What is an Assumable Mortgage? Major Savings if Your Loan Makes the Cut
By Cathie Ericson Jun 21, 2023 (Getty Images) True to its name, an assumable mortgage a type of home loan where the buyer takes over the seller’s mortgage, rather than [...]
What Is the Standard Down Payment on a House?
By Lisa Johnson Mandell Jun 14, 2023 (Getty Images) “Down payment”: Ask most people what is an acceptable down payment on a house, and nine times out 10, they’ll tell [...]
Get a Lowball Offer? Here’s How to Turn It Into a Home Run
By Daniel Bortz Jun 15, 2023 (Getty Images) A seller’s worst nightmare is, of course, not being able to sell their home. But also scoring very high on the would-be [...]
Everyone’s Talking About Home Equity: Here’s What Yours Means in Today’s Market
By Lisa Marie Conklin Jun 8, 2023 (Realtor.com / Getty Images) Homeownership has long been tied to building wealth—and for good reason. Instead of throwing rent money out the window [...]
A Red Flag or No Big Deal? The Home I Want to Buy Was ‘Sold 6 Times in the Past 10 Years’
By Kathleen Willcox Jun 1, 2023 (Getty Images) Savvy homebuyers always look at the sale history of a property before making an offer. Why? Aside from seeing how the home’s [...]
What is a Real Estate Excise Tax? (And How Much Does it Cost Buyers and Sellers?)
By Meera Pal May 19, 2023 (Photo-Illustration by Realtor.com; Source: Getty Images) Nobody enjoys discovering surprise fees when selling a home. And anyone who has sold a home can tell [...]
Save For a Down Payment or Retirement? Here’s What to Know Before Lowering 401(k) Contributions
By Lisa Marie Conklin May 11, 2023 Photo by Thgusstavo Santana: https://www.pexels.com/photo/yellow-concrete-house-2102587/ Saving up for a down payment is usually the biggest hurdle for first-time homebuyers, especially when you’re feeding [...]
What Is a Home Equity Investment? A Creative Yet Risky Way To Turn Your Home’s Value Into Cash
By Kathleen Willcox May 11, 2023 (Realtor.com / Getty Images) Between soaring interest rates and the increasing costs of daily life, homeowners are searching for new and creative ways to [...]
What Is MIP? Mortgage Insurance Premium, Explained
By Sean Jackson May 11, 2023 (MicroStockHub/iStock) Getting a loan from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is an attractive option for homebuyers with less-than-stellar credit who aren’t sitting on a [...]
What Is a Mortgage Rate Lock? The Key to Scoring a Cheap Home Loan
By Cathie Ericson May 7, 2023 (imaginima/iStock) When you lock your doors at night, you think, “Phew, I’m safe!” Locks mean safety. Locks mean security. And it turns out the same [...]
