down payment « Personal Finance Blog

Posts Tagged ‘down payment’

Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Home?

April 26, 2011

Since the housing bubble burst more than two years ago, families all across America have been holding onto to their houses. Many who considered selling decided to wait, which is good because many who considered buying decided to wait, too. But there are some indications the real estate market is beginning to recover. Depending on where you live, now may be a good time to think about buying (or selling) a home.

5 Things You Need to Qualify for a Home Loan

October 26, 2010

Qualifying for a home loan these days isn’t easy and requires extensive documentation as well as some available cash. But know that some of your financial costs may very well be tax-deductible, so be sure to keep all receipts and obtain detailed accounting from your mortgage lender regarding all costs paid out of your pocket once you close the deal. Here are five things you’ll need to qualify for a home loan today.

Buying a Home: Should I Save 20 Percent First?

March 22, 2010

By: Jenny Zhang With so many home loan options out there, it’s easy for a first-time buyer to feel overwhelmed. Traditionally, the often-repeated phrase is to save 20 percent before buying your first home. But with loans such as the FHA loan offering as low as 3.5 percent down, is 20 percent still necessary? Even [...]

Buying Your First Home: One Renter’s Experience

October 20, 2008

By: Puja McKernan Believe it or not, there are plenty of reasons people favor renting over buying. I loved renting for the simple fact that it was worry-free–no yard work, no expensive maintenance, no property taxes, no water bill, no commitment! Yet it seemed everyone had a reason why it’s better to buy–investing your money [...]

When a Bill Becomes a Law: The Housing Stimulus Package Passed!

August 4, 2008

Remember School House Rock? How a bill becomes a law? In 5th grade, I played “Bill” in a 1-act play staged in our school cafeteria. But I never thought my star appearance would come in handy until this week when some huge housing changes were signed into law. I wrote about this last week, but [...]

No Down Payment? No Problem! Find out How Down Payment Assistance Works

July 11, 2008

The term “down payment assistance” sometimes conjures up negative thoughts – but when it comes down to it, who wouldn’t benefit from an influx of extra money when buying a new home? Sounds like a win-win. The most important thing to know is that basically any qualified home-buyer can utilize down payment assistance – contrary [...]

Take a Ride on the FHA Express!

June 16, 2008

By: Greg Lundgren Greg Lundgren is a Home Loan Expert with Quicken Loans and brings more than six years of mortgage experience to share with you on the Quizzle Blog. Greg specializes in FHA financing and enjoys helping people get into the right mortgage for their unique circumstances. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has been helping people become [...]

How Much Should You Put aside for a Down Payment on a Home?

May 12, 2008

Joe Kustra is a Home Loan Expert with Quicken Loans and brings more than five years of mortgage experience to share with you on the Quizzle Blog. Joe loves to help and educate people about how to get in the right financial situation for their goals and circumstances. Q: I’m thinking about buying a home. [...]