Posts filed under Buyer Tips
Should You Use a Home Equity Loan To Pay Off Your Debt?
Posted Wed, Feb 26th 2025 10:00 am
The credit card trap The problem with credit card debt is that it comes with such high interest rates. It's not unusual for credit card companies to charge 24%, 27% or higher interest rates on the...
Posted Wed, Feb 26th 2025 10:00 am
The credit card trap The problem with credit card debt is that it comes with such high interest rates. It's not unusual for credit card companies to charge 24%, 27% or higher interest rates on the...
Cooking Up the Right Credit Score
Posted Wed, Feb 12th 2025 10:00 am
It's undeniable: Your financial life will be easier if you have a strong three-digit FICO credit score. With a high score, you'll more easily qualify for new credit cards and loans, including mortg...
Posted Wed, Feb 12th 2025 10:00 am
It's undeniable: Your financial life will be easier if you have a strong three-digit FICO credit score. With a high score, you'll more easily qualify for new credit cards and loans, including mortg...
Medical Debts and Mortgages
Posted Thu, Jan 30th 2025 10:00 am
No one likes to see medical bills piling up, and rising utility, cellphone and internet bills can wreak havoc on your monthly budget. Can these bills also prevent you from getting a mortgage or oth...
Posted Thu, Jan 30th 2025 10:00 am
No one likes to see medical bills piling up, and rising utility, cellphone and internet bills can wreak havoc on your monthly budget. Can these bills also prevent you from getting a mortgage or oth...
Credit Scores: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Posted Thu, Jan 16th 2025 10:00 am
Will opening a new store credit card hurt your three-digit FICO credit score? Will closing that credit card account that you haven't used in 10 years cause your score to drop? Will applying for a h...
Posted Thu, Jan 16th 2025 10:00 am
Will opening a new store credit card hurt your three-digit FICO credit score? Will closing that credit card account that you haven't used in 10 years cause your score to drop? Will applying for a h...
Hard Inquiries: How Detrimental Are They To Your Credit Score?
Posted Wed, Dec 18th 2024 10:00 am
Lenders and banks check your credit before they approve you for new credit cards or loans. They do this to be sure that in the past you've paid your debts on time. If you have, you are more likely ...
Posted Wed, Dec 18th 2024 10:00 am
Lenders and banks check your credit before they approve you for new credit cards or loans. They do this to be sure that in the past you've paid your debts on time. If you have, you are more likely ...
Assuming a Seller's Mortgage
Posted Tue, Dec 3rd 2024 9:23 am
Mortgage interest rates are higher today than they were three years ago. If you are buying a home and applying for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage today, you can expect an interest rate near 7%, eve...
Posted Tue, Dec 3rd 2024 9:23 am
Mortgage interest rates are higher today than they were three years ago. If you are buying a home and applying for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage today, you can expect an interest rate near 7%, eve...
Home Inspection Versus Home Appraisal
Posted Thu, Nov 21st 2024 10:00 am
Home inspections and appraisals are not the same. Let's explore the differences between them and why both are so important. When do you order a home inspection? You order a home inspection after ...
Posted Thu, Nov 21st 2024 10:00 am
Home inspections and appraisals are not the same. Let's explore the differences between them and why both are so important. When do you order a home inspection? You order a home inspection after ...
Research Your Neighborhood Before You Purchase A Home
Posted Fri, Nov 8th 2024 11:00 am
One of the first things you will need to know is whether you can afford to move into your desired neighborhood. If you are using a real estate agent, have them research the property taxes, school t...
Posted Fri, Nov 8th 2024 11:00 am
One of the first things you will need to know is whether you can afford to move into your desired neighborhood. If you are using a real estate agent, have them research the property taxes, school t...
Rent-To-Own: How To Do It
Posted Thu, Nov 7th 2024 10:00 am
Owning a home is not the right choice for everyone. Do you like a maintenance-free lifestyle and enjoy the freedom of moving around the country? Then renting might be the smarter choice. But owning...
Posted Thu, Nov 7th 2024 10:00 am
Owning a home is not the right choice for everyone. Do you like a maintenance-free lifestyle and enjoy the freedom of moving around the country? Then renting might be the smarter choice. But owning...
What To Know About Credit Scores and Mortgages
Posted Wed, Oct 23rd 2024 2:00 pm
Few numbers are as important to mortgage lenders as your FICO credit score. This score measures how well you’ve paid your bills and managed your credit. The higher your FICO score, the more likely ...
Posted Wed, Oct 23rd 2024 2:00 pm
Few numbers are as important to mortgage lenders as your FICO credit score. This score measures how well you’ve paid your bills and managed your credit. The higher your FICO score, the more likely ...
