Appraisal: A written estimate used to determine the value of your property based on information on recent sales of similar properties.

PMI is a type of insurance required on conventional loans where the loan amount is greater than 80% of the purchase price or property value. Once a minimum of 20% equity has been established, PMI may be eliminated

You only pay when you use it. When you get a HELOC, you’re not taking a lump sum of cash out of your home. You’re setting it up as a maximum drawable balance, and if you always left the balance at zero, your payment would be zero. This makes a HELOC a flexible tool to have […]

Typically, home buyers will pay between about 2 to 5 percent of the purchase price of their home in closing fees. So, if your home cost $150,000, you might pay between $3,000 and $7,500 in closing costs. On average, buyers pay roughly $3,700 in closing fees, according to a recent survey. Your lender will give […]

Closing costs are fees associated with your home purchase that are paid at the closing of a real estate transaction. Closing is the point in time when the title of the property is transferred from the seller to the buyer. Closing costs are incurred by either the buyer or seller.

As a first-time home buyer, you’re probably accustomed to the monthly cost of renting, which usually includes your rent payment, some of the utilities, and your internet and cable bills. As a homeowner, you’ll be responsible for additional monthly costs that may have been covered by your landlord. That includes things like water, sewer and […]

Some biweekly payment programs — especially those run by third-party companies other than the lender that sends your loan statements to you each month–will charge fees for this service. They can charge significant upfront fees, plus small fees along the way for each biweekly payment processed. It can take up to 10 years for participants […]

A reverse mortgage is a loan that allows qualified homeowners who are age 62 or older to take part of their home’s equity as cash, either as a line of credit, or monthly or lump sum payment, or combo of a credit line and payments. But, unlike a standard mortgage loan, it requires no repayment […]

In an ideal world, the sale of your current home will happen seamlessly along with the purchase of your new home. But in reality, these two steps don’t always align. If you are hoping to buy before your current home sells, here are a few loan options that can help make the process smoother: Home […]

Buying a house may be the largest purchase most consumers ever make. So it’s surprising that over half (52 percent) don’t shop around for a lender. That’s like buying the first car you see or trusting that one gas station will always give you the best price. It’s an oversight that could hit your wallet in […]