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Winter over most of the US was a severe experience in patience and endurance. But with spring on the way, you’re probably getting ready for the long hot days of summer. So, before you leave winter in your rear view mirror, you should take a look at the condition of your home and any damage…

Preparing for both traditional and reverse mortgages is about to look a lot more like surfing the web, rather than a paper chase. The Federal Housing Agency (FHA) just announced that by 2016, origination appraisals will move online with the creation of the Electronic Appraisal Delivery (EAD) portal. The deadline for moving online will apply…

Preparing for both traditional and reverse mortgages is about to look a lot more like surfing the web, rather than a paper chase. The Federal Housing Agency (FHA) just announced that by 2016, origination appraisals will move online with the creation of the Electronic Appraisal Delivery (EAD) portal. The deadline for moving online will apply…

Spring has sprung and summer is finally approaching. The kids will soon be out of school and vacation destinations will come to life. Inevitably, conversations while on vacation seem to end up discussing ‘buying a place’ in the area. It can be a great idea for sure. Like many things, the chances of a vacation…

It all seems so simple on the surface. You buy property to rent, build up equity and even ownership based on the rent paid and presto, you own an income generating property. But the reality is just a little more complicated. It can still be done, no doubt, but you need to be smart and…

In the 1960s, there were about 500 homeowners associations. Today that number is over 300,000. Chances are you or someone you know live in a community with an HOA. On the good side, HOA rules prevent neighbors from parking their ‘projects’ on the front lawn, and on the other side, they may limit your freedom…

Home inspectors have a job to do; how big that job is might depend on you.  If you are preparing your home for sale, you might want to put in some time and effort before the inspection to improve the results. If the inspector has less to report, the odds are that the report he…

With Spring on the way (in most parts of the country) and winter behind us, the home shopping season is just starting to warm up. And as usual, one question gets asked more than most, will mortgage rates go up or down? 2014 wasn’t as brisk as some had hoped with weak activity for both…

When you are preparing to sell your home, you need to look at your ‘home’ as a house. A home is something you love, warts and all. But to a potential buyer, those warts aren’t as endearing. The good news is, you don’t have to have unlimited resources to get your home looking like the…

With the return of low down-payment mortgages, there is a lot of buzz on the merits and the risks of these types of loans. Based on many recent articles and commentary, one might be convinced that these types of loans are a harbinger of tragedy. However, the truth may be far different. For starters the…