VA loans — or loans backed by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs — are traditionally reserved for veterans or current active military members. But surviving spouses who have lost their military-employed husband or wife can also potentially qualify, too. It’s likely welcome news for these widows and widowers, as VA loans come with serious [...]
A home isn’t an impulse buy. Unless you’re Jeff Bezos or some sort of lottery winner, purchasing a home takes lots of forethought, planning and, you guessed, saving. Fortunately, technology is here to help make that easier (and more enjoyable). Is buying a home on your radar in the coming months or years? Then download [...]
Several news feeds are reporting that a well-intentioned mom has been working her way through Towson University speaking with female students, hoping to find a date for her son. She is apparently approaching young ladies that she approves of and showing them a picture of her son. University police are trying to identify the lady. [...]
It’s tax season, and you know what that means: a hefty refund could be just around the corner. What will you use it on? A shopping spree? A much-needed vacation? New clothes or shoes? If buying a home is anywhere on your radar, you might want to think again. Earmarking that refund for your home [...]
Attending open houses can be a great way to gauge the market, get a feel for what you’re looking for, and even scope out the local home buying competition. But open houses are a big undertaking for agents — and attending one also means respecting their hard work, the home, and the sellers who live [...]
Signing a purchase agreement for a home is an exciting day for both buyers and sellers. After possibly months of searching for the perfect home, buyers can breathe that first sigh of relief knowing what home they're going to buy, at what price, and on what date. It's the first time buyers can start to [...]
With the government shutdown over, at least for the next few days, it might be time to take a look at the impact on mortgage rates. Rates did surprisingly well during the shutdown, but the true impact of the shutdown won't be known until the markets have a chance to digest some economic data that [...]
When mortgage rates suddenly dipped to long-awaited lows earlier this year, rate locks became more popular than ever, giving buyers peace of mind that those low rates would be honored — even if it took weeks (or sometimes months) to find that perfect home, finalize their loan application, and close on the mortgage. But rate [...]
So you bought a house last year. Sure, it cost you a hefty down payment and some closing costs, but it’s all about to pay off — you may finally qualify for all those valuable tax deductions that some homeowners get to leverage. It’s true: the tax deductions can be one of the best parts of [...]
It looks like we have our first break of 2019 for the housing and mortgage industries. The Fed has moved away from rate hikes it had previously telegraphed for 2019. Nothing definitive, but that was the impression they left most commentators with. That will likely be good for the stock market — which is usually [...]
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