01 Oct 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

4 Cool Green Material Ideas For Your New Home

Real Estate
If climate change is foremost in your mind, you may be interested in reducing your new home's carbon footprint. Choosing green materials is one way to promote sustainability and ensure you're doing your part to help the planet. Green Flooring  Flooring takes up all the square feet throughout your home. If you can opt for green flooring that will do a lot to reduce your new home's carbon footprint. Bamboo is a sustainable flooring option to consider. Bamboo grows at a rate that far outpaces any hardwood. For that reason, it's become a popular choice for homeowners looking for green material options. Bamboo flooring now comes in a wide variety of…
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27 Sep 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

Is It Possible To Have A Hurricane-Proof Home?

Real Estate
The recent total devastation of the Bahamas by hurricane Dorian reinforced the need for hurricane-proof homes in areas that are subject to this risk. Building codes have not kept up with the increasing severity of the weather. Wind Damage As an example, Florida communities, such as the Miami-Dade County area, have building codes that are designated by risk zones. The risk zones in Miami-Dade County are: Risk Category I - Buildings must be able to withstand 165 mph winds. Risk Category II - Buildings must be able to withstand 175 mph winds. Risk Category III - Buildings must be able to withstand 185 mph winds. These building codes were last updated…
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25 Sep 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

4 Reasons to Take Your Own Car When Viewing Homes

Real Estate
When you're in the market for a new home to buy, your real estate agent will likely invite you to ride along with them to view homes. This is a convenient courtesy, but you may want to reconsider. Your other option is to follow the real estate agent in your own car instead. Here are some reasons to take your own car when viewing homes: 1. It Gives You Time To Confer With Your Partner After you've looked at one house, getting back into your private vehicle with your partner allows some time to openly talk about the house you just saw without worrying about how it may influence others.  2.…
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17 Sep 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

New Home Prices Going Down Making Them More Affordable

Real Estate
Residential real estate developers in America are responding to a national slowdown in new home construction by building smaller homes that are more modestly priced. The demand for smaller, less expensive homes is growing, while the overall demand for new custom homes is declining. Prices decreased slightly, by about one-half percent, from the price levels in 2018 for newly-constructed homes. Lower Profits For Builders The median price for a newly-constructed home in America is $372,900. The median sales price of an existing home is $309,700. American construction companies are feeling the pressure to build lower-priced homes along with the increased costs for imported building materials due to the tariffs and a…
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13 Sep 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

4 Simple Tips For Staying Organized With Kids

Real Estate
It can be challenging to be organized when you have children. But this is only because, as a devoted parent, you want to be sure your child has everything they need to become happy, well-rounded adults some day. This usually means you'll be bringing your kids to extracurricular activities, play dates, fun events and family outings. It also typically means that over the years there will be a steady stream of school supplies, toys, new clothes and maybe even a musical instrument or two. So how can busy parents stay organized with kids?  Share A Calendar Depending on how you prefer to organize your days, consider sharing a digital or paper…
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12 Sep 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

How Long Should I Spend Looking For a New Home?

Real Estate
Whether you've been looking for a home for a long time now, or you're just about to get started on the hunt, you're probably wondering how long should you spend looking for a new home. Does it take weeks to find your forever home, or months or even a year? What's typical? There Is No Typical The reality is, there is no typical amount of time it takes to find your home. There are too many variables, including how actively you're looking. Maybe you've heard horror stories of people who've been hunting for a house for a year. But come to find out, they've only really devoted one weekend a month…
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