Published with permission from RISMedia.
Call us to schedule a meeting.
Beth: 319-551-8692 | Katie: 319-327-7992
Blog
Should You Dip Into Your Retirement Savings to Cover Home Improvements?
Home improvements are sometimes necessary to make a house safer, more comfortable or more functional, but they are often very expensive. Many homeowners struggle to save money for upgrades and consider tapping into their retirement savings to fund projects, especially...
5 Tips for Making Household Items Last Longer
Buying a home is expensive enough. Filling it up with things you need adds to the cost, and spending more money to replace those things leads to more bills.Extending the lifespan of household items can save you a lot of money in the long run. Here are five tips for...
Do You Need a Job to Get a Mortgage?
If you’re between jobs or retired"or not working and considering retirement"you can still buy a home and get a mortgage that will require you to make monthly payments.While you don’t need a job to get a mortgage, what you do need is income. And there are many types of...
Need a Mortgage Loan? Understand What Affects Your Interest Rate
The mortgage process can be complicated if you jump in without any prior knowledge on home-buying and lending. The best tool you can arm yourself with is an understanding of how your mortgage interest rate is calculated.Credit Can Make or Break YouYour credit score...
5 Simple Tips to Childproof Your Home
Whether youve got a litter of kids or a baby on the way, childproofing your home is a preventative measure no family should go without. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends a number of safeguards to make your home an environment free from...
Obtaining a Mortgage When Self-Employed
Obtaining a mortgage is a little different when you’re self-employed.Reporting your income as a self-employed worker on Schedule C for income tax purposes can make qualifying for a mortgage loan or refinancing a little more complex. The reason being that proving...
What Is a Balloon Mortgage?
If you need financing to buy a house, one option you might consider is a balloon mortgage. It offers lower interest rates and monthly payments than some other types of loans, but it’s important to understand the terms and consider your future plans to decide if it...
What Do Your Door Knobs Say About You?
Your home is your haven, and its style can say a lot about your personality. One feature can even hint at your traits when guests arrive"the door knobs!According to Weiser, a security solutions provider, the following knob finishes can be indicative of your...
What Is a CD Ladder?
A certificate of deposit (CD) is an investment product with a fixed interest rate for a term of three months to five years.Long-term CDs have higher interest rates.If you withdraw money early, youll pay a penalty.A CD ladder is a strategy in which you open several CDs...
Sign up for our Email List
We regularly send out blog articles and newsletters about real estate, healthy homes, green homes and other home ownership topics.
5 Features You Need to Include in Your Master Suite
Published with permission from RISMedia.
Should You Dip Into Your Retirement Savings to Cover Home Improvements?
Home improvements are sometimes necessary to make a house safer, more comfortable or more functional, but they are often very expensive. Many homeowners struggle to save money for upgrades and consider tapping into their retirement savings to fund projects, especially...
5 Tips for Making Household Items Last Longer
Buying a home is expensive enough. Filling it up with things you need adds to the cost, and spending more money to replace those things leads to more bills.Extending the lifespan of household items can save you a lot of money in the long run. Here are five tips for...
Do You Need a Job to Get a Mortgage?
If you’re between jobs or retired"or not working and considering retirement"you can still buy a home and get a mortgage that will require you to make monthly payments.While you don’t need a job to get a mortgage, what you do need is income. And there are many types of...
Need a Mortgage Loan? Understand What Affects Your Interest Rate
The mortgage process can be complicated if you jump in without any prior knowledge on home-buying and lending. The best tool you can arm yourself with is an understanding of how your mortgage interest rate is calculated.Credit Can Make or Break YouYour credit score...
5 Simple Tips to Childproof Your Home
Whether youve got a litter of kids or a baby on the way, childproofing your home is a preventative measure no family should go without. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends a number of safeguards to make your home an environment free from...
Obtaining a Mortgage When Self-Employed
Obtaining a mortgage is a little different when you’re self-employed.Reporting your income as a self-employed worker on Schedule C for income tax purposes can make qualifying for a mortgage loan or refinancing a little more complex. The reason being that proving...
What Is a Balloon Mortgage?
If you need financing to buy a house, one option you might consider is a balloon mortgage. It offers lower interest rates and monthly payments than some other types of loans, but it’s important to understand the terms and consider your future plans to decide if it...
What Do Your Door Knobs Say About You?
Your home is your haven, and its style can say a lot about your personality. One feature can even hint at your traits when guests arrive"the door knobs!According to Weiser, a security solutions provider, the following knob finishes can be indicative of your...
What Is a CD Ladder?
A certificate of deposit (CD) is an investment product with a fixed interest rate for a term of three months to five years.Long-term CDs have higher interest rates.If you withdraw money early, youll pay a penalty.A CD ladder is a strategy in which you open several CDs...