Uncategorized

1
Mar

Should You Rent-to-Own a Home?

If you want to buy a house, but don’t qualify for a mortgage or have money for a down payment, a rent-to-own agreement may be a good option. Rent-to-own is exactly what it sounds like – you rent a home with a contract that allows you to eventually buy it. There are benefits and disadvantages […]

3
Feb

What Is the Minimum Credit Score to Buy a House in 2022

The minimum credit score for buying a home in 2022 hasn’t changed, but with interest rates inching up, the impact of a credit score on the cost likely will. “It’s tough to overstate the importance of credit scores to a mortgage loan application — they’re one of the top things lenders consider,” Tabitha Mazzara, director […]

28
Oct

Good Neighbor Next Door Program Helps Teachers, Law Enforcement, Firefighters & EMTs Buy Homes

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development instituted the Good Neighbor Next Door (GNND) sales program in 2010. The idea remains the same a decade later: spark community revitalization by offering a 50% discount on a home purchase to eligible law enforcement officers, teachers, EMTs and firefighters. If that sounds too good to be […]

13
Oct

How Startup Companies Are Helping Home Buyers Win Bidding Wars

In today’s ultra-competitive housing market, a number of startup companies are addressing new realities in home buying with a strategy based on an age-old truth – Cash is king. For first-time home buyers. For existing homeowners. The need for cash is the tie that binds. Programs initiated by such companies as Flyhomes, Knock, Ribbon,  Orchard, […]

12
Oct

How to Buy a House with Little to No Money Down

The belief that you need a 20% down payment to secure a mortgage on a home is largely a misconception. At one point it was true, but these days not so much. Before 1956, when a bank foreclosed on a home, it often preferred to sell at a discount rather than hold on to the […]

2
Sep

What Programs are Available to Help African Americans Become Homeowners

If home is where the heart is, it’s also where wealth building frequently happens in America. That’s not a coincidence. “Homeownership has historically helped families create a legacy and build long-term wealth,” said AJ Barkley, Neighborhood and Community Lending Executive with Bank of America. “Homeownership helps people to establish savings discipline, enjoy tax benefits and […]