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With mortgage interest rates hovering near record lows, you may want to either refinance your mortgage or purchase a new home before rates go higher again. The question is — can you qualify for refinancing or a purchase loan? Since the recession, lenders have tightened loan qualification standards and their most widely used tool to…

Think cleaning up or fixing up your place is an all-day – or all-weekend – effort? Well, you might be right depending on how long it's been since you spruced it up. But if you've let a few things get away from you and are feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing, take a beat, and…

We all know about the vital things we should have at home. Water, toilet paper, a tool kit, a first aid kit, batteries – these are the givens. But there are other things you might not have thought about. Things that can serve multiple purposes and provide surprising uses (we're talking to you, tub of…

APR versus interest rate When lenders advertise mortgage rates, they are required to display an additional number called the annual percentage rate, or APR. The advertised rate is the one used to calculate your mortgage payment. Borrow $100,000 at five percent with a 30-year term, and the payment is $537. But an advertised rate tells…

As tempting as current interest rates are, you may want to refinance your home to a lower rate. Here are five questions you should answer before you take the leap: 1. How long do you plan to stay in the home? It makes a big difference in recouping the cost of refinancing a home loan.…

When you apply for a mortgage loan, the first thing your lender will do is check your credit history, but they don't read through your credit reports page by page. They get a snapshot of your credit called a credit score. Fair Isaac Corporation is the company that compiles your credit scores based on the…

When you're getting ready to sell your home, you don't want to make any mistakes that can decrease the value of your home. However, sometimes sellers unintentionally do. That's because what a buyer sees as a mistake is not always the same as what a seller considers a mistake. But when you're selling your home,…

If you're a homeowner, then chances are that one of your goals is to reduce the energy usage in your home — not only to lower bills, but also to contribute toward a cleaner environment. It's an added plus that homes with lower energy usage and access to renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly more…

There are two reasons to buy hazard insurance for your home — to protect your lender and to protect yourself. If you use the purchase price of your home for the insured amount, you may believe you have all bases covered. But, you could be in for a nasty surprise if you have to make…

It's that time of year, when the sun is shining bright and all we really have on our minds is getting out of town to enjoy a beach vacation. But before you can enjoy some fun in the sun, there are a few things to take care of at home. Here are 7 ways to…