Are you thinking of financing a home this year? Have you been through a short sale? Pay close attention to your credit report; it can make or break your new mortgage. Lenders are required to accurately report the true circumstances surrounding
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Things That Don’t Factor Into Your Credit Score (That you thought did)
Location: The place that you live doesn’t have any bearing on your credit score. Even if your hometown statistically has bad credit, all that matters if how you handle your finances. Employment: On some occasions, information about your employment may be on your report depending on what is reported to each
Continue reading4 Things You Need Before Buying A Home
Emergency fund: An emergency fund saved up to cover unexpected costs is very important as a homeowner. Enough cash to cover 3-6 months of living expenses is ideal. This way, if your income is interrupted for any reason or unexpected expenses arise, you have enough money to still make mortgage
Continue readingGetting Value From Outdoor Upgrades
When adding features to your yard, it’s important to not only install what you love, but to think about adding something that adds value as well. The Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey ranks outdoor features that are rising in popularity: Outdoor lighting: (98.3% of architects rated this as very popular) Lighting
Continue readingTips For Saving On Groceries
Shop on non-peak days; Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are less busy and items are usually marked at much better prices these days since it’s harder to get shoppers in the door at these times. Be picky about expiration dates: For bakery items, meats, dairy, and packaged fresh produce,
Continue readingCredit Scores
Your credit score plays a large role in the type of financing you will be offered when looking to buy a home. Banks usually decide on the terms of a loan based on the credit score category that you fall in to. It is important to check
Continue readingVacation Budget Tips
Booking a summer vacation? Check out these tips! Lodging Look at websites that deal with vacation rentals. Often times, hotels or conference centers that deal primarily with business travelers have lower rates on the weekends. If renting a property, always read the entire listing and agreement before committing; don’t miss
Continue readingBoosting Your Credit Score
Monitor your credit: It’s difficult to improve your credit score if you don’t know what it is to begin with. There are many sites that offer a free credit report yearly and other sites provide you with your score from each of the three bureaus as well as daily credit
Continue reading3 Annoying Mortgage Hurdles And How To Get Over Them
High debt ratio: Even if you have a stellar credit score and lot’s of money in the bank, a high debt ratio is a problem when trying to get a mortgage. If your housing payments and your credit obligations are greater than 45% of your monthly income, it will be
Continue readingCredit Scores
Your credit score plays a large role in the type of financing you will be offered when looking to buy a home. Banks usually decide on the terms of a loan based on the credit score category that you fall in to. It is important to check
Continue reading