It’s tough out there, we know. Today’s competitive housing market can keep you trapped in a vicious cycle: Find a terrific house, make an aggressive offer, get your hopes up, get outbid, start over. Rinse and repeat. Some of the biggest competitors for homes on the market today pay cash, which can make it tough when YOU don’t have cash to buy the home outright yourself.
A temporary buydown is when a party in a mortgage transaction pays a lump sum in order to reduce the interest rate temporarily for early years of the loan. This can help a buyer ease into the full mortgage payment at the beginning of the loan term.
Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the housing market changes. Well, here’s the truth: No one has it all figured out. Being mortgage professionals, however, we do understand the ins and outs of the market and how today’s climate affects your homebuying ability and the mortgage process.
It’s the dog days of summer—and we’d better take advantage of them while they’re here! Soon enough, it’ll be back to the grind. Let’s forget about that now, though. You’ve got sunshine to enjoy and water to splash in!
The homebuying process…where do you even start? Buying a house may be a lifetime dream of yours, but for many buyers it can feel overwhelming at first. While it may seem like a lot, our APM Loan Advisors have your back. Our 100% focus is on getting hardworking people like you into the homes they deserve.
Economic Update with Elliot Eisenberg
Elliot is back with an update to talk about what's going on with interest rates. He talks about inflation expectations compared to released data, and how the markets have responded and will respond going forward. He wraps up with talk about recession - whether he sees one coming or not, and why.
If you’re planning to finance your home, you need the support of an experienced and local mortgage loan officer. You’re probably aware that they’re the ones who collect all that tedious paperwork, but the value of a loan officer goes far beyond that during your home purchase.
Buying a home involves a lot of choices—locations, type of home, type of loan, and more. When it comes to the type of home, remember that a single-family home isn’t the only option. Condos can be great places to live, not to mention solid investment properties. That’s because the condo market continues to expand and may increase your options.
Moving into your new home is so close you can almost taste it! While the excitement is building, the stress might be as well when you consider all the things that you have to do before then—large and small.
In honor of National Homeownership Month, we wanted to explore the ins and outs of house rules. Do you have house rules? Are they followed? Wondering what the most common rules are—or the biggest faux pas you can commit as a guest in someone else’s home?
Economic Update with APM Consulting Economist Elliot Eisenberg
This month, Elliot talks about housing inventory trends historically, and how that is affecting our current inventory crunch. He also addresses the fears many have about a recession - or even a repeat of the events of 2006-2008 (hint: this is NOT a repeat!). His perspective on the coming months and years includes discussion on rates, rents, and the impending influx of buyers.
Single-family homes aren’t the only game in town when it comes to homeownership, building wealth, or fulfilling the American dream. Condos are another great avenue to achieve all three.
We all know the drill: House-hunting is fun, but a mortgage application … not so much. Collecting tax returns, proof of income, bank statements, credit reports, pay stubs, and other documents just isn’t as exciting as attending an open house and visualizing your family inside those walls.
That’s okay, though: We’ll make applying for a mortgage simple so you can get back to the good stuff—securing your American dream!
Many people think of an existing single-family home when they think about homeownership or buying residential real estate. Purchases of this type of property are common, after all. But there are other residential real estate purchases that might be perfect for your lifestyle and/or financial situation.
You know you want to purchase a home—and that is so exciting! We feel your energy, we really do. But before you start looking online or driving around neighborhoods in search of your dream home, you need to get your ducks in a row and prevent unpleasant surprises that can delay the lending process.
As exciting as it is to go house hunting, there can be some surprises along the way. Not all of these surprises are fun, and the last thing you want to do when buying a home is realize you can’t qualify for the loan amount.
Let’s be real for a second. Mortgages are not cookie-cutter because borrowers are not all the same. There are, of course, some programs that can serve larger populations—hello, conventional mortgage and FHA loans—but there are plenty of people who aren’t accommodated by these programs for one reason or another.
It is possible to obtain a conventional mortgage if you have a low down payment, but the trade-off is having to accept private mortgage insurance—also known as PMI. If you’re putting down less than 20% on your home, this article is for you!
Here’s the lowdown on PMI, when you need it, how to pay for it, and some ways you can avoid it altogether.
You’re thinking about selling your home, but you’re stuck on the age-old question: Are you going to list your home yourself, or are you going to use a listing agent?
