Americans are struggling with student loan debt. For those with debt, you might think that homeownership is out of your reach. Many people believe that student loans are a hurdle to living the American Dream. However, those loans do not automatically disqualify you from a home loan. If you have been paying off your loans,…
Do you need a developer, builder, or contractor? If you are thinking about building a home, you want to find the best professionals in the industry. It can be hard to find the right company or person for the job. A developer, builder, and contractor do work in similar ways, but they have separate responsibilities…
Buying a new home is one of the most exhilarating purchases you can make, especially when it’s a new build. Apart from the excitement, the process of purchasing a new construction home can sometimes be long, stressful, and difficult. Since there is a lot to learn about home construction, check out the following vocabulary terms…
It is very important for new homebuyers to know how to choose the right floor plan. While doing so, you are choosing the layout of your new home and all of its rooms. This gives someone a detailed visual representation of what a home has to offer before a builder starts to work. That is…
A new home is a dream for many people. You get to choose the floor plan, location and much more. However, the excitement may cause you to forget other important aspects of the process. Thus, you need to make sure you have a list of questions to ask any home builder you’re thinking of hiring.…
Whenever you are trying to get a loan, the lender will evaluate your financial health. The lender performs this evaluation for many reasons, but it mostly comes down to their desire to cover their liability. In other words, they want to make sure that you will be able to pay them back. If you are…
When you decide to build a new home, you want to choose the right builder. With so many options available, it may be difficult to determine which builder will meet your needs, build you the dream home you envision while also giving you the quality you want at a price you can afford. These tips…
If you are moving into a new home, whether you are relocating to a location across town or across the country, you may ask your self what do I need to bring first when moving to a new house? If you are having professional movers bring the majority of your belongings, you may actually need…
Closing costs are probably one of the most confusing parts of buying a home, whether you buy an existing property or are building a new home. The fact is that closing costs can add thousands to both the buyer and seller’s expenses during a transaction. These fees include items like mortgage origination fees, owner’s and…
When you are shopping for a new house, you may focus on how many bedrooms and bathrooms you need as well as the amenities the house offers. However, the other thing you need to focus on is the neighborhood where the house is located. This can be difficult if you are moving into an area…
Moving into a new home is exciting, whether you just built or bought your first home, have moved due to a new job or are upgrading to a larger home. The move is also hectic, frustrating and stressful as you repaint rooms to give the new home your personal touch and try to find which…
There are many benefits to buying a new home over an existing one including lower maintenance costs and better energy efficiency. However, these benefits come with a price as new homes can cost as much as 20 percent more than existing homes in some markets. One thing to determine when choosing whether to buy an…
Moving into a new home is fun and exciting but can also be stressful as you try to determine what you will need initially. Although you may feel overwhelmed about the many things you need to purchase to make your new house a home, there are some essentials that will get you a good first…
Moving into a new home is always a big decision; that’s why it pays to know exactly what you want. If you don’t know the differences between a condo, a townhouse, and a single-family home, you are going to have some trouble when deciding between these types of homes. Each kind has its pros and…
Customizing a house is a big deal because of all the complexities, but do you really need to hire an architect? Although architects are not always necessary, even with complicated designs, there are a few scenarios when you would need a professional architect to ensure the job gets done correctly. Let’s have a look at…
Buying a house is one of the most significant steps in life—and one of the biggest investments. Choosing the right home is going to change many aspects of your life, so you need to make sure you are making the best choice. With millions of options in real estate, such as buying a previously owned…
A foundation supports your home and can affect the durability of the building. Whether you are looking to build your own home or buy an existing one, you need to know about the common types of foundations. Several types of foundations exist, and most are dependent on climate and construction methods. Here is a brief…
People with income from an employer can be easily approved for a home mortgage loan; however, those who are self-employed might have a more difficult time. Regardless of your income level, federal regulations are making it hard for the self-employed to get approved. These regulations will not make it impossible to finance a home loan,…
For some people, homeownership can seem like a nightmare. In the United States, many people are opting out of owning a home due to their credit issues. More often than not, they cannot get a loan at an affordable rate. However, there are some steps you can take to get approved for a mortgage and…
A mortgage loan can be a very helpful thing, but it can also be very risky. A mortgage loan is any loan in which you put your property on the line as collateral. For those involved in real estate, this can be a convenient way to use one property to buy another. Some others use…
Without knowing anything about you, we can guess that you probably want to own a home someday (if you don’t already). Everybody wants to stop paying rent and be more independent, but a lot of people just aren’t ready for the many difficulties that are often involved. If you are in a position in which…
Buying a home is probably the largest investment that the average person will ever make. As such, it is logical that you might want to know how long can a house last will last. Although a well-built home should last for many years, nothing lasts forever. In this article, we will delve into this question:…
Open house displays are a great thing to look for when shopping for a new home. Without any kind of appointment, you can just show up and take a look at the house, with an experienced realtor there to answer any questions that you might have. In all, these events tend to be friendly and…
