Real Estate Blog 
FHA Gives Home Buyers One-Month Window
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 9:17am. 4 Views, 0 Comments.
FHA Gives Home Buyers One-Month Window
FHA Gives Home Buyers One-Month Window
September 1, 2010--The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is giving homeowners and buyers until October 4 to lock in a low monthly insurance premium, according to Gibran Nicholas, chairman of the CMPS Institute, an organization that trains and certifies mortgage bankers and brokers. “After October 4, the monthly insurance premiums on FHA loans will increase by over 63%.”
What does this mean for home buyers?
A home buyer purchasing a $200,000 home using a $193,000 FHA mortgage before October 4 would pay an insurance premium of $88.46 per month. If the same home buyer waits until after October 4, the insurance premium would jump to $148.01.
“In this example, the home buyer would lose…
5 Best Websites for Credit Score Information
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 at 11:42am. 19 Views, 0 Comments.
by Brandon Cornett
If you’re planning to buy a home in the near future, you should know your FICO credit score. In fact, your credit score is one of the three most important factors considered by mortgage lenders (along with your debt and income levels). If your score is high, you’ll have a much better chance of getting approved for a loan. You’ll also qualify for a better interest rate, which could save you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.
It’s important to check your FICO score early on in the home-buying process, because it takes time to improve a low score. While you’re entitled to a free credit report per year, you’ll have to pay a small fee for the credit score. They are two different things. You can purchase your score from MyFICO.com —…
Warwick, RI named to Money Magazine’s 100 Best Places to live in America
Thursday, August 12th, 2010 at 8:35am. 18 Views, 0 Comments.
The City of Warwick has been named to MONEY Magazine’s list of the top 100 Best Places to Live in America, Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today. Warwick is the only Rhode Island community to earn a place on the publication’s annual assessment of the nation’s cities and towns.
Last year, the magazine examined small towns with populations between 8,500 and 50,000. This year’ focused on all cities with a population of 50,000 to 300,000, and winnowed the initial list of 746 based on several criteria. The remaining communities were ranked on a number of issues, such as median family income; housing affordability; school test scores; quality of life; safety; the number of arts and leisure activities; and weather.
In its description of Warwick, the magazine…
5 Reasons to Save Money Before Buying a Home
Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 9:35am. 39 Views, 0 Comments.
by Brandon Cornett
First-time home buyers are often surprised by the total costs associated with buying a home. Some buyers don’t even realize that a lack of cash reserves can hurt their chances of getting a loan. But it happens all the time. In fact, a lack of up-front cash is one of the most common reasons for mortgage rejection. That’s why it’s important for future home buyers to start saving money early on. The more you can save, the better.
Why is this so important? Here are five good reasons to save up for your home-buying process:
1. Down Payment
When you buy a home, you’ll have to make a down payment of some kind. The days of “no money down” ended when our economy collapsed. Almost 100% of lenders today will require you to put some money down. The…
Common Misconceptions About FHA Home Loans
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 at 8:09am. 38 Views, 0 Comments.
by Brandon Cornett
FHA home loans are a popular financing strategy for home buyers. They’re especially popular with first-time buyers who don’t have much of a down payment saved up. But FHA loans are also commonly misunderstood. Here are some of the biggest misconceptions about these loans.
But first, a quick definition. An FHA loan is simply a mortgage loan that’s insured by the Federal Housing Administration. The FHA is part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, better known as HUD. This government agency insures mortgage lenders against losses resulting from borrower default. This makes the lenders more inclined to use the program, and to give loans to people who might not otherwise qualify for a mortgage.
Myth #1: Anyone can qualify for an…
5 Good Reasons to Use an Agent When Selling Your Home
Friday, June 25th, 2010 at 10:30am. 25 Views, 0 Comments.
by Brandon Cornett
I recently sold a home in Round Rock, Texas, with the help of a real estate agent. I’ve also sold a home by owner before (FSBO), which allows me to compare the two processes. Out of those two experiences comes the following list.
Top 5 Reasons to Use an Agent When Selling Your Home
1. Objectivity – You are too close to your home to see it objectively. This can prevent you from pricing it realistically, and it can also make you blind to any improvements that are needed. My selling agent pointed out several things that I never would have noticed otherwise. He helped us see the big picture and understand the current real estate market. We had the home under contract in less than two weeks.
2. Pricing — We touched on this in the previous…
LOCAL REALTOR® ACHIEVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 1:43pm. 32 Views, 0 Comments.
Smithfield, RI (Grassroots Newswire) June 16, 2010 -- Richard Zelano, Broker/Owner, of EXIT Team Realty has been awarded the Accredited Buyer's Representation (ABR®) designation by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC) of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR).
Richard Zelano joins more than 30,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the ABR® designation. All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty, both in addition to submitting documentation verifying professional experience.
REBAC, founded in 1988, is the world's largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real…
Local EXIT Realty Office Invites Residents to "Real Estate After April 30th - What Now?" Webinar
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 at 12:46pm. 34 Views, 0 Comments.
Company's U.S. President explains what home buyers, sellers should know now
(Grassroots Newswire) - So you didn't buy a home before the first time homebuyer tax credit expired on April 30th... what now? Are there still good deals to be had? The local EXIT Realty office today announced that the company will host a free, live, public webinar designed to help consumers make smart decisions before they buy or sell a home. Local home buyers and sellers are encouraged to tune in for the discussion.
Entitled "Real Estate After April 30th - What Now?", the 30-minute webinar will be hosted by real estate expert and President of the US Organization of EXIT Realty Corp. International, Tami Bonnell, and will be held at two times, 4:00 pm ET and 7:00 pm ET on…
Richard Zelano Achieves SRES Designation
Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 8:51am. 292 Views, 1 Comments.
Smithfield, RI (Grassroots Newswire) October 13, 2009 --
Richard Zelano has achieved the SRES designation, SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) designess have gone over and above the basic training required in the industry. Richard has shown commitment and dedication to real estate, having taken additional training to better serve our 55 plus population.
Richard is a CPA and his understanding of finance as well as having a strong interest in everything real estate led him to be a Broker. He is a skilled negotiator and enjoys working with others. Richard has a diverse background which allows him to give better service to his clients. He considers real estate to be an interesting, challenging, and exciting career. Consulting with people to obtain their…Free Public Webinar Series Understanding Real Estate: Questions and Answers with Tami Bonnell
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 12:36pm. 198 Views, 0 Comments.
Join Tami Bonnell, President of the US Organization of EXIT Realty Corp. International, for an informative webinar addressing the most common questions and answers about today's real estate market. Thinking of buying, selling or investing in real estate? Get the straight facts from a veteran real estate expert.
Tuesday October 13th: 4pm or 7pm
Tuesday November 10th: 4pm or 7pm
Tuesday December 8th: 4pm or 7pm
Registration is limited so register early!
Please click on the link below to register:
My Account
Log in, to view your saved searches and add to your favorite listings.
... So You Can:
- View detailed property information
- Print detailed property flyers
- Save your searches & favorite homes
- Inquire about a private showing
- Map individual property locations
- Share your favorite homes with friends