18 Jun 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

The Benefits Of Adding An In-Law Apartment To A Home

Real Estate
One renovation that may add value to a home is an in-law apartment. Even if a homeowner does not have any relatives, an in-law apartment makes wonderful guest accommodations. It is possible to rent it when unoccupied to earn some money. Homeowners who rent out part of a home need to check with their insurance agent to upgrade insurance to accommodate commercial use of a part of the home. Additionally, a person staying in an in-law apartment, who is not a member of the owner's household, may need to get renter's insurance to cover any personal property kept in the in-law apartment. Renovation Plans An in-law apartment may be in a…
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13 Jun 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

How To Buy A Bargain Home As A Short Sale

Real Estate
A short sale is when the mortgage lender(s) agrees to sell the property for a lower amount than the loan-balance remaining. During the worst moments of the 2006 to 2008 real estate crisis, homes sold as short sales for a fraction of their value. Lenders had so many properties with loans in default that they could not manage the ones that they had in foreclosure. Foreclosure is an expensive legal process that causes a lender to lose more money on a property. This is one of the motivators that encourages lenders to accept a short sale because sometimes through a short sale the foreclosure process is avoided. Are Short Sales Still…
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11 Jun 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

7 New Home Upgrades that Could Save Your Life

Real Estate
One of the best things about moving into a new home is personalizing it and really making it yours. From hanging wall art to arranging furniture to finding the perfect spot for your grandmother's hand crocheted afghan, it's a real joy to decorate. But are you forgetting about the big investment you just made? Consider the following important home upgrades that will protect your home and your family. 1. Smoke Alarm Take an afternoon and upgrade all your new home's smoke alarms. Smoke alarms save lives and it's not worth it to assume that just because it's there it's working.  2. Carbon Monoxide Alarm Do the same upgrade with your carbon…
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06 Jun 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

Renovations That Improve Resale Value And Those That Don’t

Real Estate
Those who want to renovate a home usually do this to make it more spacious, improve its condition, and to add amenities. However, it is also important to consider if the renovation has the potential to add value to a home. Unless the plan is to live in the same place for life, there is a strong likelihood that, at some point, the home will go on the market for sale. It is nice if it sells for a high price and there is some profit for the seller in the transaction. It is not the amount spent on renovations that is the key consideration. In fact, spending a lot of…
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05 Jun 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

The Importance Of “Rights” When Buying A Property

Real Estate
When buying real estate there are certain standard rights usually included, unless the property has an encumbrance that in some way causes an exclusion as noted in the sale.There are also additional rights that may or may not be in the sale, which may represent significant value. Standard Real Estate Ownership Rights The standard rights conveyed to the owner of the title deed for a property include: Possession: Possession is a legal word for ownership. Possession occurs after closing on the purchase of a property, receiving the title, and recording the sale with the county office where the property is. Anyone who has a claim against the property files a lien…
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04 Jun 2019
By Mortgage Blog Content

Want to Make A Richer Life? Take Time To Make Time

Real Estate
Many who are financially sound got that way by being skilled at accumulating wealth. The question is, did they also accumulate quality of life? Working all the time to build wealth, while at the same time lacking happy experiences with those who are important, is not creating a rich life. Here are some ideas to promote both a healthy and wealthy lifestyle. Time Budget For those who already do a decent job at managing their finances by using a budget, congratulations for doing half of the planning well. In order to have a fully-satisfying life, the other budget that is needed is a time management budget. Allocate time on a weekly…
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