Buying a House

If buying a home is in your not-so-distant future, now is the time to get your finances in order for the big purchase. In doing so, you can avoid many of the stressors other first-time homebuyers face. According to TD Bank’s Mortgage Service Index, released in April, 69 percent of homebuyers find buying a home [...]

What every home buyer should know before buying property is crucial. Start by researching the market, and learning about the target property. Q: In your recent column, you gave wise counsel on making a second offer when the asking price on a house is over fair market value. I thought you might want to hear [...]

When wondering how to challenge a low home appraisal, know that the market may be hard to judge if there have been no sales in certain areas. Q: You’ve had a bunch of letters lately involving appraisers and I wanted to share my story. My experience with appraisers is they sometimes use very sketchy information. [...]

When buying a short sale property, paying more than the house is worth is up to you. The lender can ask for more, but you don't have to agree. Q: I listen to your radio show every week – it is always so informative! Thank you for providing such great advice. I am in the [...]

The last few years have been tough for millions of homeowners. The loss of jobs, decreased hours and incomes, and declining home values have been devastating to communities and families alike. The entire real estate market has taken a big hit, as have consumers’ credit ratings. But the fundamentals of buying a home after a [...]

Getting a home appraisal before making an offer will help determine how a bank would look at the fair market value of the property. Q: We are trying to buy a new home and would like to hire a reputable home appraiser to look at the property to get a real sense of what the property [...]