wutwhanfoto/iStock; realtor.com There’s a Japanese art to everything, including how to save up for a house! It’s called kakeibo, and it’s catching on for good reason: It claims to help people save more than one-third of their income—which could add up to a down payment on a house pretty quick. Pronounced kah-keh-boh (which means “household financial […]
KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock Ready to buy a house with the help of the best realtor? Then you’ll want to learn a few questions to ask a realtor—the go-to pro whose sole goal is to help make your home-buying dream come true, also make sure that you choose the very best estate agents like those real […]
Davel5957/iStock Think San Francisco or New York City would be the most challenging place to buy your first home? Nope—first-time home buyers will struggle far more in Denver. Really. This surprising finding comes from LendingTree’s just-released list of the best and worst cities for first-time home buyers. LendingTree researchers ranked the 100 largest U.S. cities not only by the price of homes, but […]
HDesert/iStock; realtor.com First comes love, then comes marriage, next comes … escrow, closing costs, and school district squabbles? Few things (aside from bachelor parties) test new love quite like buying a house together. Which makes sense: With real estate, there’s an awful lot on the line. As such, “small tensions and challenges tend to become inflated, difficult obstacles,” […]
iStock; realtor.com A gap in employment can be a tough thing to explain, especially on a mortgage application. If you’re going to depend on a lender to help you buy a home, your employment history is one of the most scrutinized parts of your application. Any gaps in your employment history can affect your getting approved for […]
anyaberkut/iStock Mortgage questions abound when you’re a first-time home buyer. Compounding the challenge is the embarrassment over interrupting the conversation with a would-be lender or seller to ask, “‘Scuse me, what is a credit score? How much money do I need as a down payment?” Everyone knows this stuff, right? No, they don’t all know—so […]
Getty Images; realtor.com It’s been nearly a decade since the Great Recession delivered the worst housing crash in modern memory. But these days, the fallout feels squarely in the rearview mirror. Markets have bounced back with fervor, and confidence is skyrocketing: From Charlotte, NC, to Stockton, CA—and everywhere in between—homes are flying off the market […]
zetter/iStock If you work at an office, your commute time should take high priority during your house hunt. Sure, it might be tempting to ignore a long commute if it gets you into an otherwise perfect home, but trust us—you won’t be enjoying it much if you spend countless hours every week stuck in traffic! This […]
Jupiterimages/Getty Images The house-buying process can seem endless: Attending open houses. Separating your must-haves from nice-to-haves. Identifying your (sort of) dream home. Making an offer. Negotiating the final price. So when you get to inspection day, it’s tempting to heave a huge sigh of relief now that your work is basically done. But […]
SARINYAPINNGAM/iStock What is “house poor”? This phrase describes home buyers who’ve purchased property they can’t easily afford—and are now paying the price, as it were. “If you can’t spend your income the way you want to because so much of it is going to housing expenses, you’re house poor,” says Debra Neiman, a financial planner at […]
