Home Costs

You’re here to answer the million-dollar question: What is mortgage insurance? Or maybe you’re here to learn the difference between mortgage insurance premiums (MIPs) and private mortgage insurance (PMI). Either way, you’ve come to the right place.  Rule number one: To differentiate between MIP and PMI, you’ll need to know the different types of mortgage...

House hunting can be both exhilarating and exhausting – you’re all swept up looking at other people’s interpretation of a dream home.  While there might be that one property that could tick all your boxes, it’s not a guarantee. So, what if you had the opportunity to build your own dream house?  A construction loan...

Traditionally, a lot of home buyers have seen building a brand new home as the ultimate homeowner experience to aspire to. That’s still true, but nowadays, older homes are gaining a lot more interest (just ask the producers over at HGTV). And despite the renewed interest in historic homes and remodels, building a house from...

If you’re planning on becoming a homeowner right now, you may be feeling frustrated. Home prices are on the rise and available housing stock is getting snatched up every day. That may leave you wondering if you’ll end up paying more for a house that isn’t even the home of your dreams. What if –...

It would be a major bummer if the interest rates set by the Federal Reserve shot up during closing and your payments for your dream home became unaffordable. With interest rates being very unpredictable, even the slightest bump in rates could impact your final purchase price, even if you started the home buying process a...

A mortgage is a big commitment. When you’re buying a home, your lender wants to know you’re in it for the long haul, and capable of paying for it. For the mortgage lender, a client can show that by making a 20% down payment on the home. Even when 20% down isn’t possible, lenders are...