ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2017
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...
10/31/2017
2
Comments
Documenting Your Assets - Verifying Your Down PaymentWhen buying a home, it is not enough to just come up with the money. With the exception of no asset verification loans, lenders want to verify where the money for your new home will be coming from. If you can document that the funds are coming ...
10/30/2017
Closing Costs When Buying or Refinancing a Home.This is a detailed summary of costs you may have to pay when you buy or refinance your home. They are listed in the order that they should appear on a Good Faith Estimate you obtain from a mortgage lender. There are two broad categories of closing c...
10/26/2017
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...
10/25/2017
Title Insurance - Where Does Your Dollar Go?Title Insurance: As a homebuyer, the term is probably familiar - but is it understood? What is your dollar actually paying for when you purchase a title policy?Title Insurers, unlike property or casualty insurance companies, operate under the theory of ...
10/24/2017
The Functions of an EscrowBuying or selling a home (or other piece of real property) usually involves the transfer of large sums of money. It is imperative that the transfer of these funds and related documents from one party to another be handled in a neutral, secure and knowledgeable manner. Fo...
10/23/2017
Statements of InformationWhat’s in a name?When a title company seeks to uncover matters affecting title to real property, the answer is, “Quite a bit.”Statements of Information provide title companies with the information they need to distinguish the buyers and sellers of real property from other...
10/12/2017
Required Reporting to the I.R.S.Sellers of real property will have certain information regarding the sale reported to the Internal Revenue Service.This required reporting is a consequence of the Tax Reform Act of 1986; it is intended to encourage taxpayer compliance and aid in audit and enforceme...
10/10/2017
Creative FinancingCreative financing: You’ve heard of it, and, as a seller, the idea sounds pretty attractive. But, do you know everything you need to know about carrying back a second; essentially, about becoming a lender? You better know the same things that financial institutions know - you be...
10/09/2017
Closing and Title CostsIt’s the big day.The day you go to the title or escrow company, sign your name on the dotted line, hand over a check and prepare to take ownership of your new home.It’s also the day that you and the seller will pay “closing” or settlement costs, an accumulation of separate ...
10/05/2017
Rainmaker
1,159,142
1,159,142
Norma J. Elkins
Realtor - Elkins Home Selling Team