First-time home buyers, beware! The more experience you have with buying real estate, the more you’ll learn about the complicated process. Between the confusing terminology and the logistics of buying a house, it’s all-too-easy to make the wrong move or wind up in an unwise investment. If you’re a first-time […]

According to a Homes.com survey, buying a home is the most stressful life event for some… There was a time when you could get a mortgage, regardless of your credit score. There were no-credit loans, loans for people without incomes or assets, and even home loans for people who had […]

So, you’ve found a house you love, been approved for a mortgage, and are just waiting to close on your loan. It can sometimes take a few days or even a few weeks to get from this point to your closing date when the transfer of the property takes place. And, […]

Paying extra on your mortgage can be a good idea. It can shave years off your home loan and save tens of thousands of dollars in interest charges. The one thing you should not do, however, is sign up for an accelerated payment plan from a mortgage service company that […]

Buying a home isn’t like buying a pair of shoes, or even a car. Rather than simply showing up with money, the process of purchasing real estate is a legal transaction as well as a financial transaction, and it takes weeks-if not months-to complete. But, when you find a place […]

While buying the perfect home can be a dream come true, paying for the mortgage that might come with it can be a very daunting task, especially if you need to settle hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of debt. Still, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to take […]

Mortgage rates have gone down in recent weeks, giving you an opportunity to refinance your home at an attractive rate, to lower your mortgage costs or tap some of the equity you’ve built up. But while there are plenty of excellent reasons to refi, exchanging your existing home loan for a […]

Every corner of the personal finance world seems to hammer home the same point: Debt is the wealth killer. Debt is the single greatest threat to your college savings, financial independence, and retirement planning. Except, as it turns out, one kind of debt defies these rules: mortgages. Paying money to […]

Mortgages are a lot like cars: Even those who have one don’t always understand what’s going on under the hood. Whether you’re dreaming of your first house or living in your third, mortgages can seem complicated and a little scary. That’s why thousands of people punch mortgage-related questions into their […]

Q. My 83-year-old aunt pays $3,000 a year in property taxes. Her house is paid off. She lives in it. She wants to defer payments of the taxes. Let’s say she passes away in five years. When the house gets sold, will the $15,000 she will then owe get taken […]