Home Buying
Should You Get A Pre-Approval For Your Mortgage?
You are ready to take the plunge into home ownership. You’ve already started browsing the home listing websites and have put together your “must have” list. But if you are like many first-time home buyers, you may not have thought that much about your mortgage. Find out why getting pre-approval now is a good idea, and what…
Read MoreWeigh Your Mortgage Options Through an Independent Broker
There is no one mortgage solution that works for everyone. But if you go directly to the bank, you may leave some options on the table. Find out how an independent broker can help you weigh all your mortgage options and find the one that is best for you. Why Use a Broker? The simple…
Read MoreVA Loans: What Military Families Need to Know
Military families have a lot on their plate. Whether you or your spouse is on active duty or in the reserves, the demands of serving your country can make getting and keeping home financing a challenge. VA loans can help. VA Loans Save Military Families Money and Trouble Home purchase and refinancing loans backed by…
Read MoreNew Build Construction Lending: You Do Have Options
When you are looking to build, the last thing you want standing between you and your dream home is a bank. New build construction loans can sometimes be difficult, but you do have options to get the money you need to build your next home. Traditional Construction Loans Before the recession, construction loans were a tool home…
Read More5 First-Time Building Mistakes to Avoid
Designing your own home can be exciting, but it’s a lot more work than buying an existing house. With so many moving pieces involved, knowing what works and what doesn’t is key. Protect your home’s long-term value by sidestepping these five avoidable pitfalls of building a new home. 1. Forgetting About Storage SpaceFrom seasonal items…
Read MoreBathrooms Overtake Kitchens as Most Popular Remodeling Project
The kitchen is king among the spaces with the most impact on a home’s identity. But having a beautiful bathroom is just as, if not, moreimportant for many home owners. In fact, bathrooms overtook kitchens as the most popular remodeling project, according to a new NAHB survey. NAHB has released the results highlighting the most common…
Read MoreAn Outdoor Kitchen How-To Guide
Jeff Stone, owner of Artisan Outdoor Kitchens, explains the growing importance of the outdoor kitchen, and how to design the perfect, luxurious outdoor living space. Writing for KGA Studio Architects’ blog, Stone explains, “Investing in the beauty and function of an outdoor kitchen not only creates a perfect entertainment space, it also adds exceptional value to a home.”…
Read MoreHow the Great Recession destroyed the American dream
In the decade since the 2008 financial crisis, the American economy has, by most metrics, recovered what it lost. Most Americans are employed; inflation is acceptable; and GDP is currently expanding at the fastest rate in 13 years. But despite the economy’s recent strength, America has not addressed the deepening inequality that has been growing for three decades,…
Read MoreWhat it takes to be middle class in America
America’s middle class might be its backbone, but it’s an increasingly spindly one. About 52 percent of Americans fall into the middle class, down from 61 percent in 1971, according to research from the Pew Research Center. And financially, people who have managed to maintain their perch in the middle aren’t much better off than they were…
Read MoreGen Z gearing up to be homebuyers
The oldest members of Generation Z are setting their sights on home ownership nearly as often as millennials, according to a new survey.Property Shark, which provides data to real estate professionals, found in a recent survey that 83 percent of Gen Zers born between 1995 and 1999 plan to buy a home in the next five years.…
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