Outstanding Permit That I Knew Nothing About. What Can I Do?
Dear Sandy, I bought a house and had a home inspection done as part of my due diligence. Everything was fine and we closed escrow on time. It is now a year later and I received a letter from the … Continue reading →
Survey Finds More Than Half of Homebuyers Surprised by Closing Costs
More than 50 percent of homebuyers were surprised that they had to pay closing costs or that the fees were higher than expected, according to a survey released by ClosingCorp.
Continue reading →Rejected for a Mortgage? A Community Bank May Be a Viable Option
If you’ve been turned down for a mortgage by a mainstream bank — as many people have with the much-stricter rules now governing credit scores, income requirements and loan-to-debt ratios — a community bank may be a good option for you.
The new Qualified Mortgage (QM) guidelines, which the federal government imposed on lenders in January, tightened already stringent rules introduced by the Dodd-Frank law and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Continue reading →Lower FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Benefit Borrowers
WASHINGTON (January 9, 2017) – As the nation’s housing market continues to improve, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro today announced the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will reduce the annual premiums most borrowers will pay by a … Continue reading →
What Are Split Closings and Are They A Good Idea?
What You Need to Know I recently read an article on “split closings” that made several generalizations that could potentially add to the confusion that many buyers (and sellers) often experience when they approach the settlement or closing phase of … Continue reading →
Condominium and Co-op Insurance – Is there a difference?
Reader Question: Could you please address the relevant differences for co-op owners seeking adequate home insurance coverage? Are they the same as for condominium owners? JH Reply: Although the ownership is different between a condo unit and co-op unit owners, the insurance … Continue reading →