Tiffany & Tonya Sharkey's (tsharkey) Blog

No major changes When you're considering buying your first home, it's important that you don't make any major changes in your life, such as quitting your job, opening or closing bank accounts, or opening new accounts at retail stores. This could make it difficult for you to get approved for the b...

Truly affordable housing Many buyers make a common mistake when purchasing a home by trying to buy too much house. You've been told that you should be pre-qualified for a loan before beginning your home search in earnest, and that's true. Knowing your top end is the first question to answer when ...

Shorten your mortgage A 15-year fixed-rate mortgage lasts half as long as a 30-year fixed-rate loan. You don't have to work in the lending industry to know that. But if you guessed that monthly payments on a 15-year loan cost twice as much as on a 30-year loan, you're in for a surprise. First off...

Understanding the lingo - escrow During the process of buying your home, you'll hear the word escrow thrown around. It's easy to get confused because the term can refer to different things that occur at different times. If you've made an offer on a house, you have most likely been exposed to an e...

After the inspection You found the house you've been looking for! You're serious about buying this house; in fact, you've already put down earnest money, the option fee, and even gotten an inspection. The inspection is such an important part of the buying process. A qualified inspector will evalu...

Don't be deceived by numbers There's a common statistic in the real estate world called Days on Market, or DOM. Some people believe a property that has been on the market for a while must have serious problems, but this is not necessarily the case. Don't let the number of days a property has been...

Can this be fixed? You've heard it 1000 times; don't ever buy a home without getting a home inspection. A licensed inspector will examine all areas of the house that are accessible by normal means ... this will include the foundation, roof, walls, ceilings, doors, windows, tile, fireplace, the el...

Expect the unexpected (and the expected) The cost of home maintenance and repairs is usually one of the biggest surprises for new homeowners. Unfortunately, some buyers-especially first-time buyers-do not plan for such expenses because they've always had a landlord or property owner who deals wit...

Buying in an HOA If you are thinking about buying a home in a new subdivision, common interest development (CID), or planned unit development (PUD), chances are good that you will automatically become a member of the local homeowners' association. These associations help protect property values b...

Landlord in the making? Are you considering buying an investment home as a rental property? This may be a good time to start. Don't be misled by national news; real estate markets are highly localized. Even in a small city, there may be a neighborhood where home values are consistently growing, y...