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…

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…

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…

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…

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….

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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,…

Currently Browsing: Home Buying Tips