• HARP Refinancing: A History

    The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) is a U.S. federal program that began in 2009. The goal of the HARP refinancing program is to help struggling homeowners refinance their mortgages. The following is a short history of HARP and how the program continues today. The Crisis After the U.S....
  • What is a USDA Home Loan?

    With the housing market finally starting to regain footing, potential home buyers are in search of homes and mortgage loan programs. There are so many types of home loans out there, it’s hard to know which to choose. Maybe you’ve heard about the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)...
  • 6 Tips When Buying and Selling Your Home in 2016

    To help negotiate today’s real estate market and mortgage, here are six simple steps to buying and selling your home:   Use homebuyer programs   Utilize the programs specific to your local area to help you buy your next home. Websites such as HSH.com can provide tools to those...
  • The Advantages to a USDA Home Loan

    For those unfamiliar with the USDA home loan program, this loan is offered by the Department of Agriculture and is available to borrowers who live in or wish to purchase rural properties. Despite a large number of loan programs now available, many potential buyers are looking into USDA home...
  • How to Apply for a HARP Loan

    The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) is an alternative financing structure that is meant to allow people who are up-to-date on their mortgages to stabilize their home purchase through refinancing. HARP is meant to focus on helping people who are unable to get traditional financing because of the declining...
  • How you Can Calculate Mortgage Costs

    Calculating mortgage costs for yourself is actually much easier than it ever has been. Because of the prevalence of the Internet, you now have access that was previously only available to the financial elite. Chief among these tools is the online mortgage calculator that will allow you to break...
  • When Should you Refinance your Home Mortgage

    Refinancing your home mortgage is a major financial decision, but it’s also one that has the potential to save you thousands of dollars over the life of your loan. Refinancing your mortgage can help you to pay less every month, pay your mortgage loan at a faster rate, or...
  • FHA Loans: The Pros and Cons

    Those who are looking to purchase a home may have come across the term FHA loan and not know what it is. The acronym FHA stands for Federal Housing Administration. The loan is actually not a loan. It is government-backed insurance for the lender of a home loan. It...
  • Refinancing your Home with FHA Loans

    Homeowners considering refinancing of their properties may qualify for an FHA streamlined refinance loan, cash-out refinance loan, or a no-cash refinance loan. According to FHA loan rules, applicants for a new mortgage must meet the eligibility criteria, not be the same party as the original loan, and reside on...
  • The Disadvantages to a USDA Home Loan

    USDA home loans are favored among some first-time home buyers because they offer special incentives, such as not requiring a down payment, and are open to borrowers with low credit scores. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which like all government offices, requires an application...