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Renting Versus Owning

Renting versus owning is both a financial decision and an individual one. Arguably, renting provides more flexibility and freedom, the freedom to move when one wishes (depending upon lease terms of course) and where one wishes. As a Renter, one has little... Read >

Real Estate Short Sales

A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property's loan and is a strategy rapidly gaining popularity in the real estate market. It is a real estate transaction in which the seller's lender agr... Read >

Loan Amortization Defined

Amortization is a term associated with mortgage loans and is mainly used in relation to loan repayments. Technically defined, amortization is an accounting method in which expenses are accounted for over the useful life of the asset rather than at the tim... Read >

What Is Real Estate Escrow?

Escrow is a deposit, most typically of funds and/or documents, that is held until paid out upon successful completion of the terms of the escrow instructions. Technically defined, Escrow is a legal arrangement in which a neutral third party holds an asse... Read >

Balloon-payment Mortgage

A balloon mortgage is one in which monthly payments are made for a pre-determined period of time, with the balance of the loan paid in full at the end of the loan term. Like an ARM, interest rates on a balloon mortgage are typically lower than on a fixed... Read >

Mortgage ABC's

Buying your first home can seem intimidating, especially when faced with many different loan types. When researching general information about the most popular home loan types, remember it is not as simple as finding the cheapest interest rate. At first... Read >

Home Mortgage Refinance Explained

Refinancing is often considered one of the most beneficial ways to save money on your home mortgage. Refinancing is when you renegotiate the terms of a loan, essentially the refunding or restructuring of debt with new debt, equity, or a combination of bo... Read >

Loan Modification Tips

An increasingly popular alternative to foreclosure is the loan modification, an agreement where the bank and borrowers reduce the cost of the loan for a period of time to allow payments to be made on time. A loan modification is much like a mortgage ... Read >