A home equity loan is a type of loan that allows you to use the equity of your home as collateral. It is an option that home owners have available to them and that some people use to pay for major expenses such as home renovations, college education or medical bills. These types of loans became popular in 1996 because they provided a way for consumers to circumvent their tax charges for that year, which eliminated the deductions on the interest for most consumer purchases. It is a good idea to leverage your shelter for cash? What is a legitimate reason for taking out a home equity loan? It can be tempting to use the equity you have in your property to pay for expensive luxuries, but there are only a few things that you should be spending a home equity loan on. Home Renovation Projects: ... 10/11/2013

I thought I would share a simple tip that should make it loud and clear that your landlord is upside down on their mortgage and you may be facing eviction soon or you may have a landlord that likely will not be addressing maintenance issue should they occur in your building.  One of the biggest clues is hand written signs or worse yet.....recycled signs.  Mortgage rates are super low, lending restrictions are loosening and there are some really nice and affordable homes out there.  Don't rent or lease.....own your own home!   Watch My home buyer tips videos and then contact me to get started on your home ownership dream.  ^^^^Click any one of the RED Houses to watch my vids!^^^^ 10/07/2013

Whether you just got a puppy, have newly mobile children or built a pool, there are a multitude of reasons for wanting to keep people and animals in your yard, while preventing other from entering. Picking the perfect fence can be difficult, so below we've outlined the main fencing materials to choose from and characteristics to consider about each. Wood: Wood seems to be the most common material used in yards across the country — especially when wanting privacy. Depending on the type of wood you purchase, you'll probably want to stain the planks to protect them from rot and ultra-violet light. Be prepared to retreat and maintain your wooden fence about every four years. Chain Link: This economical option does its job well as a security fence. It'll keep pets in and people out. And with... 10/07/2013

When you own a home, there are additions that you can make to the property that will improve the value of your home. For example, a newly renovated kitchen or bathroom is a popular choice that will really make the home more desirable to buyers. Also, adding storage space or a well-thought-out family room or other practical space can be a very good investment that will bring up the home's value. However, there are other projects that are not really worth your time or money and will allow very little opportunity to recover your costs when it is time to sell the property. Here are a few examples of things that you think might add to the value of your home, but really don't. An Elaborately Landscaped Garden: A beautifully landscaped garden might make the home more visually attractive to buy... 10/07/2013

When you have been researching your different options for a mortgage on your home, you might have heard of an "Interest-Only Mortgage". What exactly does this type of mortgage mean and how does it work? Usually when you take out a loan, you must pay back the capital debt (the amount you borrowed) and the interest on that debt. An interest-only mortgage offers a cheaper option for purchasing a property, because you will only be making payments on the interest and not the capital. Compared to a repayment style mortgage where you are paying down the principle of the loan, an interest-only mortgage will have much lower monthly payments. However, when you reach the end of the mortgage term with an interest-only mortgage, you will not have paid off any of the original principle of the loan. T... 10/07/2013

A recent study of US and UK home buyers, conducted by the London based Nationwide Building Society, found that more than 40% of people buying homes were confused by the jargon that lenders used to describe mortgages. When it comes to taking out a mortgage on your home, could confusing mortgage jargon be costing you money and causing you to make ill-informed choices? According to the study, only 31% of home buyers understood what the term "LTV" meant, an acronym that stands for "loan to value" and describes the ration between the amount of the mortgage and the value of the home. Not only did the survey show that many mortgage borrowers were confused about what the terms meant, but they also were shy about asking for explanations of various words that they didn't understand. In order to m... 10/01/2013

Every home seems to have a never-ending remodeling list. As you consider tackling your next project, it usually pays off if you also think about helping the environment. Green remodeling can last longer, utilize recycled materials and typically end up saving you money in the long run. Below are several environment-friendly ideas that will have your neighbors green with envy. 1. Rain Gardens: Rain gardens are a shallow depressions in your yard planted with native shrubs and flowers. When there is a large rainfall, all the water rushes along roadways picking up dirt and pollutants along their way to drainage systems and eventually rivers and streams. Rain gardens catch water run-off, which reduces the street flooding and makes for cleaner water sources. 2. Reclaimed Hardwoods: Using recla... 10/01/2013

