According to the US Department of Energy, the average American household paid $111.67 each month for utilities in 2017. With some research and a few DIY projects, property owners can reduce those energy costs without sacrificing comfort or convenience. Establish Energy Friendly Habits Reduce energy waste to see an immediate change in your utility payments. Before bed, walk around your home. Make sure you turn off all lights, televisions, computers, and other plugged-in devices. In the colder months, close the doors to unused spaces to save big on heating bills. Dial down the heat before bed. … [Read more...]
Real Estate Investing 101: Identify Your Investing Style
Are you just starting on your real estate investing journey? Many newcomers are surprised to learn that there's more to making money on the real estate market than buying and selling. These are some of the most popular strategies real estate investors use to create profits. Which one is right for you? Buy And Hold Buy and hold investors play the market like stocks. They buy properties when prices are low, then hold them until values are high. During the holding period, some investors choose to offer their properties as rentals. Apartment buildings are also a popular option for buy and hold … [Read more...]
NAHB: Housing Market Index Flat in March
Builder sentiment held steady in March as headwinds in housing markets affected homebuilder confidence, but National Association of Home Builders Chairman Greg Ugalde said that builders were looking forward to a "solid spring home-buying season." Builder sentiment mirrored February's index reading of 62; analysts expected an uptick to 63. Any Housing Market Index reading over 50 indicates that more builders than fewer have a positive outlook on housing market conditions. The average reading for 2018 was 67, which indicated that builders were less confident current market conditions for new … [Read more...]
5 Key Tips To Prepare For A Quick Mortgage Approval
Whether you're finally prepared to get into the real estate market or you want to know how you can make a deal quick, there are a few necessary documents you'll need to prove your reliability to a mortgage lender. Here are the documents you'll want to have on hand when the time comes. Previous Tax Returns In order to ensure the earnings information you've provided to the lender, you'll need to have your tax returns for the two years prior to your mortgage application. In addition, you may also be required to provide your W-2s as backup documentation. Bank Statements To make sure you're a solid … [Read more...]
Down Payment Money Saving Mistakes
Are you saving up money for a down payment? Saving money to put down on a home is always a smart idea, but there are right ways and wrong ways to go about it. Understanding how to best save for a down payment will go a long way toward ensuring you're ready when you finally find the house of your dreams. Here are four down payment money saving mistakes to avoid. 1. Not Saving Enough It's very admirable to have a goal of saving exactly 20% for a down payment. However, this is a common mistake new home buyers make. First of all, consider loan programs that allow for a lower down payment. In … [Read more...]
