Current Homeowners

Have you outgrown your current living space? Perhaps you’re thinking about an addition or a home makeover. Whatever it may be, it’s important to know your options.

Ep. 46 “Buying real estate from family is not recommended.”

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Interfamily transfers permit some unique rules to be considered when buying a home. We encourage mortgage planning to implement these strategies. A gift of equity can be used a few ways…and when done right, can drastically limit the use of actual money needed to buy a home. An interfamily transfer – also known as a non-armslength transaction – can be used three ways in any combination:

First, for down payment; Second, to cover closing costs for the loan; Third, to actually pay off debt. In many cases, these are great when estate planning is used in combination when transferring real estate. Imagine buying Grandma’s house, paying off your consumer debt, renovating the home, and doing so with almost no money out of pocket. It is certainly a technical transaction…and yet it’s done quite often. Do you qualify for a gift of equity? Maybe so…ask us how

*Not intended as real estate, accounting or investment advice. Contact your financial representative for more information.

Ep. 35 “To build a home, I need to qualify for the construction and re-qualify for the house.”

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Until recently, if you wanted to build a home, you needed to qualify for the construction loan, and then re-qualify for the traditional mortgage loan. However, that’s not the case now. AmeriFirst Home Mortgage is proud to be the first lender in Ohio to offer the USDA Rural Development New Construction Loan. This construction-to-permanent mortgage option provides qualified homebuyers the chance to receive 100% financing and no cash down payment is necessary to build a home that is a single-family residence. The loan finances the cost of the construction as a short-term interim loan. Once construction is completed, it converts to a traditional 30-year long-term permanent mortgage, and there is no need to qualify for a separate loan. Hence, the construction-to-permanent lingo. OK, what’s the catch? Well, there isn’t one. To be eligible, the desired property simply needs to fall within certain geographical areas, outside the city limits of major metropolitan centers. Prospective borrowers also have additional credit and income requirements to meet. Get qualified for USDA New Home Construction. Learn about it today. Ask us how.

*Not intended as real estate, accounting or investment advice. Contact your financial representative for more information. Not all borrowers will qualify.

The Shipping Container Life

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Shipping-Container-Life

Shipping containers; you seem them, a lot. From on the road to rail and water, these large steel containers appear as giant Lego blocks, packed with goods that keep us and the world moving. It brings us to the question, have you thought about what’s inside of them? Or better yet, did you ever imagine living inside of one? Okay, chances are the idea has never crossed your mind, but calling a container home is very real.

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Ep. 19 “It’s too late to refinance.”

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Media reports will vary throughout time. Interest rates will change up and down. An increase in rates may mistakenly convince you that refinancing is not worth looking into. The reality is that rates are still favorable and low. Mortgage loans, generally speaking, are the cheapest and safest type of money to borrow. Consumer debt on the other hand is quite expensive. Debt consolidation, home improvements, removing PMI, and other financial needs should be evaluated to determine the net tangible benefit of refinancing. And while it may sound a little whacky, there may be benefits to refinancing coupled with an increase in your mortgage loan interest rate. Sounds nutty, maybe not. Ask us how.

Ep. 16 “Pay off your mortgage as quickly as possible.”

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Mortgages are likely the largest debt a person will ever have. And with mortgage money typically being the cheapest type of debt, paying more money to the largest debt and the cheapest debt, is not the most economical approach for money management. It’s much smarter to pay off consumer debt carrying higher payments and higher interest costs than it is to spend more money on your mortgage loan. Also, when you pay off your home, you will lose your mortgage tax deduction that most folks get, and you will also still have monthly obligations consisting of property taxes and homeowners insurance. So paying less on your mortgage allows folks to save additional money for essentially rainy day funds, emergency reserves and avoid more expensive debt like consumer debt. Get educated about mortgage money management. Ask us how.

Ep. 14 “FHA loans are only for first-time homebuyers.”

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FHA loans are not exclusively used for first-time homebuyers. FHA loans can be used to refinance your home. They can be used for repeat buyers, buying a second home or third home. And like with any loan, credit and your debt to income ratio and financial reserves all impact loan approvals. FHA loans have fewer restrictions than conventional loans and require much less cash to close. Simply use the right lending tool when buying a home. Ask us how.