Buying a home is often the biggest single purchase you’ll ever make. But it isn’t just choosing a home to buy that’s complicated. You’ve got to think through neighborhood issues, size issues, and cost issues. Buying a home can also include legal issues, construction or building concerns, and have serious tax implications. Financing your home purchase is another big topic of interest for most home buyers. From this topic page, you’ll be able to find articles and videos that help you understand how to balance what you want in a home with what you can afford to spend. You’ll also be able to refine your search about buying a home by using the topic cloud on the right navigation.
Why is Aging in Place Important?
By Liz Stevens| 2019-02-13T10:30:27-06:00 February 13th, 2019|
Why is aging in place important? Seniors are staying in their homes longer than prior generations and it's contributing to the national housing shortage. Today’s seniors have better health and higher levels of education than prior generations and that means they’re living longer and working longer. Seniors born after 1931 are staying in their homes [...]
Housing Forecast Highlights You Need to Know for 2019
By Liz Stevens| 2019-02-07T09:43:15-06:00 December 20th, 2018|
Housing forecast highlights you need to know. Whether you’re buying a home, selling a home, or investing in real estate here’s what you need to know about the housing market in 2019. It’s that time of year again. In addition to unwrapping packages and stuffing yourself with sweets, real estate industry observers have been at [...]
When Is the Best Time to Buy a House?
By Liz Stevens| 2018-11-28T16:42:11-06:00 November 28th, 2018|
When’s the best time to buy a house? ATTOM Data Solutions analyzed over 18 million single-family home and condo sales over the past 5 years for the answer. If you plan to close on a home purchase soon, you’re in luck! Seven of the 10 best days to buy a house are in December. The [...]
What Will Homes of the Future Look Like?
By Liz Stevens| 2018-08-27T12:12:19-05:00 August 23rd, 2018|
Real estate research predicts what new construction homes will look like twenty years into the future based on historical housing trends. Hello, central air conditioning and two-car garages. Goodbye basements and fireplaces! A recent real estate study from Porch analyzed census data from 1999 through 2016 to forecast new construction home building trends in the [...]
How Much House Can I Afford?
By Ilyce Glink| 2019-05-29T15:20:53-05:00 March 19th, 2010|
While we all have seen shows on dream homes, we may not be able to afford those homes and may not want to actually live in those dream homes. You need to know how much you can afford when buying a house. When you know the amount, you still need to feel comfortable spending that amount on a monthly basis. A big mistake home buyers make is thinking they can afford a home and then realizing that they are spending too much of their money trying to keep their home. It's a common home buying mistake to buy more than you can comfortably afford. Make sure you are comfortable with your monthly home budget.
Why Buy Title Insurance On a House When You Pay Cash For the Home
By Ilyce Glink| 2019-11-26T15:26:56-06:00 October 15th, 2009|
If you are making the largest investment of your life, wouldn't you want to make sure you are protected by obtaining and buying title insurance? When you buy title insurance on a house, a title company gives you certain guarantees that you are the rightful owner of the home and certain other title protections. Title insurance does not protect you against future title problems that might develop nor does it protect you from fire or other casualties. But if you are paying cash to a seller are you certain the seller will give you good title to the home?
Ask Ilyce – March 9, 2004
By Ilyce Glink| 2009-01-19T01:02:03-06:00 January 19th, 2009|
How much of your savings should go toward a down payment? What's the best way to turn the home your renting into a home you'd like to buy? WGN's Money Saving Expert Ilyce Glink answers questions from the Mailbag about buying and selling real estate.
Expert Real Estate Tips: What Is A HUD-1 Form?
By Ilyce Glink| 2009-01-06T21:48:56-06:00 January 6th, 2009|
What is a HUD-1 Form in real estate? The HUD-1 Form is a record of all money spent during the purchase of a home. Appraisals and other services are listed on the HUD-1 Form and many are tax deductible items. Learn more about HUD-1 Forms from this Expert Real Estate Tips segment.
Short Sale Buyer May Lose Money
By Ilyce Glink| 2008-12-19T00:00:00-06:00 December 19th, 2008|
In a short sale, a bank agrees to let a homeowner sell a home for less than what the homeowner owes the bank on the mortgage. But what happens when a short sale falls through -- when the home seller changes his mind at the last minute? The short sale buyer may lose money on an uncompleted short sale. The short sale buyer should contact a real estate attorney to understand his rights.
Expert Real Estate Tips: Down Payment Information
By Ilyce Glink| 2008-12-18T21:00:41-06:00 December 18th, 2008|
How much down payment is required to buy a home today and how does location and house price affect your down payment requirements? Learn what percent of the house price you will need as down payment when buying your new home in this Expert Real Estate Tips segment on down payments.