A mortgage payment can easily be the biggest bill in a monthly budget. Coming up with that money can be easy in some months and more difficult in others. Turning those difficult months into easier ones is possible with a few tactics.Here are five hacks to help make...
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What Are Mortgage Points?
The interest rate on your mortgage will have a major impact on the total amount youll pay over the life of the loan. If youre buying a home that you plan to live for a long time, reducing your interest rate by purchasing mortgage points could allow you to save tens of...
When Can You Stop Paying for Private Mortgage Insurance?
If you bought a house with a mortgage, odds are the lender required you to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI). This insurance is designed to protect the lender if you stop making payments on your home loan.Although lenders typically dont require PMI if a...
Is an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage a Good Idea?
If you’re shopping for a mortgage, you need to decide whether to choose one with a fixed or adjustable interest rate. An adjustable-rate mortgage, or ARM, might be a good idea if you’re only planning to stay in your home for a short period of time, but you need to ask...
The Homebuyer’s Mortgage Dictionary
Knowing that you’re ready to buy a home can be an exhilarating feeling, except it’s often followed by panic. While experience is the best teacher, there are some things you can do to regain control of the home-buying experience. One of them is getting accustomed to...
Should You Use Home Equity to Finance a Child’s College Education?
For many students and their parents, a college education is a top priority. With education costs continually rising, paying for a degree may seem difficult or impossible. Some parents consider using their homes equity to obtain funds for college but arent sure if that...
What to Do If Your Closing Is Delayed
Once a buyer and seller have agreed on the price for a house, they sign a purchase contract that outlines the terms of the deal and includes a closing date. Setting a specific date is intended to motivate all parties involved in the transaction to work expeditiously...
Which Mortgage Type Is Right for You?
Most people who want to purchase a house cant afford to pay cash and therefore need to take out a mortgage. The type of loan you choose will depend on your financial circumstances and plans and can have a significant impact on your monthly costs, so its essential to...
What Is Escrow?
After a buyer has agreed to purchase a home from a seller, the escrow process begins. This is designed to make sure that all the necessary conditions and obligations are met so the transaction can proceed smoothly.Purpose of EscrowEscrow is designed to protect all the...
How to Avoid Having to Buy Private Mortgage Insurance
Some mortgage lenders allow homebuyers to put down less than 20 percent of a houses purchase price, but those loans are riskier from a lenders perspective. A lender generally requires a buyer who puts down less than 20 percent to purchase private mortgage insurance...
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5 Hacks to Pay Your Mortgage
A mortgage payment can easily be the biggest bill in a monthly budget. Coming up with that money can be easy in some months and more difficult in others. Turning those difficult months into easier ones is possible with a few tactics.Here are five hacks to help make...
What Are Mortgage Points?
The interest rate on your mortgage will have a major impact on the total amount youll pay over the life of the loan. If youre buying a home that you plan to live for a long time, reducing your interest rate by purchasing mortgage points could allow you to save tens of...
When Can You Stop Paying for Private Mortgage Insurance?
If you bought a house with a mortgage, odds are the lender required you to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI). This insurance is designed to protect the lender if you stop making payments on your home loan.Although lenders typically dont require PMI if a...
Is an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage a Good Idea?
If you’re shopping for a mortgage, you need to decide whether to choose one with a fixed or adjustable interest rate. An adjustable-rate mortgage, or ARM, might be a good idea if you’re only planning to stay in your home for a short period of time, but you need to ask...
The Homebuyer’s Mortgage Dictionary
Knowing that you’re ready to buy a home can be an exhilarating feeling, except it’s often followed by panic. While experience is the best teacher, there are some things you can do to regain control of the home-buying experience. One of them is getting accustomed to...
Should You Use Home Equity to Finance a Child’s College Education?
For many students and their parents, a college education is a top priority. With education costs continually rising, paying for a degree may seem difficult or impossible. Some parents consider using their homes equity to obtain funds for college but arent sure if that...
What to Do If Your Closing Is Delayed
Once a buyer and seller have agreed on the price for a house, they sign a purchase contract that outlines the terms of the deal and includes a closing date. Setting a specific date is intended to motivate all parties involved in the transaction to work expeditiously...
Which Mortgage Type Is Right for You?
Most people who want to purchase a house cant afford to pay cash and therefore need to take out a mortgage. The type of loan you choose will depend on your financial circumstances and plans and can have a significant impact on your monthly costs, so its essential to...
What Is Escrow?
After a buyer has agreed to purchase a home from a seller, the escrow process begins. This is designed to make sure that all the necessary conditions and obligations are met so the transaction can proceed smoothly.Purpose of EscrowEscrow is designed to protect all the...
How to Avoid Having to Buy Private Mortgage Insurance
Some mortgage lenders allow homebuyers to put down less than 20 percent of a houses purchase price, but those loans are riskier from a lenders perspective. A lender generally requires a buyer who puts down less than 20 percent to purchase private mortgage insurance...