home: Protect yourself from unqualified Home Inspectors!
- 09/10/10 05:00 AM
I am putting together a short series of blogs to help you distinguish the qualified from unqualified home inspectors. It's hard to believe our industry is not more regulated as far as education. Here are a couple of things to ask BEFORE you hire a home inspector. 1. How many years have you been a FULL TIME Inspector? A minimum of 5 years of FULL TIME inspecting is a must! Do you really want a purchase as important as your home, or buyers home, in the hands of someone who is just supplementing his income? No. You want … (0 comments)
home: Some mortgage lenders may have reached their "Hoop" Limit
- 08/24/10 12:14 PM
The last 3 years have been rough. Mortgage lenders have continued to squeeze buyers with more hoops buyers need to jump through in their policies. The Federal Reserve’s quarterly survey reports that about 1 in 10 lenders added more hoops between April and June. It may sound like a lot but when this whole thing started 2 years ago, 8 in 10 lenders added hoops. Things may be looking up! If the survey results prove to hold true, the lending may have reached the “hoop” limit. It all started in 2007. Extra details are a big deal on assets, … (0 comments)
home: Higher and Lower FHA mortgage Insurance premiums coming
- 08/20/10 05:49 AM
For the second time this year, the FHA is modifying mortgage insurance. Beginning with FHA case numbers issued on or after October 4, 2010, the FHA is changing its upfront and annual mortgage insurance premium structure. Under the new terms, assuming a 30-year fixed rate FHA mortgage with at least 5 percent equity: Upfront MIP drops to 1.000% of the amount borrowed from 2.250% Annual MIP increases to 0.850% of the amount borrowed from 0.500% For homeowners , this switch in MIP decreases the upfront cost of an FHA-insured mortgage, but increases the loan’s long-term costs. Using a $100,000 mortgage as an example, … (0 comments)
home: Are the sell by dates causing you to lose money on food?
- 08/19/10 07:44 AM
Just because the expiration date has passed, that doesn’t mean that the food is spoiled. It’s a deep-seated misconception that results in the average American household wasting 14% of all food purchases. The estimated cost of waste like that totals in the billions. The data comes from a study commissioned by ShelfLifeAdvice.com, a website devoted to helping households cut food bills by providing better information of how to properly store food; of how food expiration dates work; and, by defining what “use by”, “sell by” and other product dates actually mean. Among survey participants, women fared better than men, older people fared better … (1 comments)
I am putting together a short series of blogs to help you distinguish the qualified from unqualified home inspectors. It's hard to believe our industry is not more regulated as far as education. Here are a couple of things to ask BEFORE you hire a home inspector. 
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