Investing in property at a young age seems like a bit of a daunting prospect sometimes. Most young people don't have a lot of disposable income, often have poor credit and perhaps even student loans. When you are in your early 20s, you are not likely thinking about investing in property and are probably focusing on other things. However, investing in property at a young age can bring you a lot of advantages. It requires a different approach and style and you might be the only one of your peers who is doing so, but you will definitely reap the benefits later on in life. When you invest long-term, you will start building your financial independence. Some might believe that it is impossible for a young person to start investing so early in life, but investing in your 20s is completely poss... 09/26/2013

Home prices were still gaining in July, but for 15 of 20 cities included the S&P Case-Shiller 10 and 20-city Home Price Indices, the pace of increasing home prices is slowing down. National home prices rose by 1.80 percent in July as compared to 2.20 percent in June. Home prices grew by 0.60 percent from June to July on a seasonally-adjusted basis. This was the lowest month-to-month gain since September 2012. David Blitzer, index committee chairman of S&P Dow Jones Indices, said that higher mortgage rates are hitting the housing market. Mr. Blitzer noted that mortgage rates rose by more than a percentage point between May and the Federal Reserve's statement last week. The Fed was widely expected to reduce its monthly bond purchases from $85 billion to $75 billion, but the Fed decided no... 09/26/2013

Sales of existing homes reached their highest volume in almost six years in August. The National Association of REALTORS reported Thursday that sales of existing homes rose 1.70 percent in August to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.48 million existing homes sold. This was the highest number of existing home sales since February of 2007. August's results exceeded estimates of 5.20 existing homes sold, which was based on July's unrevised reading of 5.39 million existing homes sold. The NAR also reported that the national median home price increased to $212,100 in August. This represents a year-over-year increase of 14.70 percent and was the largest annual increase in the national median home price since October 2005. Sales concentrated in areas with higher home prices contributed to... 09/26/2013

You've been searching for the perfect home for quite a while, and finally, you've found it! You get all of your finances in order and place an offer on the house. However, you're not the only one that loves the home, because there are multiple offers — and one of them is cash. Cash buyers are seen as desirable because they're almost always a guaranteed quick close. They don't have to borrow money from a bank therefore won't have any financing hang-ups, which is where a large portion of offers fall through. Don't worry; not all hope is lost. Follow the steps below to beef up your offer and get your foot in the door. Less Expensive Homes: If you've put offers in on homes at the asking price and are continually beat out by buyers that are paying more, then you might want to consider lookin... 09/20/2013

The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve decided not to reduce the Fed's current quantitative easing program of purchasing $85 billion monthly in Treasury securities and mortgage-backed securities. Going against wide expectations that the Fed would reduce the QE purchases, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said that current economic conditions aren't strong enough to warrant tapering. The Federal Reserve May Reduce Monthly Securities Purchases: The FOMC, which sets monetary policy for the Federal Reserve has hinted that it might soon reduce the monthly securities purchases, but has also stated that it would closely review emerging economic news and conditions as part of any decision to reduce the securities purchases under QE. Chairman Bernanke clearly indicated that the decisio... 09/20/2013

Home builder confidence was unchanged for September according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index HMI released Tuesday. After four months of rising confidence, September's HMI reading came in at 58, which was not far from expectations of a reading of 59. August's reading of 58 was revised from 59. Readings over 50 indicate that more builders view housing market conditions as being positive than negative. Housing Market Index Readings Rise: Components of September's HMI include readings for home builder views of current market conditions, which maintained August's reading of 62. The September reading for buyer foot-traffic rose to 47 from 46 in August. Builder expectations for housing market conditions within the next six months slipped from a re... 09/20/2013

