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3 ‘Hidden’ Costs You’ll Uncover Buying Your First Home – and How to Plan for Them

Are you about to become a first-time home buyer? If so, there's a lot to get excited about. You'll soon be a home owner, able to customize and improve your living space as you see fit. Of course, buying a home is an investment unlike any other. To get the best deal on your home, you'll need to be diligent. Let's have a look at some of the hidden costs you may uncover when buying your first home. #1: The Home Inspection (And What It Finds) A major step before buying any home is the inspection. A licensed inspector will…
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The 7 Most Unaffordable Cities for Real Estate in the USA (And 3 Affordable Gems!)

As prices continue to rise across the board with everything from food to gas, it's no wonder that real estate prices are high in many cities across the USA. While this is the case for a large number of cities, there are also certain areas in which prices are decidedly low. Here's a small look at the most affordable and unaffordable cities within America. The Seven Most Unaffordable Cities Oakland, CA - Though Los Angeles and San Francisco are 2 California cities that may first come to mind, Oakland is also highly expensive when it comes to real estate, with…
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Can One Missed Mortgage Payment Affect Your Credit Rating? Yes! Here’s What to Do if You Miss One

Most people don't know whether or not a single missed mortgage payment can have serious consequences for their credit score. The good news is that there are things that can be done to mitigate the damage and help anyone who has missed a payment repair their credit. What are some options to help homeowners get back in the good graces of their creditors? Own Up To The Mistake The best thing to do is to admit that the payment was missed and immediately make amends for it. For the most part, mortgage lenders are sympathetic to the fact that people…
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National Association of REALTORS Existing Home Sales Exceed Projections

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, existing home sales surpassed both May sales and expectations for June. Sales of previously owned homes increased by 2.60 percent in June and reached a seasonally adjusted annual level of 5.04 million sales. June's reading was the third consecutive monthly increase in sales of existing homes and was the highest reading for existing home sales in eight months. Existing home sales remain 2.30 percent below the June 2013 reading of 5.16 million sales of existing homes. Analysts projected sales of 5 million existing homes for June against May's initial reading of 4.89 million…
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Is Now the Time to Consider a 15-Year Mortgage? Five Reasons to Give the 15Y Another Look

A 15-year fixed mortgage is, as its name suggests, a mortgage that's paid off after 15 years. Since it amortizes fully, after that amount of time you won't have to pay anything else. This type of mortgage has a lot of benefits, and below we'll share just a few of them. 1) No Need For Payments After Retirement Here it highly depends on when in life you choose to take on the mortgage. However, most people decide to take on a mortgage at around 30 years of age. If this is the case for you, then it means you'll be…
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