Posts from November 2011
Subscribe and receive email notifications of new blog posts.
RSS Feed
- 2026 | 6 Posts
- 2025 | 47 Posts
- 2024 | 39 Posts
- 2023 | 35 Posts
- 2022 | 58 Posts
- 2021 | 13 Posts
- 2020 | 25 Posts
- 2019 | 11 Posts
- 2018 | 1 Posts
- 2017 | 42 Posts
- 2016 | 66 Posts
- 2015 | 24 Posts
- 2014 | 64 Posts
- 2013 | 44 Posts
- 2012 | 38 Posts
- 2011 | 79 Posts
- 2010 | 38 Posts
- 2009 | 35 Posts
- 2008 | 1 Posts
22
How Much Should You Put Down?
Like most questions, the answer is "it depends". Today, I thought I'd give you some things to consider. Let's begin the discussion with loans that don't require Mortgage Insurance. The suggestion is to borrow as much as you can afford. As an example, borrowing $310,000, as opposed to $300,000, will increase your mortgage payment by about $51 at 4.5%. Recognize that by doing so, you will have $10,000 in the bank. It is my experience that it is easier to find $50 more every month than it is to save $10,000. Even if you had the discipline to set aside the $50 monthly, it would take you 200 months to re-accumulate the $10,000 in principal (longer with lost interest). Understand too, that the interest paid on the extra money borrowed is tax-deductible. In a 25% tax bracket the $51 additional has a real cost of about $38! H...
15
Is There a 3.8% Tax on Homes in the Health Bill?
As the presidential debates start to heat up, there will be comments about the Administration's Health Care Bill. We are again getting many questions about a possible 3.8% tax on home sales that some claim is in the bill. To answer these questions, we have decided to re-run a blog post we did a couple months ago. We have received many questions about a possible 3.8% tax which will be put on home sales beginning in 2013. We want to do our best to clarify this situation for everyone. We are not accountants and give you this information just as a simple answer to the misconception. Understand that, when it comes to IRS regulations, you should check with your accountant for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
10
Americans Still Believe in the Value of Homeownership
Last week, Fannie Mae released their National Housing Survey for the third quarter of 2011. They survey the American public on a multitude of questions concerning today's housing market. Each quarter, we like to pull out some of the findings we deem most interesting. Here they are for the most recent report:
Most Important Reasons to Buy a Home
The study shows that the four major reasons a person buys a home have nothing to do with money. The top four reasons, in order, are:
- It means having a good place to raise children and provide them with a good...
8
Is the Real Estate Market a Good Return on Investment?
Words can not the answer to the question above. Only a very strong photo that was provided to us by MSN money. . .
4
What If I Don't Currently Qualify For a New Mortgage?
Ruhl&Ruhl realizes that when the idea or dream of purchasing a home starts to circle around in your mind, majority of the time the title above does not accompany that thought. And while this type of situation is unbelievably frustrating, keep in mind that you do have options. Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors along with 1862 Mortgage is here to help. Let's start from the beginning, say you have begun your home search and you meet with a Lender. That Lender will review your credit along with income and assets to determine if you qualify for a new loan. What happens when you find out you do not qualify? First, find out what steps you will need to take to get qualified. These may vary and include a credit improvement plan, a savings plan to accumulate your down payment and closing costs and/or a plan for how long you mus...
