Retirement Funds for Home Purchase

For the person who has good credit and income but not enough money for the down payment on a home, their qualified retirement program could offer them some help. The rules are different depending on whether it is a 401(k), a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA. Up to half of the balance of a […]

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Choose a Lower Tax Rate

During campaign season, it is not unusual to hear a candidate criticized because they make a lot of money but pay little in income tax. While it might not seem fair, taxpayers are allowed to arrange their affairs so that they minimize the amount of tax paid. Salary, wages and commissions, along with interest and […]

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Increase Your Marketability

The seller has three tools available to affect the marketability of their home: price, condition and terms. Price is the easiest to adjust for the competing properties, amount of inventory or market conditions. However, lowering the price is not necessarily the best decision when trying to maximize the proceeds of sale. If a home is […]

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If you’re going to play, GET IN THE GAME

If competition is a buyer’s biggest concern, for goodness’ sake, get in the game. In a new survey of close to a thousand home buyers conducted by Redfin, affordability is still the number one concern but due to low inventories, competition from other buyers is moving its way up the poll. 26% identified affordability while […]

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Your Tenants Will Send Your Kids to College

Parents, with children getting closer and closer to entering college, may also be feeling stress because they haven’t saved enough for tuition and other expenses. It’s estimated that the average cost for the 2015-16 school year is $32,405 for private colleges, $9,410 for state residents of public colleges and $23,893 for out-of-state residents. If you […]

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The Obvious Alternative Investment

Rental homes can be a natural alternative investment choice for homeowners because they are already familiar with houses. Maintenance on a rental is not that much different than on your personal home. The same plumbers, painters and other workmen can be used to make repairs. Single family homes offer an investor high loan-to-value mortgages at […]

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7 Out of 50 Could Save Money

It is estimated that seven million out of 50 million homeowners could save money by refinancing their existing mortgages. Obviously, if the replacement mortgage has a lower rate than your existing one, you will save money. If you bought a home before 2011 and are paying mortgage insurance, you should investigate refinancing to eliminate that […]

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You may never stop paying for some improvements

You’ve saved the money and are ready to pay cash to build a new pool for your home. However, that’s just the beginning of your soon to be increased expenses which will include maintenance, higher utilities and higher taxes. Homeowners obviously benefit by a larger equity when their home increases in value due to appreciation. […]

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Your home may be worth a lot more than you think

Real estate lost a lot of value during the recession but most areas have rebounded considerably. In some cases, the homes are worth more than they were before the housing bubble burst. The dynamics are classic for this type of market: inventories are low, mortgage rates are low and demand is high. All price ranges […]

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Tips for Buying Rentals

Buying rental property can be an excellent decision and the better informed you are, the more likely you’ll have favorable results. The following suggestions can help you with your decisions. Real estate is a long term investment affected by supply, demand and the economy. It isn’t an investment that is easily converted to cash. The […]

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