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An Easy Fix to Avoid a Flood in Your Home

Do you remember if or when you have replaced your washing machine hoses? Are they the original hoses and if so, how old is your washing machine? It is recommended that washing machine supply hoses should be replaced every five to seven years....

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In Search of a Big Mortgage

The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan limits are adjusted annually to keep up with cost of living but with the appreciation experienced in many markets, it may not be enough. When the conforming loan limit is not enough, qualified buyers can tu...

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Credit Utilization Affects Your Score

Credit utilization reflects how much of your available credit is being used at a given time. Lower credit utilization indicates that a borrower is not heavily relying on their credit and that they are using their credit responsibly. Is calcu...

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Larger Payment, Shorter Term, Bigger Savings

Some people consider a house payment as basic as monthly utilities but with a plan and some discipline, you can be mortgage free. Consider a person borrowed $300,000 at 3% for 30 years, the principal and interest payment would be $1,264.81 a...

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Have you checked these lately?

Homeowners know the need to periodically check certain things around the home to ensure that things operate properly and efficiently. If maintenance is required, it may be less expensive to take care of it early rather than waiting until it i...

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Uncle IRRRL wants to refinance your VA loan

You don't have to have an Uncle IRRRL but you must be a veteran with a current VA-backed home loan. IRRRL is an acronym for Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan. To refinance with this program, also called the VA Streamline, the loan must p...

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Buy 1st or Sell 1st

Buy Before You Sell Options

The decision to buy first or sell first, has always been a little of the "What came first: the chicken or the egg?" type of question. Is it better to buy another home before you sell your current one or sell the current one before you buy t...

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Step Up Basis Inherited Property

Step Up Cost Basis and Inheriting Real Estate

STEP UP COST BASIS AND INHERITING REAL ESTATE The step up cost basis is a way of adjusting capital gains tax. This means that for the purpose of capital gains tax, the IRS re-sets the cost basis of the property to its value when the asset is...

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Step Up Basis Inherited Property

Step Up Cost Basis and Inheriting Real Estate

STEP UP COST BASIS AND INHERITING REAL ESTATE The step up cost basis is a way of adjusting capital gains tax. This means that for the purpose of capital gains tax, the IRS re-sets the cost basis of the property to its value when the asset is...

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Removing or Adding a Person to a Loan

In divorce situations, it is common, for the spouse who keeps the home to refinance to remove the other spouse from the loan. Equally as common, first-time buyers who don't have enough income to qualify may ask a parent to co-sign and must ad...

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