The journey to buying a house can lead down some perilous roads, past pushy Realtors, self-interested bankers and not-so-meticulous home inspectors. We lay out a step-by-step approach to help you avoid those pitfalls, from what to look for in a house that will truly make you happy to assembling a […]

Buying your first home comes with many big decisions and can be as scary as it is exciting. It’s easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of home shopping and make mistakes that could leave you with buyer’s remorse later. If this is your first rodeo as a homebuyer […]

The Many Ways to Be Relieved of Your Timeshare Obligations While it is true that a timeshare contract is a binding legal document, it is often mistakenly thought that such a contract cannot only be cancelled. In fact, most timeshare companies maintain that their contracts are non – cancellable. This […]

Most people would buy a home if it weren’t for this one thing Homeownership has long been the American Dream. But for many, it seems that money (or the lack thereof, more specifically) is the only thing standing in the way of that dream. According to a recent survey from […]

If you’re behind on your mortgage payments and don’t see your situation improving, you might be thinking the only way out of this mess is to sell your home. But can you? The short answer is yes—that is, so long as your lender hasn’t foreclosed on your home yet. The foreclosure process begins […]

Know the true cost of homeownership Think you’re getting a raw deal by renting your digs? The truth is that homeownership will put you on the hook for big-ticket expenses you don’t have as a renter. In addition to your monthly mortgage payment, you’ll also have to pay property taxes, […]

Greg Hart’s home in Thousand Oaks, California There is a new way to take cash out of your home with no monthly payments and no interest. It’s not a loan. It’s not a mortgage. It is a contract with an investor who wants to purchase some of your home equity […]

1. Form a relationship with a real estate agent that specializes in properties with land in your area of interest and with a lender that can help you with an appropriate loan. If you are considering a government-sponsored loan like a USDA, Federal Housing Administration or Department of Veterans Affairs […]

An excellent credit score is anything above 800, according Fair Isaac Corp.’s FICO model. A recent LendingTree analysis revealed what the finances of people with credit scores of at least 801 look like. People with excellent credit have an average of nine open accounts, a credit limit around $71,000, a credit utilization rate under […]

Nearly 27 million Americans own their home outright and are free of the challenging financial burden of paying a mortgage. And, many people want to join their ranks. A 15- or 30-year loan doesn’t mean you have to take that long to repay the money. Unless the early repayment penalties are incredibly […]