Do You Get Your Earnest Money Back at Closing? Sargis Zubov/iStock Do you get your earnest money back at closing? If you’re buying a house and planning to finance the purchase with the help of a mortgage, the question is bound to come up. The short answer is: You don’t usually get your earnest money […]
Should You Skip the Starter Home and Buy a Forever Home? dpproductions/iStock If you’re out there shopping for your first home, you might swoon over that four-bedroom Colonial and imagine growing old there—but wait a minute! Sure, you might be jonesing to put down permanent roots, but your bank account and life circumstances might beg […]
How Much House Can You Afford? Down Payment and Mortgage Rates Explained urfinguss/iStock How much house can you afford? Knowing you want to buy a home is one thing; knowing how much of a mortgage payment you can handle is quite another. Too often, dreams and reality collide: You’re yearning for a four-bedroom Colonial, but […]
Buying a House Remodeled Without a Permit? Here’s What You’re on the Hook For Kerkez/iStock Imagine attending an open house and stepping into a newly remodeled master bathroom complete with brand-new Carrara marble tiling and a luxurious free-standing tub. Home improvements like this are enough to make potential home buyers fall in love, and it […]
Did You Make the Most Common Home-Buying Mistake? Here Are 6 Ways to Fix It jhorrocks/iStock What’s the most common home-buying mistake? If you’re reading this from a cramped living room, or while lying in your itty-bitty “master” bedroom, you probably know the answer: buying a too-small home. The mistake is so common that I—a […]
Midcentury Mania! Houston’s Famous ‘Sputnik House’ Sells in Two Weeks realtor.com Palm Springs, CA, isn’t the only place in the country for buyers to score an authentic midcentury modern pad. There’s a cool historic district in Houston where an iconic, atomic-era home recently landed on the market for $359,900. Known as the”sputnik house,” the property is currently […]
‘What Will My Home Be Worth?’ Expert-Approved Tactics to Determine Property Value mphillips007/iStock Homeowners who plan on moving at some point in the future are likely to ask the question: “What will my home be worth?” Ah, if only there was a real estate magic eight ball that could reveal the price tag sellers should slap […]
‘How’s the Housing Market Right Now?’ Answers Ahead JamesBrey/iStock Yeehaw, the latest home-buying season is now in full swing! And if you’re hoping to buy a house soon, listen up: The real estate market changes on a dime, so if you want to succeed in today’s environment, you’ll want to take its temperature and act accordingly. […]
photovs/iStock So you’re a first-time buyer who just closed the deal on your new home and moved in. Finally, you can breathe a deep sigh of relief. After all, you managed to pony up a down payment, closing costs, and other sundry expenses. Provided you make your monthly mortgage payments, you’re fine and dandy on […]
Rawpixel/iStock; realtor.com If you’re looking to buy a house, you’re probably eager and excited. That’s fine, but just keep in mind that in this heightened emotional state, it’s easy to get swept up in the moment and behave, well, not perfectly. This can lead to trouble since, just like anything else, buying a home comes with its own […]
