It Is Tax Time Again Learn About Tax Deductions and How to Write off Your Home Mortgage Interest

Much to the frustration of taxpayers all over the country, the tax-filing season begins in January and runs through April 15 of each year. The year 2020 brought us many changes, including an extension on filing taxes. Taxes this year are due on July 15th. Are you ready? As the current tax season approaches, it presents an opportunity to help tax-payers clarify their responsibilities and remind them of certain important tax deductions that may be available. Filing Responsibilities Every person in the United States is required to file their tax returns by July 15 so long as they have some…
Read More

Case-Shiller: Home Price Growth Holds Steady In April

Case-Shiller’s National Home Price Index showed little change in April as home prices rose by 0.10 percent to a year-over-year average of 4.70 percent. The 20-City Home Price Index showed corresponding home price growth of 0.10 percent to 4.00 percent year-over-year. Ongoing influences on home price growth before the coronavirus pandemic included short supplies of available homes coupled with high demand for homes and low mortgage rates. While closures and shelter-at-home restrictions in many markets slowed buyer and seller activity,  real estate analysts said that home-buyer desiring to buy larger homes to accommodate working at home helped maintain home prices.…
Read More

A Breakdown – The Difference Between FHA, VA and USDA Mortgages

Are you thinking about using mortgage financing to buy a new home? If so, you've likely heard about mortgage insurance policies requirements and you may be wondering how they will affect you. In today's blog post we'll explore mortgage insurance and explain the difference between conventional, FHA, VA and USDA mortgage insurance policies. How Does Private Mortgage Insurance or "PMI" Work? While there are a number of reasons that your lender may require mortgage insurance, in general you'll be required to purchase a conventional PMI policy if you are putting less than 20 percent of the home's value in as…
Read More

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 29, 2020

Last week’s scheduled economic news included readings on sales of new and pre-owned homes and reports on inflation. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and new and continuing jobless claims were also released. Home Sales Results Mixed for May The National Association of Realtors® reported fewer sales of pre-owned homes in May at a seasonally-adjusted annual pace of 3.91 million sales. Analysts expected 3.80 million sales as compared to April’s reading of 4.33 million sales. This was the lowest reading for sales of pre-owned homes since July 2010 and sales were 26.60 percent lower year-over-year. Lawrence Yun,  the chief economist for…
Read More

The Ultimate Guide To Hard Money Loans

There are multiple types of loans out there and one of the easiest to get is called a hard money loan. On the other hand, it is also important for people to avoid being lured in by an attractive loan offer because it might be expensive. When it comes to a hard money loan, there are a few important points that people should note. These can be an essential tool for investors. What Is A Hard Money Loan? As a rule of thumb, most people look at a hard money loan as a tool of last resort. This is usually…
Read More