Seller-Paid Closing Costs In A Seller’s Market? Yes, It’s Still Possible

For first-time home buyers, closing costs are a major hurdle for home ownership. Coming up with a down payment and several thousand dollars for closing costs can be hard without home equity to tap. To help, buyers often ask sellers to cover all or some of these costs. In markets favoring buyers, this is a common habit, but when the market switches to favoring sellers it becomes harder. Sellers who know they may get multiple offers are less likely to say "yes" to this request. Yet even when the market favors sellers, buyers can still ask for this help. It…
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Top Tips To Get Mortgage Pre-Approval Fast

When buying a house in a market that favors sellers, buyers must be able to move quickly. Mortgage pre-approval is critical to this. Here are some tips buyers can use to get approved fast. 1. Estimate Purchase Costs Buyers need to know what their target purchase price is. This could speed up the pre-approval process according to Realtor.com. If buyers have been saving for a down payment, they should also tell the lender the amount they plan to put down on the home. Again, this helps speed up the pre-approval process and ensures greater accuracy. 2. Check The Credit Lenders…
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What You Need To Know About Short Sales

On the surface, a short sale seems like the perfect deal. However, before you take the plunge, you need to understand how this type of home purchase works. What Is a Short Sale? A short sale is a home sale in which the homeowner is selling the home for less than he or she currently owes on the mortgage. In most cases, this means that the buyer is paying less for the home than it's worth, which leads to instant equity. Short sales allow homeowners to get out from under mortgages without damaging their credit as much as a foreclosure.…
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