Home Buying Different

Crayon Post: Interest Rates Matter

Marcus Fleming — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:07:28 +0000

This afternoon I went to lunch with a good broker friend of mine Luetta. She ended up giving me an earful for being too serious with my blog posts. As many know, I’m passionate about providing quality information and educating homebuyers, so I will admit I do spend too much time writing blog posts (somedays). To help [...]

The Disappearing Time Table for the Home Buyer Tax Credit

Marcus Fleming — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:13:43 +0000

Will you be able to find a home and close in time to receive the $8,000 tax credit? Let’s look at the home buying time line and discuss some of the pitfalls you’ll want to consider before spending any more time sitting on the fence or gambling on short-sales. What We Know: Tax Credit “expires” on December [...]

Top 10 Myths Shared by First Time Homebuyers

Marcus Fleming — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:42:41 +0000

This morning I came across an article listing the top 10 myths shared by first time homebuyers. While I don’t believe all of these are as common as they would have us believe, these are some excellent and very valuable myths to discuss. Here are the Top 10 Myths: All real estate agents are the same The agent [...]

Get 22% off Your Next Home! (seriously)

Marcus Fleming — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:11:27 +0000

iMortgage has recently released a new loan program for homebuyers. It allows homebuyers to get 22% of their loan for free and do 1% down. FHA, Conventional, VA or USDA it doesn’t matter, this program will work. However, like most good deals the opportunity might not last long! The program has one small catch, but if [...]

FAQ: Why Do I Have to Pay the Hazard Insurance Premium Up Front?

Marcus Fleming — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:24:59 +0000

The hazard insurance premium, (also known as homeowner’s insurance) is an interesting topic. While homeowner’s/hazard insurance is commonly looked at as being voluntary on the homeowner’s part, it is typically something the lender will require the homeowner to have. In fact, Arizona’s state banking laws require lenders to collect a year of insurance upfront. Essentially the [...]

Survey Results: Downpayment and Closing Costs are the Biggest Obstacles

Marcus Fleming — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:00:43 +0000

National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their 2009 National Housing Pulse Survey last week. Here are some of the highlights. 82% of home buyers looking to take advantage of this market feel saving for a down payment and closing costs is still too great of an obstacle. On a positive note, 83% of Americans surveyed believe buying [...]

The Basics of Owning a Green Home in Arizona

Marcus Fleming — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:26 +0000

Green home ownership is quickly becoming a high priority for home buyers. Especially in Arizona where many of us wonder why we can’t harvest more of the never ending heat that beats down on our homes every day. Not to mention, water conservation is always a big concern us desert dwellers. The number of ways to [...]

So Many Types of Loans, How Does One Choose?

Marcus Fleming — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:17 +0000

When talking to a loan officer, you will normally hear about the traditional types of loans. In this market you might only hear about FHA loans because they are becoming so popular and universal. However, a good loan officer should be able to give you additional financing options to help you make the best decision for [...]

What Closing Costs Do You Have to Pay for at the Closing Table?

Marcus Fleming — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:00:14 +0000

This question was sent to me twice last week, so I thought I would post the answer in blog for anyone else looking for this answer. Below you’ll find a laundry list of the fees you will most likely see in a real estate transaction. When deciding who pays for what fees, that will depend on [...]

Time's Quickly Ticking for the $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit

Marcus Fleming — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:20:09 +0000

Are you looking to purchase a home and take advantage of the lucrative $8,000 First-Time Home buyer tax credit? Well the clock is a ticking! In order to receive the $8,000 gift from the IRS, the house must close by December 1st. Keep in mind, the IRS is handing out the dough for this one. I don’t [...]