suitable for my credit score?
    • …

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How long does it take to get pre-approved for a mortgage?

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Your Mortgage: How Long Does It Take To Get Pre-Approved?

Everyone knows they are supposed to get pre-approved for home loans before they go house shopping. It's one of those annoying pieces of advice you can't escape, like "wear sunscreen," "wash your hands before eating," and "you can't jump a Yaris over 15 hay bales just because someone did it on the Internet."

Groan. You have to do it. But how long will it take to get pre-approved for your home loan so you can get to the fun part?

Pre-Approve Yourself First

Probably not as long as you think. This first step takes about eight seconds.

When you begin considering a home purchase, you go through a few steps. And one of those…

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Get Ready to Grow: 6 Tips for Planning Your Spring Garden

Keep that spring fever momentum all year long with these gardening tips.

Spring fever got you dreaming of lush gardens and sunshine? Despite what you might see on TV, beautiful landscapes don’t happen overnight. Weeds will invade your beds and need to be pulled. The mulch will break down and require replacing. And your attention span will no doubt move on to shinier things long enough for your garden to fall into disrepair.

Your spring fever may be temporary, but if you get to know your garden’s unique conditions and choose the right plants, you’ll ensure that both the garden — and your enthusiasm for it — will last for a lifetime.

Invest in your soil

To get the dirt on your dirt,…

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Don’t Buy That House! Homebuying Mistakes To Avoid

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First-time Foibles: Don't Make These Homebuying Mistakes

Real estate transactions are a big deal, and most of us don't complete that many over our lifetimes. It's easy to make a mistake, and mistakes can be very expensive. Here are five big bullets to dodge.

Click to see today's rates (Apr 7th, 2017)

Mistake #1: Buying Because You "Should"

Buying a home because you've hit some magic age in which you're supposed to be grown up and responsible, or because it's the "American Dream," is just a bad idea.

You should buy a home when you're ready, and not before. If your career requires frequent moves, for instance, homeownership may be a poor investment. It just costs too much to sell a…

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Mortgage application: do you have to read everything?

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The 500 Page Mortgage Application Myth

A few years ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association released a statement claiming the average mortgage application file contains over 500 pages!

However, this includes a standard application form, disclosures, and all the supporting documents. An appraisal, purchase contract, credit report, title search and tax returns could potentially make up hundreds of pages right there.

But what you actually have to read and deal with is not that much.

Here are the most important disclosures to consider when you complete a mortgage application.

Click to see today's rates (Apr 7th, 2017)

Shopping For A Mortgage? Compare Loan Estimates

When you choose…

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Are you ready to sell your home?


Article Courtesy of Dave Ramsey

Are you Ready to Sell your Home?  It’s an important question to answer since selling at the wrong time can cause trouble for years to come.

Effects of Equity

For most homeowners, being financially ready to sell comes down to one factor: equity. During the housing meltdown of 2008–09, millions of homeowners found themselves with negative equity, which meant they owed more on their homes than they were worth.

Clearly, selling your home when you have negative equity is a bad deal. That’s called a short sale, and it impacts your credit score almost as much as a foreclosure. Breaking even on your home sale is better, but it’s still not ideal. If you’re in either situation, don’t…

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First-Time Home Buyers Guide: Buying With Student Loans And Debt

First-Time Home Buyers Guide to buying a home with student loans on your credit report

Buying Your First Home: Dealing With Student Loans

It's different to be a first-time home buyer as compared to an experienced one.

First-time home buyers often skew younger then the general home-buying population which means less work experience, lower income levels, and usually, less money saved for down payment.

It also can mean higher levels of federal student loans and debt.

Concerns about student loan obligations are among the reasons why first-time home buyers account for a smaller percentage of the housing market as compared to recent years.

According to a study by American Student Assistance, 55% of student loan holders said their debt is causing them to put off…

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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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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.

Fortunately, the vast majority of surveyed homebuyers were "very"…

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