Four Possible Reasons To Refinance

A mortgage is generally the largest debt most homeowners have to manage. It’s a good idea to give your personal real estate finance portfolio a check-up at least once a year. Since there are many reasons a homeowner may choose to refinance, we’ll take a look at the four most common. 1. Mortgage Rates Drop: Typically, the most common reason that homeowners refinance their mortgage is to secure a lower interest rate. Interest rate and loan amount determines the total cost that a borrower will pay. The lower the interest rate, the less the overall cost... [Read More]

8 Questions Your Lender Should Answer About Mortgage Rates

Simply checking online for today’s posted rate may not lead to your expected outcome due to the many factors that can cause each individual rate and closing cost scenario to fluctuate. We can preach communication, service and education all day long, but it’s our ultimate goal to earn your trust so that you can be confident in our ability to successfully lead you through this complex mortgage process. Since mortgage rates can change several times a day, the following questions will help determine whether or not your lender truly knows what to look for so that... [Read More]

How Much Can I Afford?

How much mortgage money can I qualify to borrow? This is typically the number one question mortgage professionals are asked by new clients. Of critical importance when considering mortgage financing: There is sometimes a difference between what a client ***can*** borrow and what they ***should*** borrow. In other words, what makes for a comfortable long-term mortgage payment? The Quick Answer: If we’re simply considering the financial math, lenders will calculate your Debt-to-Income Ratio and generally allow for 28-31% of your gross income to be used for the... [Read More]

Social Security Among Key Tax Changes in 2011

Social Security taxes have been reduced in 2011 by 2%. This means you can increase your 401K contribution by 2% and see NO reduction in your take-home pay!!! The Social Security tax withholding rate has decreased from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent for all employees for 2011. This 2 percent tax reduction is applied to employee wages up to the Social Security wage base of $106,800. Any individual earning $106,800 or more in wages in 2011 will receive a benefit of $2,136. If there are two spouses with wage income, each spouse will derive this tax benefit. Self-employed individuals... [Read More]