APM BLOG

When you own your own home, you want to make sure you take every deduction possible to maximize your tax refund. Many people view these refunds as “found money,” but they’re really not. It’s money that you’re entitled to receive back…as long as you claim the proper deductions.

Owning a home is often considered a cornerstone of the American dream. Beyond the pride and security of homeownership, there are also financial perks that come with it, particularly when it comes to tax benefits. Understanding these tax advantages can mean significant savings and a more efficient financial strategy for many homeowners.

The VA home loan program is an amazing benefit for our deserving active-duty service members, veterans, and surviving spouses of veterans. While no one could ever repay you for the sacrifices you’ve made, the VA loan was created to make your dreams of homeownership just a little easier to achieve.

Buying a home is full of questions. Should we? Shouldn’t we? Can I afford to? Can I afford not to? All these questions are deeply personal, which means their answers will depend on your financial situation and long-term goals. 

When it comes to investments, many people say it’s all about timing. While that’s good advice in theory, there’s simply no way to time the market if you’re purchasing a sizable investment like buying a house. In a perfect world, interest rates and prices would both be low—and this does happen, but not very frequently.

Sometimes, we get by with a little help from our friends…or family. 

There are many reasons someone may need help to qualify for a mortgage. They may just be starting out and haven’t established a good credit history yet. Or perhaps they’re just getting out of a tough financial situation that they’re turning around. 

Investing in real estate can be an amazing experience—and a great way to earn passive income while someone else (or a bunch of other people) pays your monthly mortgage. Home-share platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and other vacation rental websites have made it even easier for those who want to market their investment properties as short-term rental property.

A down payment and monthly mortgage payment aren’t the only costs you’re looking at when buying a new home. Some buyers forget that they will also have to pay closing costs.

There’s always a lot of back and forth when you buy a home. It’s called the negotiation process, and it’s one of the reasons you need a great realtor. Potential buyers want to secure the best sale price possible, while a seller wants to achieve their list price—if not more. Some sellers also want to sell as quickly as possible. 

Buying a house isn’t just about the sticker cost or the monthly payment. A large part of your housing budget will also be your down payment. If you’ve seen lender ads before, you know that this number can be all over the board. 

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! 

Buying a home is one of the biggest, most important decisions you’ll make. After debating the pros and cons of homeownership—and there are many—you may have a whole new set of questions about hiring a real estate agent.

Can you buy a home without a buyer’s agent? Of course you can. Just like you can sell a home without a seller’s agent. Here’s the deal, though: Those decisions tend to cost you time, energy and, most of all, money!

There are so many options out there that promise to help you build wealth. High-interest rate savings accounts can make a few drops in the bucket, but not many. The stock market is certainly a vehicle for making money, but you have to know what you’re doing, what you’re buying, and when to get out. Retirement accounts can be a great way to accrue money over time, but 65 is a long way off for some people. Then there are cryptocurrencies. A year ago, it seemed the sky was the limit for these virtual coins. This year, it’s a whole different story.

It’s the age-old question: when is it a good time to buy a home? The problem with that question is it has no right answer. You can have the most favorable market conditions in the world—low listing prices because it’s a buyer’s market, low interest rates, loose qualification standards—but if you’re not in the right position to buy, it’s still not a good time to buy a home. 

You’ve just bought a home. Congrats! Now, you may wake up every morning feeling exactly as you did when you were renting. After all, aside from a new home and possibly a new neighborhood, not much has changed in your day-to-day life. 

While this may be true of your daily routine, your first year as a homeowner comes with some subtle differences compared to renting. For one, you’ve locked in your housing costs—and your residence—for as long as you want. There is also the peace of mind that comes with knowing that this property is yours. 

In today’s competitive housing market, there’s a good chance that your offer won’t be the only one a seller is entertaining. It’s not uncommon to hear sellers have more than 10 offers for one property . . . or that some buyers have put in offers on more than 20 homes, just to lose out time and time again.

In a market like this, it’s not enough to simply have your ducks in a row and walk in with a pre-approval. A market like this takes work if you want to win a bidding war. 

Do you want to achieve the dream of homeownership but dread the looming down payment you’ll need? Figuring out how to come up with a down payment for a house can seem like a huge hurdle, especially for those with little to no savings.