Blog
Blog
Urban Housing Markets are Keeping Pace with the Red Hot Suburbs — Except in Manhattan and San Francisco
The nation's two most expensive housing markets are seeing prices fall and homes linger on the market read more
Five DIY Projects That Could Help Add Value to Your Home
Zillow and Thumbtack share the home improvement projects sellers should consider before listing their home for sale, and what they cost read more
What Is Equity?
Equity is the value YOU own in property such as a house. It’s the difference between what’s OWED and what the property is WORTH in the current market.
The example this video shows - you have a house worth $300,000 today and you owe the bank $200,000. Your equit... read more
What Are Real Estate Commissions?
Like the video says - real estate agents aren’t paid by the hour!They’re paid a percentage of the purchase price in a successful real estate transaction.
When one agent represents the sellers and another represents the buyers the commission is typically split b... read more
What Is “Prime”?
The Prime Lending Rate - sometimes just called “Prime” - is the interest rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans. Some consumer rates - like ARMs - are set in relation to Prime.
In the US, Prime is affected by the Federal Reserve lending rate to b... read more
What Are Discount Points?
Discount points allow you to lower your interest rate. While this video simplifies things to help you remember, “points” are essentially prepaid interest with each point equaling 1% of the total loan amount.
Generally, for each point paid on a 30-year mortgage th... read more
What Is An Escrow Account? Do I Need One?
As we show you in this video, an escrow account is an account, established by your lender, to set aside a portion of your monthly mortgage payment to cover annual charges for homeowner's insurance mortgage insurance (if applicable), and property taxes.
Escrow accounts... read more
What Steps Need To Be Taken To Secure A Loan?
You’ll see some pictures in this video to help you remember later, but the first step in securing a loan is to complete a loan application.
To do so, you'll need the following information.
Pay stubs for the past 2-3 months.
W-2 forms for the p... read more
What Is A Mortgage?
The original phrase “mort gage” translates as “death pledge”! But as this video explains, a mortgage is a loan obtained to purchase real estate.
The "mortgage" itself is a lien - a legal claim on the home or property that secures the promise to pay the debt.
A... read more
What Is Loan To Value (LTV) And How Does It Affect The Size Of My Loan?
While this video simplifies things to help you remember, the loan to value ratio is the amount of money you borrow compared with the price or appraised value of the home you are purchasing.
Each loan has a specific LTV limit. For example: With a 75% LTV loan on a hom... read more