Mortgage calculator: What will $500 per month buy?
Rising mortgage rates and home prices can really impact what kind of home you buy. Even a one percentage point jump in rates can significantly bump your monthly payment. And while the market...
View Article3 quick tips for an early mortgage payoff
There are plenty of ways to pay off your mortgage early, but some are a lot safer, cheaper and easier than others. And if you can swing it financially, paying your mortgage off earlier can really save...
View Article3 tips for a mortgage refinance
Despite a jump in mortgage rates, it’s still a good time to refinance. Rates are still at historical lows and lenders have eased up on their lending requirements. And of course, a refinance can save...
View ArticleInside Real Estate: San Diego, California
The San Diego real estate market is healthy, but buyers and sellers still need to prepare for battle. Home prices in the area rose at a grueling pace over the last year, and an inventory shortage is...
View Article3 great uses for an amortization schedule
Have questions about your monthly payment and mortgage? An amortization schedule can answer some of those. If you’re using an online mortgage calculator, chances are it has one of these useful tools....
View ArticleUsing price per square foot
Want to know how far your housing dollar will stretch? Calculate the price per square foot of each home you look at when you’re shopping. Of course, this isn’t the most important element of valuing a...
View ArticleBest mortgage rates: 30-year fixed-rate
Mortgage rates shot north this week, and that seems to be turning many prospective buyers off. The average 30-year fixed-rate loan moved up to 4.48 percent. Of course, that’s still incredible low. But...
View Article5 quick tips for renters looking to buy
If you’ve been paying rent, there’s a lot you’ll need to know before you buy a home. It’s hard to see what’s coming as a renter, and you’ll want avoid any major mortgage mistakes. But being informed...
View ArticleBest mortgage rates: 15-year fixed-rate
Mortgage rates took a dive this week, falling back to where they were a couple of weeks ago. The average 15-year fixed-rate fell to 3.42 percent. Of course, that’s not too surprising considering the...
View ArticleInside real estate: Atlanta, Georgia
The Atlanta real estate market, in terms of sales, is doing very well. And things are picking up. But it’s not the easiest market for buyers. There simply aren’t many homes on the market and prices are...
View Article4 things you should know about FHA loans
FHA loans — they have attractive mortgage rates and the requirements aren’t as strict. That makes them useful tools for prospective home buyers, especially buyers who need some extra help qualifying...
View ArticleWill you qualify for a mortgage?
It’s no doubt a question that many prospective homeowners have asked while sitting on their calculators trying to do the math. How much income do I need to qualify for the mortgage that I want? The...
View ArticleReverse mortgage: 3 things you should know
It’s a promo we see everywhere these days — an older couple sits with a lender touting the many benefits of a reverse mortgage. But while thousands of homeowners are taking out this kind of loan, they...
View ArticleTutorial: 3 useful mortgage calculators
Shopping for a loan to buy or refinance a home can be stressful enough without worrying about the math involved. And that’s where mortgage calculators can really come in handy. Here’s a quick tutorial...
View Article2013: Cost of buying in 5 major markets
This year, 2013, was a big one for real estate. Home prices soared, inventory levels fell and mortgage rates moved up. So we busted out our mortgage calculator and figured out what it would have costs...
View Article4 costly mortgage mistakes
Getting a mortgage is largest amount of debt that most of us will ever carry. And that makes it crucial to avoid costly mistakes up-front. Here are four that can really drag your savings account...
View ArticleIs it a good time to get an ARM?
When mortgage rates are on the rise, prospective buyers start looking at their loan options. Depending on the situation, a fixed-rate or adjustable rate mortgage can be a good move. But what’s the...
View ArticleForecast: The 2014 real estate market
Another year has passed, and the U.S. real estate market is finally on a rebound. The first half of 2013, for the most part, saw a big increase in home prices and a lot of growth. That growth slipped...
View ArticleCalculating the true cost of a mortgage
Calculating the true cost of a mortgage can be a little tiresome. For starters, if you’re using a simple mortgage calculator to get the cost details of your loan, you’re only getting an estimate of the...
View ArticleCalculate your maximum housing cost
If the real estate crash had one lesson to teach us, it might be not to get in over our heads when buying a home. Millions of Americans lost their homes during the crash, with a mortgage they simply...
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