Consistency: The Key To Getting a Mortgage
Posted Tue, Oct 8th 2024 10:00 am
If you work as a freelancer or independent contractor, your income might vary from month to month. Maybe one month you generate $8,000 of income but the next only $4,500. You might be satisfied wit...
Posted Tue, Oct 8th 2024 10:00 am
If you work as a freelancer or independent contractor, your income might vary from month to month. Maybe one month you generate $8,000 of income but the next only $4,500. You might be satisfied wit...
Is a '"No Closing Cost Refinance'" Really a Possibility?
Posted Wed, Sep 25th 2024 9:30 am
How much you'll pay to refinance your mortgage depends on the size of your loan and your lender's closing costs. In general, though, you can expect to pay from 2% to 6% of the amount you are borrow...
Posted Wed, Sep 25th 2024 9:30 am
How much you'll pay to refinance your mortgage depends on the size of your loan and your lender's closing costs. In general, though, you can expect to pay from 2% to 6% of the amount you are borrow...
Condo Season is Here!
Posted Fri, Sep 13th 2024 11:35 am
There's a natural ebb and flow of supply and demand with condos along the Grand Strand. As the fall approaches, it is prime time to find a vacation condo or an income producing condo. Typically, as...
Posted Fri, Sep 13th 2024 11:35 am
There's a natural ebb and flow of supply and demand with condos along the Grand Strand. As the fall approaches, it is prime time to find a vacation condo or an income producing condo. Typically, as...
For Mortgages, Know the Big 3 Numbers
Posted Thu, Sep 12th 2024 10:00 am
Start by looking at your three-digit FICO credit score. This number sums up how well you've handled your credit and paid your bills. The higher this number, the more likely you are to be ready for ...
Posted Thu, Sep 12th 2024 10:00 am
Start by looking at your three-digit FICO credit score. This number sums up how well you've handled your credit and paid your bills. The higher this number, the more likely you are to be ready for ...
New Real Estate Practice Rules Are in Effect
Posted Tue, Sep 10th 2024 6:51 pm
If you're buying or selling a home, you'll be working with a new set of rules as of August 17, 2024. According to a press release from the National Association of Realtors, offers of compensation w...
Posted Tue, Sep 10th 2024 6:51 pm
If you're buying or selling a home, you'll be working with a new set of rules as of August 17, 2024. According to a press release from the National Association of Realtors, offers of compensation w...
What To Know About the Homestead Exemption
Posted Wed, Aug 28th 2024 10:00 am
Most states offer homestead exemptions that will reduce the assessed value of your home. And by reducing this value, the exemption also reduces the amount you pay in property taxes each year. How ...
Posted Wed, Aug 28th 2024 10:00 am
Most states offer homestead exemptions that will reduce the assessed value of your home. And by reducing this value, the exemption also reduces the amount you pay in property taxes each year. How ...
Know Your Choices When Financing Home Improvements
Posted Fri, Aug 16th 2024 4:00 pm
Home renovations and improvements can be costly, running tens of thousands of dollars. Fortunately, you can borrow against your home’s equity to finance the cost of these projects. And you have two...
Posted Fri, Aug 16th 2024 4:00 pm
Home renovations and improvements can be costly, running tens of thousands of dollars. Fortunately, you can borrow against your home’s equity to finance the cost of these projects. And you have two...
Mortgage Closing Costs: Your Options
Posted Fri, Aug 2nd 2024 9:30 am
When you take out a mortgage loan, you’ll have to pay closing costs, the fees that your lender and other third-party companies charge for originating your home loan. These fees can run thousands of...
Posted Fri, Aug 2nd 2024 9:30 am
When you take out a mortgage loan, you’ll have to pay closing costs, the fees that your lender and other third-party companies charge for originating your home loan. These fees can run thousands of...
Piggyback Mortgage: The PMI Workaround
Posted Wed, Jul 17th 2024 10:30 am
PMI protects your lender in the event you default — but you have to pay the premium. Depending on the size of your loan, you can expect to pay $120 or more with each mortgage payment because of PMI...
Posted Wed, Jul 17th 2024 10:30 am
PMI protects your lender in the event you default — but you have to pay the premium. Depending on the size of your loan, you can expect to pay $120 or more with each mortgage payment because of PMI...
Hard Inquiries: How Detrimental Are They To Your Credit Score?
Posted Thu, Jul 4th 2024 9:00 am
Lenders and banks check your credit before they approve you for new credit cards or loans. They do this to be sure that in the past you've paid your debts on time. If you have, you are more likely ...
Posted Thu, Jul 4th 2024 9:00 am
Lenders and banks check your credit before they approve you for new credit cards or loans. They do this to be sure that in the past you've paid your debts on time. If you have, you are more likely ...