Currently Browsing: Home Buying Tips

Why Would Anyone Choose to Live in a Neighborhood with an HOA?
Recently, I’ve heard some funny stories about HOAs. I find that clients are very divided on this topic… some people will never live in an area with an HOA, while others are cool with an HOA. Why Some Homeowners Don’t Like HOAs…
Read More February 8, 2023
Real Estate Roadblocks – How Do I Make Sure that I’m Not Buying a LEMON?
Today I talked to Matt Smith, from Trust Home Inspections, who offered advice about how to be careful about unknown issues that might be in the home that you are buying. Matt’s company can be hired to look around the house and…
Read More April 24, 2019
Removing Roadblocks to Home Ownership – How Do I Choose the Right Realtor?
A common question that I hear is: how do I pick the right real estate agent? There are many agents in every area, so how do you pick from the available options? Even though the marketing says the services are great, it…
Read More April 10, 2019
Removing Roadblocks to Home Ownership – I Don’t Even Know Where to Start
Today’s topic is a continuation in our series of “Removing Roadblocks to Home Ownership,” helping you figure out where to start when you are ready to purchase a home. I get how confusing it can be when you want to buy a…
Read More March 14, 2019
Removing Roadblocks to Homeownership – Down Payment
Continuing with the theme of removing roadblocks to home ownership, today we are discussing the topic of saving for a down payment. A recent study noted that nearly 80% of people think a 20% down payment is required when purchasing a home….
Read More January 30, 2019
The New Construction Shell Game
There is a lot of new home construction happening right now, and these houses are beautiful. It’s easy to see why homeowners are choosing to build when there aren’t many options available on the real estate market. But, you need to know…
Read More October 17, 2018
Are Termites Eating Your House?
A termite report is one thing that is often overlooked in a real estate transaction. Today, I talked to Richie with Richie’s Termite and Pest Control about the importance of a termite report before buying a home. Sometimes the termite report is…
Read More September 27, 2018
It’s All about TEAM
As I’m helping families with their mortgages, I find that the majority of my clients are in the midst of a major life change. As a result, they are going to have to hire a ton of help: from cleaners, to insurance,…
Read More July 18, 2018
Common Causes that Lead to Water Damage in the Home
In today’s video, I talked to Scott Peterson about the most common things that lead to water damage in the home. Scott is with Home Perfect Restoration, so he’s seen all of the issues that can lead to a need for home…
Read More June 7, 2018
Mortgages and Manufactured Homes: What You Need to Know
Manufactured homes have a few unique things that need to be considered for the mortgage. In the past, we didn’t deal with many transactions that involved manufactured homes. But, I’m seeing more of them come through. So, I thought it would be…
Read More May 2, 2018
Title Insurance: What it is and Why You Need it
Title insurance is something that is required on most real estate transactions, but many home buyers have no idea what it is or why it is necessary. Today’s video explains this mysterious insurance that actually covers the past. It is common for…
Read More April 19, 2018
Self-Employed and Looking to Purchase Real Estate?
There are many benefits of self-employment, but some entrepreneurs are worried about how their income will qualify for a real estate purchase. We work with all kinds of self-employed home buyers, and everyone has their own set of circumstances. In today’s mortgage…
Read More March 8, 2018
Solutions for Move-Up Buyers
In the past eight years, the real estate industry has been growing, and many homeowners have gained quite a bit of equity in their properties. As a result, we are seeing more move-up buyers come through. What that means is the homeowners…
Read More February 21, 2018
Cool Ways Franklin Loan Center Cares for Customers
These days, we realize that there a literally hundreds of mortgage lenders that you could select for your home loan needs. So with that in mind, I think it’s helpful for me to point out something that we do here at Franklin…
Read More December 6, 2017
How to Use a Bridge Loan to Buy a New Home
Many home purchases are done for people who already own a home, and they are ready to upgrade to a new property. This scenario applies to people who want to move to a bigger home, as well as those nearing retirement who…
Read More October 11, 2017
Mortgage Tips for Self-Employed Buyers
If you are self-employed, then there are a few things that need to be considered when applying for a mortgage to buy or refinance a home. Here at Franklin Loan Center, we have experience helping clients like you! Today, there are many…
Read More September 13, 2017
How to Know if Your House has Wood Destroying Pests
Whether you have been living in your home for awhile or you are preparing to buy a new home, it is important to stay aware of potential signs of wood destroying pests. Termites are a common problem in California, and in other…
Read More November 3, 2016
A Buyer’s Guide to Home Ownership
So you want to buy a house in the near future… What’s the first step? What needs to be put in place to make the dream become a reality? Follow this guide and take these steps toward home ownership. 1. Assess Your…
Read More July 21, 2016
4 Things that Could Make Your Deal Implode!
We all know how challenging it can be to get a well qualified buyer, find them a property, submit that perfect offer, get it accepted, and get your deal into escrow. So once you traveled down that long dark road, you want…
Read More May 19, 2016
What NOT to Do When You’ve Applied for a Loan
So you’re ready to buy a home, you’ve found the perfect property, you’ve gotten pre-approved with a lender and the process is underway… Fantastic! Now, here’s a list of things you should NOT do while that transaction is in escrow. In fact,…
Read More November 19, 2015
How to Get the Best Mortgage Deal
A recent article in U.S. News and World Report focused on specific tips to ensure that you get the best mortgage deal. The following is a synopsis of what you can do: Understand there is more involved than just your interest rate…
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How Does Solar Installation Affect Your Mortgage?
Solar installation is becoming very popular these days, and with electricity rate hikes being the “norm”, solar will likely continue to grow as a popular choice for homeowners. There are a variety of ways to finance your solar installation ranging from buying,…
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How Accurate Are Online Mortgage Calculators?
Go to nearly any mortgage website and you’re sure to see a mortgage calculator where you can plug in your loan amount, an interest rate, and a number of years and it tells you your payment. Unfortunately, there’s more to this story……
Read More July 2, 2014
Tips on Obtaining a Better Mortgage Deal
Due to the continuous changing that is going on in the mortgage industry, it’s important to stay up to date (or at least be working with a lender that stays up to date) if you are considering a home purchase. The Federal…
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5 Tips for Getting Into That Dream Home
Continued great news for all of you out there thinking about buying or refinancing: Mortgage rates continue to go down! In fact, during the last week of September, the average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage reached the lowest point since…
Read More October 11, 2012