Choosing a new place to live is no small decision, as you have to balance a wide variety of needs with a wide range of hard realities. In some ways, this decision is more important than your decision in a house. While a person can make do with a house that is less than ideal,…
The housing market might well be compared to a minefield located in the middle of a gold mine. You never know what you’re going to find once you start digging around: It might be a heap of gold, or it might be a boobytrap that drains your finances and ties you to a worthless property…
Everyone wants to own a new home, but many people are not familiar with the process of buying one. If a person is not familiar with the way that the home-buying process works, they might think that only the super-rich can afford to have a custom-built home. Thankfully, it’s not nearly as hard as it…
If you can afford to buy a new home over a used one, there are many benefits. To list them all would be outside the scope of this short article, so instead, we will focus on our top five reasons. After all, some reasons are much more important than others. When you pay the extra…
It can be easy to put off important decisions and important action, and buying a house is one of the biggest and most important actions of your life. Unless you are planning to “flip” the place for a profit, this will be your home for years to come, and it pays to consider that decision…
As we discussed in previous articles, there are some people who get really hung up on the idea that you have to buy a house in the summer or spring. While this is indeed the traditional time to look for a house, the time of year is not the most important factor. The most important…
Building a new home is one of the most expensive things that the average person will ever do. Indeed, the high cost is what prevents many people from purchasing a new and custom-built home. However, you shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that you need all the money up-front. Many financial institutions will provide construction…
Malvern is a small town in Pennsylvania, located in Chester County. With a population of just under 3,000, it is the kind of idyllic small town in which we all dream of settling down and raising a family. For those who might be considering a move, we present Malvern as an option for you. While…
Downington is a small community in Pennsylvania that dates back to the early eighteenth century. As such, it is imbued with a sense of history and a touch of class. However, there is one problem for those who might be considering a move to that area: The homes tend to be quite expensive. In previous…
If you’re like most renters, you probably don’t plan on renting for the rest of your life. We all want a piece of home to call our own, but that goal represents the end of a long road. In this article, we will not be talking about that road, as it would be too extensive…
Every homebuyer has to make the choice between a newly-built home and an older home. In this situation, many would expect that only the richest among us would be able to buy a new home. However, they would be quite wrong. There are many reasons that a person might choose a new home over an…
When you decide to sell your home (for whatever reason), you might decide to use the money from the sale of your home to purchase a new one. This is a very sensible and do-able option, but there is one problem: Where do you live in the meantime? Staying in hotels and motels can get…
If you are in the process of getting a mortgage, you have probably heard about the appraisal that will soon be necessary. As this is a perfectly normal part of the process, there is no need to be alarmed in any way. Still, it always helps to have a little more knowledge about how the…
Nearly all homebuyers are forced by necessity to get a mortgage, and most people seem to think of it as a straightforward deal: They loan you the money for your home, and you repay that money over time, with a little interest. However, that last part is where the rubber meets the road. In many…
When an unmarried couple chooses to purchase a new home, there are several problems that can complicate the situation. The largest of these is the fact that the law treats unmarried couples as individuals. Thus, you will have to think about a few problems that most homeowners never have to consider. In the end, it…
So you’ve just spent a lot of money to buy the custom-built home of your dreams. Once the house is finally built, it is natural that you will be in a hurry to enjoy your new home. However, you need to hold on a minute. Before you put the finishing touches on this whole…
Of all the debates that one could have about the process of buying a home, perhaps none is more contentious than the debate between those who want a new home and those who want a pre-owned home. In this article, we will explore that debate and attempt to resolve the issue once and for all.…
It would be hard to deny that moving can be one of the most stressful and exasperating of all human activities. We tend to spend a lot of time fixing up our place of residence, and it’s no easy task to uproot everything and start again. However, the process of moving does not have to…
Every home buyer faces one big question: Do I buy something new or something used? Obviously, most of us would rather have something new. However, those who are operating on a tight budget will often buy a pre-built home in an attempt to save money. But are older homes really that much cheaper? Are newer…
One of the best things about being a homeowner is the fact that you no longer have to pay rent. While this is a great thing, you should not make the mistake of thinking that you will never have to pay for your home again. As a property owner, you will be required to pay…
The Town Of West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester is a small town in southeastern Pennsylvania. Located in Chester County, the town has a population of about 20,000 and maintains the kind of quaint small-town atmosphere that can be hard to find these days. When you look around this place, it’s hard to believe that this…
After spending all that money for a new-built custom home, you might think that your work is done. Chances are, you had to save up for a while in order to buy this new place. However, your labors are not yet over, and it is vitally important for you to realize that fact. In this…
What Does PITI in Real Estate Mean? PITI is an acronym that stands for “Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance.” As you might already guess, PITI is related to home loans in a major way. These four letters stand for the four things that comprise most mortgage payments. Therefore, we will break this acronym down into…
Have you ever considered the possibility of getting a home loan? After all, no one really likes to pay rent. If you are one of those people that want to buy your own home (but feel that you can’t), then this article is for you. We are going to discuss the most common option for…
