buying a home

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First-Timers’ Need 13% More Income this Year

Nationally it’s 13%, but in Fort Lauderdale it’s 28% – the highest in the U.S. In Miami, a first-time buyer needs to earn 25% more than they did a year ago. By Kerry Smith SEATTLE – A first-time homebuyer must earn roughly $64,500 per year to afford the typical U.S. “starter” home, up 13% ($7,200) from June a year ago, according to a report from Redfin, thanks to the one-two punch of...

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Is ‘Fractional Ownership’ an OK Homebuyer Option?

By Chantal Allam It’s a bit like “rent-to-own,” but buyers actually own a small piece from the very beginning. As time passes, their ownership percentage  slowly goes up. RALEIGH, N.C. – As higher mortgage rates lock out many would-be buyers, alternative home-financing solutions have emerged out of Silicon Valley. Among them is Ownify, a San Francisco-based startup that is testing...

Hot Summer Housing: Orlando Market Update

Hold onto your flip-flops, folks, because the Orlando housing market is sizzling this summer! With the sun shining and the prices rising, it's time to dive into the latest market snapshot and discover the exciting trends that are making waves in the real estate scene. Let's start with the numbers that really matter. The median home price for June surfed its way to $385,000, riding the wave of...

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Unlock the Secrets to Mortgage Mastery: Biweekly Payments

If you've ever dreamt of paying off your mortgage faster while saving thousands of dollars in interest, get ready for a mind-blowing strategy. It's time to dive into the world of biweekly mortgage payments and discover the hidden benefits that can transform your homeownership journey. Buckle up and get ready to become a mortgage payment ninja! By default, most homeowners make monthly mortgage payments...

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How to Find Hot Real Estate Deals

Before starting to find one, it helps to define a "hot" real estate deal. I think it's safe to say that a "hot" deal is anything where the price is under market value. But that's as far as it goes because what's hot to some might be merely lukewarm to others. For instance, an investor might look at a fixer priced 10% under market value and not consider that a hot deal. But a first-time buyer trying...

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Orlando Real Estate Market Soars with Strong Sales and Rising Prices

The Orlando real estate market continues to shine as we head into the summer months. With a surge in sales and rising prices, both buyers and sellers have reasons to be optimistic. Let's take a closer look at the state of the market and the latest trends shaping the Orlando housing scene. Sales and Prices on the Rise May witnessed a remarkable 13.9% increase in overall sales compared to...

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10 PRE-RETIREMENT MISTAKES TO AVOID, STARTING IN YOUR 40’S

MOST OF US DON’T START THINKING ABOUT RETIREMENT UNTIL WE’RE IN OUR LATE 50S OR EARLY 60S. BY THEN, IT MIGHT BE TOO LATE TO MAKE CHANGES. HERE’S WHAT TO START THINKING ABOUT IN YOUR 40’S 1. LACK OF A RETIREMENT VISION Retirees often lament the end of work life. They say things like, “What do I do now? Grow roses? Paint the fences? Then what?" Being lost about what comes next makes it...

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Advice On What To Do After You Have Purchased?

Yay! You just bought a house. Now, before you get too settled in, have a quick read of these 6 things that recent buyers said they wished they had paid more attention to when they moved in. 1. NEVER BUY FURNITURE ONLINE THAT YOUHAVEN'T TRIED. It's a literal pain in the neck, back, or rear to discover that your cool, expensive retro-styled sofa sinks so low that you feel like you're sitting in a...

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What you need to know if the government bans short-term rentals.

Photo by Daniel Joseph Petty on Pexels.com In April, Canada's finance minister announced a two-year ban on foreign home buying, as well as higher taxes for people who sell their homes within a year (with qualifying exceptions). Also in April, the island of Oahu in Hawaii passed a law nearly eliminating short-term rentals, now requiring minimum stays of 90 days in all but a few situations. Many...

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GETTING A MORTGAGE

ONCE YOU SCRATCH THE SURFACE OF GETTING A MORTGAGE, YOU’LL FIND ALL THE ADVICE YOU SEE IN THIS REPORT. HOWEVER, BORROWERS OFTEN DON’T REMEMBER OR HEED THE ADVICE. SO HERE IT IS…EVERYTHING BUYERS SAY THEY WISH THEY’D KNOWN ABOUT GETTING A MORTGAGE BEFORE THEY GOT A MORTGAGE. 1.  Get your finances in order (WELL) ahead of time Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com You’d be surprised how...

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