There is a lot of attention paid to first-time homebuyers. Most real estate agents and lenders have some kind of guide to help first-time homebuyers navigate their first home purchase, but what about the first-time seller? 

Selling your home for the first time can be just as confusing as a home purchase, so here are a few things to remember as you navigate your home sale. 

Before that first showing, it’s important to prepare. This involves not only cleaning, decluttering, and staging the home,

Have you ever been to a home where it’s clear that the kids have taken over the space? It’s obvious that the home has become more of a playground, filled with toys and bright-colored plastic everywhere. Homes like this often sacrifice style for durability or stain-resistance. Maybe this is your home? The good news is that it’s possible to create a home

Mortgage interest rates are the lowest they’ve been in years and perhaps you’re wondering if it’s time to refinance your loan. Lenders advertising their refinancing services make it sound as easy as filling out a form and paying less each month. While refinancing does not need to be complicated, here are 5 common mistakes that could cost you thousands

Most homebuyers realize that they can’t expect a perfect home inspection report when buying a resale home. Cosmetic flaws and minor repairs are easily managed and shouldn’t be deal breakers. That said, there are some issues that are more serious and should give the buyer pause if not addressed adequately. 

10 Home Inspection Red Flags 

1. Leaky and Rundown Roofing – watch for signs of current or past water damage.
2. Poor Drainage – drainage issues can cause serious damage to the home foundation, siding, and basements. 

Saving for a down payment in preparation for buying a new home is pretty common knowledge. With the mortgage meltdown, most mortgages that allowed zero down payments disappeared. While FHA and VA loans still offer little to no money down, most potential homebuyers will need to save at least 3-20% of the home value. 

Unfortunately, many first-time homebuyers are dismayed to learn that in addition to the down payment, they also owe

Even in a strong seller’s market, a homebuyer might hear the words, “Make me an offer.” For a nicely appointed home that is well priced, this can be a surprise. Being invited to write an offer can often give the buyer pause. Most buyers will immediately wonder if something is wrong with the home. Did they miss something that is causing the home to

It seems like everybody is remodeling these days. With everyone spending more time at home, not only are the dated features of our properties more obvious, but we also have the time and flexibility to meet contractors and supervise changes. New flooring is always a popular upgrade and heated floors are one option worth considering. 

Heated floors involve adding heating elements under the flooring materials. Many people love a heated tile floor in the

Manual underwriting is how all loans were evaluated before computer algorithms took the human logic out of the process. Simply stated, a loan that is manually underwritten is one where a person evaluates the file for the borrower’s ability to make the loan payments. For those who have had credit issues in the past that are easily explained and understood, requesting a manual underwriter may make the difference between getting the loan or not. 

Almost everyone has gone through difficult financial times at some point in life. Perhaps a divorce or job layoff caused a

If your lifestyle has changed with time and you’re ready to ditch the big house for a smaller, more manageable home, it might be time to downsize. Deciding to shift to a more care-free dwelling is easy – determining where to begin is much harder. The accumulation of decades of living can feel overwhelming; taking the move step by step will help you break it down into manageable stages. 

Before you do anything else, do your research and find the right location for your new home. Explore different

Nothing is more stressful than shopping for a mortgage and realizing your credit score isn’t what you expected. Worse still is finding that your identity has been stolen and there are fraudulent accounts or activity on your report. Recovering from identity theft can be time-consuming – you might lose your dream home if the seller cannot wait for