Are You Trapped by Your Low Mortgage Rate? More Than 1 Million Homeowners May Be Facing the Same Dilemma
For millions of Americans, securing a mortgage during the era of historically low interest rates felt like winning the financial lottery. Homeowners who purchased or refinanced between 2020 and 2022 often locked in mortgage rates below 4%, and in some cases below 3%. Those rates reduced monthly housing costs, improved affordability, and created significant long-term […]
Save Your Home from Foreclosure: Take the 3-Minute Risk Assessment
Assessing your risk is a crucial step in maintaining financial stability, especially when it comes to homeownership. Understanding your risk level can help you identify potential pitfalls before they become overwhelming problems. By evaluating your financial situation, you can make informed decisions to save your home from foreclosure and protect your investment. This proactive approach […]
Tired of Renting? This Credit Playbook Can Set You Free
Tired of Renting? This Credit Playbook Can Set You Free Understanding your credit score is crucial for anyone looking to navigate the financial landscape effectively. A credit score is a numerical representation of your creditworthiness, typically ranging from 300 to 850. This score is influenced by various factors, including your payment history, the amount of […]
Renting Should Be Temporary — Not Your Retirement Plan
As individuals approach retirement, the question of housing becomes increasingly significant. Relying on renting for retirement can present several pitfalls that may jeopardize financial stability and overall well-being. One of the most pressing issues is the lack of control over housing costs. Rent prices can fluctuate dramatically based on market conditions, and retirees on a […]
Common Financial Mistakes in Early Adulthood (And How to Avoid Them)
Early adulthood financial mistakes can quietly undermine your future—before you even realize it. For many, this phase marks the first time you’re managing your own money, making career decisions, and possibly supporting a household. Whether you’re fresh out of college, recently married, or navigating life after your first job, it’s a critical window for building […]
The Impact of Credit Scores on Mortgage Options for Parents
Understand how credit scores affect mortgage options for parents and discover strategies to improve your credit score to secure better mortgage rates and terms.
3 Home Buying Hacks to Buy a House
For many people, buying a home is a milestone that signifies stability and achievement. Unfortunately, a variety of factors have made homeownership a challenge. From having to save for a down payment to building your credit, the difficulties can seem endless. Understanding the home buying process can greatly reduce stress and lead to better decisions. […]
Hidden Costs of Owning a Home
Buying a home can provide an enormous sense of accomplishment, and homeownership is a pathway to building wealth too. But making the leap from renter to owner also carries plenty of challenges – including the responsibility of paying for numerous upfront and ongoing expenses. Naturally, there are initial hurdles, like amassing the down payment and […]
Are You Ready for Homeownership?
Are you ready for homeownership? Buying a home will likely be one of the biggest investments of your life. So you want to get it right – especially when it comes to picking the right mortgage and the right mortgage lender. My new Homeownership Smarts course on Money Coach University will turn you into an […]
10 Practical Tips to Prepare to Buy a Home This Year
Prospective homeowners often ask me what they can do to buy a home – and get into the house of their dreams quickly. Frankly, not everyone should buy a house. There are lots of rights and responsibilities that go along with homeownership. And as I explain in my book, Your First Home, if you’re not […]
Can I Refinance My Mortgage if I Have Bad Credit?
If you’re hoping to refinance your mortgage, but are worried about having bad credit, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that you can get a new home loan, and bad credit alone won’t stop you from refinancing your existing house note. The bad news is that a poor credit rating will […]
How to Pay Zero Taxes on Mortgage Debt Forgiveness After Foreclosure or a Short Sale
Did you go through foreclosure, modify your mortgage, or do a short sale last year and sell your home for less than what was owed to your mortgage lender? If so, you probably got a 1099-C, a Cancellation of Debt, from your lender and you now need to know how to account for that transaction […]
How Can I Move Without Defaulting on my Mortgage?
Q: I bought a condo in 2006 and my mortgage is more than it should be. I recently married and would like to move into a more spacious house. However, it would be difficult to sell my condo or even rent it for what we pay each month. My mortgage lender doesn’t do refi’s. So […]
Is My Home an Asset or a Liability?
When you think about the assets you own, does your house immediately spring to mind? It should, if you made any down payment on the house. That down payment – whether it was from funds out of your own pocket or money secured elsewhere – represents equity in your house. Your equity in a home […]
How Can I Lower My Property Taxes?
Excerpted from Your First Home: The Smart Way to Get It and Keep It Proven Strategies to Slash Your Property Tax Bill Almost everyone hates to pay taxes, and it doesn’t matter whether they’re federal income taxes, state taxes, or local taxes on the house you own. Americans dread property taxes more than any other […]