Home Buying Tips

• How would a truly flexible mortgage work?
  Lat week I had little good to say about Fannie Mae's new Payment Power Program (PPP), which allows a borrower to skip up to two mortgage payments in any 12-month period, and up to 10 over the life of a loan. A skipped payment results in an additional loan, equal to the payment plus a healthy access fee, tacked on to the balance. As an emergency source of funds, it is much more costly than accessing a home-equity line of credit (HELOC). Continue article...
• The Perfect Escrow - Does it Exist?
  Very simply defined, an escrow is a deposit of funds, a deed or other instrument by one party for the delivery to another party upon completion of a particular condition or event. The California Escrow Law – Section 17003 of the Financial Code – provides the legal definition. Continue article...
• Does Home Remodeling Always Pay Off?
  Perhaps you've heard stories about homeowners who've greatly improved their net worth by remodeling homes and selling them. Continue article...
• Realtor VS. "For Sale By Owner"
  "Why do we need a real estate agent? After all, an agent will charge thousands of dollars to sell even an average home, and that commission comes right off the top! Heck, with the Internet and all, we can do practically everything that an agent would do, so why should we pay out all that money?" Continue article...
• How do I prepare to close my home purchase?
  Finding a home to buy and negotiating the purchase contract are the toughest parts of the home buying process for most people. But, if you don't plan ahead, and carefully monitor your home purchases transaction, you could find trouble ahead. Continue article...
• Low price not always best value
  A home at a low price may be no bargain at all if the maintenance costs are prohibitive Continue article...