Most of the time when buying a property, there are a few obvious factors that you will consider – such as the location, the number of bedrooms, the accessibility to schools or your workplace, the need for repairs and any interior features. However, there are a few things that might not have crossed your mind during your house hunting but are still quite important. Water Quality: Most home buyers don't even think about the water quality at the property until they get to the inspection stage. However, if you find out that the home has hard water this will dull your clothes when you wash them and irritate your skin. Hard water will also create calcium deposits within your showers and faucets and even inside your washing machine and dishwasher. Have the water tested so you know its quality ... 09/20/2013

If you are on the verge of buying real estate, you've probably heard the term Private Mortgage Insurance(PMI). Mortgage professionals talk about it a great deal, but you may be asking, "What is it exactly? And why should I care?" Private Mortgage Insurance Defined: PMI is required by lenders if the down payment of a purchase is less than 20 percent of the home's value. It protects the lender if the borrower defaults on the loan. It also makes the lender more apt to loan, even if the down payment is as low as 3%, because in the long run, the lender's investment is protected. You Pay For It: Unlike other types of insurance which you pay to protect your interest in an asset, you pay Private Mortgage Insurance to the mortgage company to protect its interest in your new real estate. (Note th... 09/16/2013

Weather patterns across the United States seem to be getting more and more erratic. From tornadoes and earthquakes to flash floods and wild fires, there are many natural disasters that can quickly consume your home without warning. Because you never know when disaster might strike, it's best to be prepared. Disaster insurance is the only precaution you can put in place to ensure compensation for your belongings and get your life back to normal as soon as possible. Below are the tips to take before misfortune strikes. Create An Inventory: Most insurance agencies prefer if you include photographs of every room, including the insides of closets and cabinets. Shooting a video is even better. Then you can include audio of how much things cost or if they're one of a kind. It's also a good ide... 09/16/2013

Making the decision to build a home might be one of the biggest you make in your life. You've found the perfect plot of land and have a vision of what type of home you want, but you need someone to bring your dream to life. That means it's time to start interviewing architects. Hiring an architect isn't as simple as just calling up a few and seeing who might have the time. You'll want to ensure you choose a professional that understands your design aesthetic, communicates well, can design on budget and has an upstanding reputation. Below are a few key questions to ask when deciding whom to hire. Do You Have A Specific Design Style? When interviewing architects, be sure to ask each one if they have a specific aesthetic and if you can see a portfolio of his or her work. While most are ada... 09/16/2013

There are many reasons people take out reverse mortgages. However, this option is usually considered by cash-strapped seniors who own their homes and are looking to ease the burden of their golden years. The beauty of reverse mortgages is that you'll receive money as long as you are current on property taxes and homeowners insurance. While this seems like an appealing opportunity, it's a decision that should not be made lightly. Not only is the reverse mortgage complicated in itself, but homeowners make all sorts of mistakes when they're too quick to sign the dotted line. So if you're considering one, be wary of the common pitfalls below. Buying Into A Scam: With reverse mortgages becoming a more common option for those over 62, mischievous opportunists are searching for ways to solicit... 09/16/2013

Most men, and even handy women, dream of a perfectly organized work space where their tools are orderly and they can tackle that list of home DIY projects. However, renovations can get put on hold because there's not a designated place to work. Tools are usually scattered throughout closets and the kitchen table serves as a workbench. You can create a space for all of your improvement projects by turning a section of your garage into a construction-friendly, wonderfully organized haven for your tools and home makeover endeavors. Below are easy steps to building the perfect garage workshop. Make Sure You Have Adequate Space: Ideally, you'd still like to be able to get your cars in their designated space, so look for a vacant area at the back of the garage or along one side. If you're gar... 09/16/2013

Most of the financial advice out there is focused on how you can pay off the mortgage on your home as quickly as possible, from making lump sum payments to switching to bi-weekly payments rather than monthly. However, there are a few things that you might want to consider before you put all of your financial efforts into paying off your mortgage as quickly as possible. Diversifying Your Investments: Of course, paying off your mortgage as fast as possible has a number of obvious advantages. You will be able to own your home a lot sooner and you will decrease the amount of interest you pay over the years. However, are you diversifying your assets? Savvy investors know that they should decrease their risk by spreading their money into a number of different types of assets and investments s... 09/16/2013