ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2016
Your Savings and Down PaymentYour First Step Toward Buying a HomeWhen preparing to buy a home, the first thing many homebuyers do is look at the real estate ads in newspapers, magazines and listings on the Internet. Some potential buyers read how-to articles like this one. The next thing you shou...
10/27/2016
Where Does the Money Come From for Mortgage Loans?In the olden days, when someone wanted a home loan they walked downtown to the neighborhood bank or savings & loan. If the bank had extra funds lying around and considered you a good credit risk, they would lend you the money from their own funds....
10/26/2016
WHAT’S A FICO®?What is a FICO® Score?FICO® stands for Fair Isaac & Company and is the name for the most well known credit scoring system, used by Experian. The credit bureau’s computer evaluates a complete credit profile and assigns a score, which is used to estimate credit worthiness. Each of th...
10/25/2016
The Advantages of Different Types of Mortgage LendersWhat kind of lender is best?If you ask a loan officer, “What kind of lender is best?” the answer will be whatever kind of company he works for and he will give you a list of reasons why. If you meet the same loan officer years later, and he wor...
10/24/2016
Land ContractAn alternative to a non-conforming loan is the use of a land contract, which is allowed in some states. A land contract is an agreement between a buyer and a seller, where the buyer agrees to make periodic payments to the seller. The title to the property only transfers to the land c...
10/23/2016
Items You Need When Applying For a LoanHave These Items Ready When You Apply For a LoanIt used to be that lenders mailed out verifications to employers, banks, mortgage companies, and so on, in order to verify the data supplied by borrowers. Nowadays, the interest is often in speed and getting an...
10/13/2016
FICO® Score - a Brief ExplanationWhen you apply for a mortgage loan, you expect your lender to pull a credit report and look at whether you’ve made your payments on time. What you may not expect is that they seem to be more interested in your FICO® score.“What’s a FICO® score?” is a common reacti...
10/12/2016
Why Do You Need Title Insurance?Title Insurance.It’s a term we hear and see frequently - we see reference to it in the Sunday real estate section, in advertisements and in conversations with real estate brokers. If you’ve purchased a home before, you’re probably familiar with the benefits and pro...
10/11/2016
Understanding Title InsuranceWhat is title insurance? Newspapers refer to it in the weekly real estate sections and you hear about it in conversations with real estate brokers. If you’ve purchased a home you may be familiar with the benefits of title insurance. However, if this is your first home...
10/10/2016
Understanding Preliminary ReportsAfter months of searching, you’ve finally found it -- your perfect dream home. But is it perfect?Will you be purchasing more than just a beautiful home? Will you also be acquiring liens placed on the property by prior owners? Have documents been recorded that will...
10/09/2016
Rainmaker
1,159,159
1,159,159
Norma J. Elkins
Realtor - Elkins Home Selling Team