For those who are in the process of buying a home or those who are considering such, there is a confusing array of options. The government offers a few different home loans, but all of them come with strings attached. The private option tends to have fewer of those but is also much more difficult…
You’ve probably heard some older people talk about the importance of staying debt-free. While it may be tempting to ignore the old folks, there is something to this attitude that is worth considering. Racking up debt is probably the easiest and fastest way to ruin your credit, making it very difficult to obtain a loan…
Moving is easily one of the most stressful events that the average person will experience. For many of us, our home is the center of our world. Thus, it is no small thing to consider moving that center. Thus, we have created this article in an attempt to make your life just a little bit…
In 1949, Congress signed a new housing act into law. In an attempt to aid struggling farmers and other impoverished rural people, a program was created whereby rural people (particularly farmers and their tenants) could borrow the money needed to improve their farms, purchase new land and equipment, and enjoy a decent standard of living.…
If you are a veteran or active duty service member, you are almost certainly familiar with the VA loan entitlement program. Under this program, the government will cover 25% of any loan taken out by an eligible person. As you might imagine, this program is most often used for buying a home. Many veterans have…
The world has an unpleasant tendency to be expensive. Without much effort on our part, it often seems that money just flies away no matter how hard we try to hold it. Why does this happen? Because life is composed of problems, and money is required to solve many of those problems. In this article,…
For those who can afford to make a choice, there is a serious debate to be had about the benefits of homeownership. On the one hand, you gain a greater degree of independence and freedom from monthly rent payments. On the other hand, there are still costs and rules associated with home ownership. For those…
We have already discussed some of the more common issues that face home buyers in the current market. In this article, we will delve into a slightly more advanced topic. If you have been reading our articles diligently and following their advice, you should have no problem understanding this one. Today, we are going to…
Let’s begin with a little story, which takes place in Fairfax, Virginia. In the early 2000s’, this county was a hot spot for home builders, mostly because the city government was looking to expand the town. As such, they weren’t particularly diligent about enforcing the various building codes. Years later, when they actually did begin to…
Building a house is perhaps one of the most important milestones of your life. Whether this is your first time dealing with this process or not, this is an event that will affect your life for quite a few years to come. As such, it is not a process that should be rushed. Of course,…
There are many reasons that a person might need a mortgage loan (commonly called a mortgage for short). We could literally spend all day listing these reasons, but most of them come down to one basic theme: You use your property as collateral to secure a loan so that you can buy things that would otherwise be…
For you to be considering a question like this, one of two things must have happened. Either you have accumulated a number of possessions that exceed a manageable level, or your family has outgrown your home. It is always a joy to hear the sound of little feet running and echoing through the halls of…
What Is A Construction Loan And How Does It Work? A construction loan is pretty self-explanatory. As the name implies, it is a loan that is taken for the purpose of building a home. These loans are most often obtained from banks and other financial institutions. There are relatively few of us that can actually…
So you have reached a milestone in your life that leaves you with no other option than to relocate…Why else would you have searched for an article like this? Worry no more, the research may prove to be much less daunting than you first imagined. Just sit back, wipe the sweat from your brow, and…
Unless you just happen to have piles and piles of cash, the construction of your new home will most likely require a home construction loan. When you start the process of actually getting that home loan, it can be pretty overwhelming. This is especially true of first-time home buyers who may not be familiar with the…
What Is Construction Insurance? Construction insurance is a form of insurance that is specifically intended to cover buildings that are under construction. It might seem strange to buy insurance on a home that is not yet constructed, but there is a lot that can go wrong during the building process. Theft, vandalism, and arson are…
It is probably safe to say that all of us have dreamed about the prospect of building our own home. The idea of building a home that is tailor-made for your lifestyle and activities is just too good to resist. However, reality does not always allow us to do the things we would like to…
You really want a new Southdown Home. Everything about it is just right; the location, the floor plan, lots of curb appeal, the price. But… you have house to sell. What now? Brendon DeSimone offers advice in the article How to Buy and Sell a Home at the Same Time posted on Zillow Blog. The…
One of the most exciting things about buying a new home is turning it into a reflection of your personal style and taste. Custom and standard selections may include exterior materials and colors, structural options such as additions and extensions, appliances, cabinets, flooring, cabinetry, millwork, electrical, plumbing and more. Whew! It’s exciting and, maybe, just…
Chester County has been ranked as the healthiest county in Pennsylvania by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in the recently released 2013 County Health Rankings study. According to the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps overview, “the rankings look at a variety of measures that affect health such…
Ok, so we have a biased opinion in favor of new construction. Why buy new over resale? So glad you asked. It’s All New Yes, we’re stating the obvious but think about it. Everything is brand new, unused, original. Your new Southdown home is not used, pre-owned or a resale. A meal has not yet…
It’s time to make a move to your new home. According to Tim Ellis of Redfinblog.com, waiting for your property value to increase before selling is a mistake. There’s a high probablity that the price of the home you’re purchasing will increase faster than the price of the home your selling. Add current low interest rates…
In an analysis of whether renting or buying a home costs less, Chief Economist, Jed Kolko, finds that it’s 44% cheaper to own than to rent. In an article on Trulia Trends, Kolko outlines his methodology and results that may surprise you. Buying is currently cheaper than renting in all 100 of the larger metropolitan…