Tim Burroughs's Blog

  Great Investment If you invest in a savings account, you'll make less than 1% and will have to pay income tax on the earnings. On the other hand, contribute something extra to your house payment on a regular basis and you'll essentially, earn at the mortgage interest rate which is certain to be...

It depends on lots of factors!  Regardless of what a lender quotes on mortgage rates, the actual rate paid by a borrower is based on a number of variables. Lenders determine whether to loan money and at what rate based on the risk involved with the transaction. Factors that increase the risk that...

Similar to Diogenes’ search for an honest man, homeowners want someone to do quality repairs at a fair price.  The task appears reasonably easy but if you’ve ever tried to locate someone to fix something, you know just how difficult it is. Finding a list of companies from a phone book doesn’t mea...

  Points refer to prepaid interest on a home mortgage and can be fully deductible by the buyer in the year paid if the right conditions exist. The points must be used to buy, build or improve a taxpayer's principal residence but not all fees charged by the lender are necessarily deductible.     A...

One third of all U.S. households, 75% of households with more than $75,000 income and most homeowners itemize their deduction on their federal income tax returns. It makes sense because the interest paid on their mortgage and their property taxes probably exceeds the allowable standard deduction....

After a four-year run our seniors are at 49-3 (94% winning percentage).  They are playing tonight in the Maaco Bowl in Las Vegas and we hope to extend that record to 50-3. Our quarterback, Kellen Moore has the highest percentages in college football but gets overlooked because he plays for a smal...

Our seniors play their last home game today at Boise State in Boise, Idaho.  They have a 48-3 record in their four years at Boise State.  They have given us all a great show these last few years.  Coach Peterson just turned down an offer from UCLA, because he likes the lifestyle he and his family...

I was searching for a home for a client and I wanted to put out an alert: Seller's Alert for West Boise, NE & NW Meridian, Idaho.  if you have a home in good condition, not in a short sale situation and you want to sell, now is the time to consider doing so.  Remember from high school economics, ...

I just received my monthly update letter from HUD and this was the first article: "With 60 percent of the unemployed out of work more than three months and 45 percent out of work more than six, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan says the Obama Administration believes “current unemployment forbearance pr...

I received an inquiry on-line today asking about HUD-owned homes.  Since I am a Registered HUD Realtor I thought I would answer here to help more than just that buyer. 1. Find a Realtor who is a Registered HUD Realtor.  Not everyone is one.  If your broker doesn't register to be a HUD broker, the...