Have you ever listened to the podcast The Minimalists? I am a huge fan of the Minimalists and their views on most things. Minimalism is really just a state of mind and can be applied to so many facets of one's life. It doesn't have to encompass living like a monk with zero possessions, or not driving a car, or only eating a vegan diet, it can mean many different things to Continue Reading
Mortgage
Buyer Rebates
When you purchase a home, and you work with a real estate agent, you DO NOT pay your real estate agent directly. His or her commission is offered by the listing broker to the buyer's agent, called a coop fee, and paid for at closing by the seller. For the longest time, probably since the inception of the real estate industry, when real estate agents and developers came to be, Continue Reading
Leverage and Real Estate
Leverage is a very powerful concept and tool in Real Estate, and makes Real property one of the best, if not best, places to invest your money. The concept of leverage is relatively simple: You use other peoples' money to control an asset that appreciates in value. You bring some equity to the purchase (20% is the magic number) and then the bank brings the remaining 80%. Continue Reading
Struggling for that Down Payment?
Millennials are not buying homes at anywhere near the rate of previous generations, at the same point in their lives (i.e. Millennials in their 20's vs Boomers in their 20's, or even Gen X in their 20's for instance). Some of this might be changing preferences. Renting is easy and it gives you total flexibility. Move to a different neighborhood or city every year if you Continue Reading
Understanding Mortgage Estimates
The first step in buying a home is contacting a mortgage professional, who will ask you to fill out a mortgage application. This is the initial step and all that is required for a pre-qualification. For instance, you will provide information about your job, your other debt obligations like automobiles and student loans, and the lender will pull a hard credit check. From there Continue Reading
