Why do you need to shop for your mortgage lender? Whether you have reservations or the rate feels too high, shopping around will help get you a better deal. Q: I applied with my daughter for pre-approval on a loan with a mortgage company. I applied several months ago and the lender never notified me [...]
How to fix an error on your home deed: Even if the home deed error seems minimal, spend time to correct the error quickly. Q: My deed contains an error. Instead of one of the property lines being described as running "south westerly 146 feet,” it reads "south easterly 146 feet." For purposes of selling [...]
When rental property investors violate home-sharing regulations, depending on where you are, city violations on short-term rentals can get costly. The city of San Francisco recently reached a $2.25 million settlement with a couple who violated the city’s short-term rental regulations when home sharing on Airbnb. Darren and Valerie Lee were sued in 2014 after [...]
What you need to know about being a condo owner: from the condominium association to voting on assessments, what’s expected of the owners? Q: As a new condo owner for last two years, I have enjoyed your recent column in our newspaper on condominium issues. I own a small condominium in a mid-sized building in [...]
What you need to know about student loans and mortgage pre-approval. Your loans and credit history play a large role in how much you’ll be approved for. Q: I have been enjoying your videos on YouTube and had a question about a pre-approval. My wife and I intend to try and get pre-approved for a [...]
Is Black Friday shopping worth it this year? Your Thanksgiving night might be better spent with loved ones thanks to Cyber Monday, pre-holiday sales and post-holiday extended sales. Between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, U.S. consumers will spend well over $20 billion, predicted by Adobe Analytics in their holiday sales forecast. That makes up a huge [...]
What’s the best way to divide inherited property? A little property value homework can help you decide the best option for your family. Q: How do I divide a real estate inheritance? An uncle died and named me the executor of his estate. I didn’t think he had much in the way or money or [...]
Speeding up the short sale process: Is it possible? The answer depends on the lender, the seller, and the real estate market. Q: I’ve been reading a lot of your columns about short sales. Why do short sales take so long to complete? How can I make the short sale process go faster? A: Short [...]
On Stress Awareness Day, we take a look at the pain points causing Millennials to stress about their money. A new Bank of America report, which analyzed the financial habits of over 1,000 Millennials, found that the majority of respondents felt they weren’t saving enough for future expenses like home buying and retirement. Best Money [...]
Will buying a house hurt your credit? Research on how taking out a mortgage impacts your credit score is finally here to answer this age-old question. Your credit score will fall an average of 15 points over a period of four months after buying a house, according to consumer analysis by LendingTree. More specifically, your [...]
