Tips & Advice

Sell Your Home Faster By Investing in These Popular Features

If you’re considering selling your home, it’s helpful to understand what buyers are looking for in today’s real estate market. Research from real estate website Zillow suggests that five key features can help you offload your home a full 30 days faster than average. Zillow researchers studied more than two million homes sold in 2016, ... More

For Sale By Owner: Three Purchasing Tips

There are myriad benefits to listing a home through a real estate agent, but many sellers prefer to go it alone rather than pay a realtor’s fees. With this type of “For Sale by Owner” transaction, sellers will lack the marketing resources of a professional realtor, but they are likely to save money in the process. Although it may feel ... More

How To Purchase a ‘For Sale By Owner’ Home

There are many benefits to listing a home through a real estate agent but, nevertheless, many sellers prefer to go it alone rather than pay realtor’s fees. With this type of “For Sale by Owner” transaction, sellers will lack the marketing resources of a professional realtor, but they are likely to save money in the process. Although it ... More

Why Experts Say You Should Follow The ‘Five-Year Rule’

When it comes to buying a home, there are many considerations up front: Which neighborhood should you choose? How much can you afford? What type of mortgage will be best? However, it is also important to think about the long-game. Specifically, it will be financially prudent to think beforehand about how long you plan to stay in the home ... More

Auto Loans: Choosing Between Direct Lending Dealership Financing

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, average prices for a car purchase are now topping more than $31,000 for a new model vehicle and more than $17,000 for a used model. With a majority of American consumers unable to pay cash for a vehicle purchase, most buyers must take out an auto loan to cover at least part of the purchase ... More

Three Reasons To Get a Home Inspection Before Purchasing

As many first-time buyers come to realize, the incremental costs of purchasing a home tick up, up and up some more. The reality is, buying a home is a costly endeavor. It’s no surprise that many prospective buyers look for opportunities to save cash throughout the process, and more than a few consider skipping the home inspection. Although ... More

Rent-To-Own Precautions You Should Never Skip

When you find your dream home, it’s natural to be anxious to close the deal and sign your name on the dotted line before another interested party comes along. Before you make your rent-to-own contract official, however, experts say you should take these important steps to protect your financial interests. Do a Title Search Ensure the ... More

Pay Off Debt and Save For A Down Payment At The Same Time

Many a prospective homeowner has been frustrated by long-term debt that seems to quash any hope of saving enough for a down payment on a home. In fact, among renters who wish they could own a home, debt is cited as the number one roadblock to doing so. Debt payments, especially of the high-interest variety like credit cards, can eat up a ... More

Tips For Getting the Most Bang For Your Home Improvement Buck

If you’re updating your home strictly to suit you own personal comfort, needs or taste, you likely aren’t overly concerned with how the projects may affect the resale value of your home. However, if you’ve got a mind to move in the future, it’s worth considering which home improvement projects can help you get the most bang for your ... More

Don’t Pay Your Mortgage Off Early: Here’s Why

Conventional wisdom often focuses on the many benefits of paying off your consumer debts as quickly as possible. Couple that with the fact that owning a home outright is an important milestone for many Americans, and you have a generation of homeowners working hard to pay their mortgage loans off early. While a home is certainly a valuable ... More