24 Mar 2020
By noelkelman

Home Sales Are Spiking, Driven By Low Mortgage Rates

Mortgage, ,
According to data from the National Association of Realtors, existing-home sales increased by 3.6% in December 2019. That pace is the strongest month-over-month in almost two years, since February 2018. The sales figures were also up 10.8% from what they were in December 2018. What's behind this uptick? The biggest factor driving the surge in home sales is historically low mortgage interest rates.  Plummeting Rates During the last week of February 2020, mortgage rates fell to their lowest in three years and were hovering - just barely - above all-time lows. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was sitting at 3.45%, almost…
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20 Mar 2020
By noelkelman

Paying Rent And Mortgages With A Credit Card

Mortgage, ,
When people purchase a house, they usually set up their mortgage payments as a direct draft out of a checking account. The same is typically true of rent payments; however, many people have wondered if there was another way to pay rent or mortgage. After all, there are credit cards out there that have fantastic rewards. It would be great to take advantage of these rewards by placing rent and mortgage payments on a card. Sadly, there is no way to pay rent or mortgage with a credit card without a fee. There are bank interchange fees that would lead…
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19 Mar 2020
By noelkelman

More Than 25% Of Millennial Homebuyers May Be Financially Unprepared

Mortgage, ,
Millennials are the first generation in America that will probably not be able to do as well as their parents. In the United States, there is not as much upward mobility as there was in the past. What is the cause of this? CNN reports that Millennials have more college degrees than their parents. They also have an enormous amount of student loan debt. Many millennials have lower-paying jobs than their parents had at the same age when adjusted for inflation. Spending patterns changed as well, due to the high cost of living. Finding The Money Saving is not easy.…
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12 Mar 2020
By noelkelman

The Long-Term Toll Of College Costs

Mortgage, ,
Taking out enormous student loans to get a college degree may be a terrible idea for some. The burden of paying off this debt can make it far more challenging to do other important things like buying a home. Here are some common problems that come from taking out large student loans: Not Worth It: The college degree may not help you land a high-paying job. Even high-paying jobs like being a dentist have extremely high educational costs as well. Aspiring dentists borrow, on average, over $500,000 to go to dental school and spend multiple decades paying it back. Tuition…
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11 Mar 2020
By noelkelman

Wealthy Seniors Can Benefit From Jumbo Products

Mortgage, ,
Individuals who own their homes with a considerable amount of equity should consider looking into proprietary jumbo reverse mortgages. These can be helpful tools that may allow seniors to either pay down an existing mortgage or fund their retirement.  These tools are particularly helpful in areas of the country that have high property values, such as California and New York. In these states, jumbo reverse mortgages may provide seniors with up to $4 million in potential loan proceeds. These funds can be applied to a variety of possible purposes. A Changing Thought Process Surrounding Reverse Mortgages In the past, mentioning…
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05 Mar 2020
By noelkelman

Most Renters Are Paying Far More Than Their Landlord’s Mortgage

Mortgage, ,
In the overwhelming majority of the 50 largest cities across the U.S., monthly rent is more than the mortgage payment for single-family homes. In several cases, much more.  Global answering service and chat support company Moneypenny compiled data from Zillow on median rent and mortgage payments from July 2014-July 2019. In order to calculate the monthly mortgage payments, Moneypenny took the median home sale prices during the same time period and in the same major cities and then used nationally-average mortgage terms: 30-year fixed rate at 4% with approximately 6% down.  Once the two figures -- median monthly rent and median…
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28 Feb 2020
By noelkelman

Should I Pay Off My Mortgage Or Invest the Money?

Mortgage, ,
To understand what to do with a windfall or extra disposable income when it comes to paying down a mortgage or investing the money, we need to discuss and understand the concept of opportunity cost. What Is Opportunity Cost? The concept of opportunity cost takes into consideration the total financial impact of the use of funds when applied in different ways, to be able to compare the effectiveness of how it is best to use them. The opportunity cost considers the risks involved, the potential reward, as well as the tax implications of the choices. Risk Versus Reward Evaluation All…
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27 Feb 2020
By noelkelman

Find The Best Mortgage Deal With A Few Simple Steps

Mortgage, ,
Currently, this is a great time to be in the market for a new home. The interest rates on mortgages have fallen countless times over the past few years. Even though interest rates have been in the double-digits in the past, there are homeowners today who are able to agree to a mortgage for less than three percent.  Despite the low interest rates, it is still important to get the best possible deal. There are a few simple steps that everyone should follow to get the best mortgage deal possible. Know How Much You Need The first step is to…
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