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    Turn Back Time

    By Mike Parker | January 10, 2023

    As the expression goes, “if I could turn back time”, maybe you’d would do some things differently.  If you’re wanting to buy a home, the regret may come from not getting a mortgage when rates were half of what they are today.  There may not be a way to literally “turn back time” but you... Read More

    Buy Now, Refinance Later

    By Mike Parker | January 4, 2023

    The dilemma facing would-be buyers today is to wait until things settle down or move ahead in this unsettling economic environment.  More specifically, the question should be, what are you waiting to settle down: mortgage rates, or prices or both? Mortgage rates haven’t been this high since 2002, so it could be considered plausible that the... Read More

    Does High Inflation Discourage Your From Buying a Home?

    By Mike Parker | December 28, 2022

    Inflation devalues the purchasing power of money and the interest earned on savings is almost always less than inflation.  Tangible assets like your home consistently become more valuable over time.  In inflationary periods, a home is a good investment and a hedge against inflation. Borrowing money at fixed rates during times of inflation can be very advantageous…like... Read More

    Did You Know This About Your Credit?

    By Mike Parker | December 20, 2022

    Credit scores are used to assess risk and determine whether a borrower is approved or declined for a mortgage, credit card or some other type of credit.  The score is a numerical value ranging from a low of zero to a high of 850 or 900 depending on the credit bureau. The higher the score, the... Read More

    Waiting For the Mortgage Rates to Come Down

    By Mike Parker | December 13, 2022

    Waiting for the mortgage rates to come down before you buy a home may not be a good decision. If you are correct, and the rates do come down by two percent, the savings you benefit from a lower rate will most likely be devoured by the appreciated price increase. As of 12/8/22, the 30-year... Read More

    Downsizing Options

    By Mike Parker | December 6, 2022

    Opportunities exist for a subset of homeowners, possibly in their 60’s to 70’s, who want to downsize to smaller homes for convenience, less maintenance, change of lifestyle, or to save money.  These homeowners are more likely to have large equities and will not feel the same constraints that are keeping younger owners in their homes due... Read More

    Concessions Make Your Home More Marketable

    By Mike Parker | November 30, 2022

    Sellers offer concessions as an incentive to encourage buyers to purchase their home.  The concessions, paid for by the seller, benefit the buyer in ways that may be more appealing than possibly, being able to purchase the home for a lower price. In some situations, buyers have good income, credit, and even the down payment... Read More

    Building Your Home Buying Team

    By Mike Parker | November 21, 2022

    There are a lot of professionals involved in the homebuying process.  And when these people can function as a team, the buyer is much more likely to end up where they want to be…in their new home. The lender is an integral part of the team unless you are going to be paying cash.  Trust is very important when... Read More

    Securing Your Retirement

    By Mike Parker | November 15, 2022

    Social Security was established, on August 14, 1935, to take care of the country’s elderly in their retirement years.  Today, about 65 million or 1/6 of Americans collect benefits and the average monthly retirement amount received in January 2022 was $1,614 per month or about $19,370 per year. This annual Social Security benefits exceed the 2022... Read More

    Homeowners Need Resources

    By Mike Parker | November 8, 2022

    Managing an asset worth hundreds of thousands of dollars is a responsibility that requires attention to details such as timely payment of the mortgage, home repairs and maintenance, upkeep, and oversight on financial issues including taxes, insurance, and other things. Depending on how long you’ve been a homeowner, you may have faced some of the... Read More