Real Estate Tips

Quick tidbits of advice and ideas about real estate.

Found 185 blog entries about Real Estate Tips.

Home renovations can be expensive, and saving up for extensive improvements could take years. Fortunately, you can fast-track your goals with a home improvement loan. 

Home improvement loans allow you to use the equity in your home to fund your home renovation. 

Benefits of a Home Renovation Project

1.) Increased Home Value

Prospective home buyers are willing to spend more if they see a kitchen or bathroom that has been updated or upgraded for convenience and functionality. 

2.) More Space

If your home feels cramped due to your growing family, extra bedrooms or living space can make living in your home comfortable once more. 

3.) Maintenance

Putting off home repairs can result in more considerable expenses down the road.

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When you shop around for a loan, you may encounter the term APR or annual percentage rate. Some people think that interest rates and APRs are the same, but in reality, there are subtle differences between the two.

This article will explain what an APR is and how it's calculated and applied when deciding which loan is best for your goals.

What is APR?

Homebuyers usually look at interest rates attached to loans and pick the ones with the lowest rates. However, the lowest rate doesn't always mean it's the most affordable loan. Relying solely on interest rates to determine affordability ignores other factors like fees attached to the mortgage.

However, when looking at the annual percentage rate, you'll have a more precise and complete

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If you own an investment property, you already know that getting a mortgage for this type of property is different than a refi of a primary home. If you recall, the qualifying requirements for getting an investment loan are more stringent than a primary home loan. 

Let's take a look at everything you need to know about refinancing an investment property.

Why Refinance Your Investment Property?

Owning a second property comes with costs, and some may feel that these additional costs tie up too much of their free cash flow. Others choose to refi to free up some money for repairs or improvements to the property. 

If this sounds like you, it could make sense to refinance into a better rate --possibly lowering your mortgage payment --and

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Have you been asked to cosign by someone looking to get a home loan approval? You may be wondering why they would ask or how this affects you. This article will help you to understand both of these points. 

 

Why Were You Asked To Cosign? 

These are the top reasons that home loan applicants seek a co-borrower:

  • Income: People may ask for a cosigner to include more income on their mortgage application. Higher income on the application can make it easier to get approved or borrow more from the lender.
  • Credit score: Having someone with a higher credit score may help to secure a lower rate. 
  • Employment: Little or poor employment history can prevent mortgage approval. Having a cosigner with better employment history can aid in getting
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Ever wonder why it's essential to keep your debt in check when applying for a mortgage or what debt matters to your approval? This article will help you answer these fundamental questions so that you're in a great position to get approved for a home loan.

All About Debt-To-Income Ratio (DTI)

Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is one of the most critical metrics lenders use to determine how much home you afford because it directly influences the monthly payment you can qualify for.

DTI is a ratio that compares your existing monthly payments with your gross monthly income before taxes. Depending on the mortgage program and your qualification metrics, two types of calculations are used in mortgage qualification: 

  • Front-end DTI -looks at the
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If you’re a first-time home buyer here in Middle Tennessee, you probably know this is one of the biggest purchases you’ve made. Additionally, each stage of the process is quite complex and can leave buyers feeling stressed and overwhelmed. 

In order to make your financing, shopping, bidding, escrow, and closing easier, Parks Realty recommends joining forces with one of our Accredited Buyer’s Representatives, or ABRs. What follows is a brief, partial overview of what your buyer’s agent will do for you.

Financing

Your ABR will assist you with analyzing your finances and determining how much you can safely spend on your home. Next, your ABR will help you choose from among trusted sources for your mortgage loans. 

Once you have an idea of

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One of the perks of a mortgage is the "mortgage interest deduction." Read on to learn what a mortgage deduction is, how much you can reduce from your taxable income, and how you can take advantage of this tax incentive.

About Mortgage Interest Deduction

The mortgage interest deduction is part of your itemized tax deductions, and it subtracts any interest you've paid on loans used to build, purchase or renovate a property. This means that you can subtract a portion of the mortgage interest for primary and secondary homes every year when you do your taxes. This, in turn, reduces the amount you owe Uncle Sam. 

To be clear, this perk does not include payments you've made to your homeowner's and private mortgage insurance (PMI). Here's a list of

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Veterans have benefits awarded exclusively to them for their dedication and service, including disability and education compensation, career training, health care, and even home loans. However, with federally-funded home loans, there is more than one option. When it comes down to it, what is the best – FHA loans or VA loans? This article will help you understand and make an informed decision on which loan is best for you. 

FHA Loans

An FHA loan is a US Federal Housing Administration mortgage insured by the government and provided by an FHA-approved lender. The requirements for FHA loans are not that hard to obtain, especially when it comes to the credit score. For example, some of the requirements for FHA are: 

  • A credit score of 580 or
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If you are considering purchasing a property to rent through Airbnb or are debating converting a current long-term rental into a short-term rental, you're likely weighing the pros and cons of running an Airbnb in Middle Tennessee. 

You’ve probably heard that renting properties through Airbnb, VRBO, or booking.com can be far more lucrative than long-term renting, which can be true but isn’t always so. Furthermore, even a successful Airbnb host may decide that the gig isn’t a good fit for their personality, lifestyle, and location.

So, let’s dive right in: what are the pros and cons of becoming an Airbnb host?

The Pros

1.) Higher Income Potential

The first, most obvious benefit to choosing short-term rentals is that they bring in

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Purchasing real estate is one of the most reliable paths toward building personal wealth, especially in Middle Tennessee, where home values are consistently increasing. However, the amount of your home’s value that should be included in your assessment of your net worth is called equity, and it is our topic today. Whether you’re shopping for your first property, wondering whether equity can help you improve your current home, or are curious whether paying off more of your home loan now is the fastest way to beef up your wealth, we’re here to help. 

Q: What is equity, and how is calculated?

A: Simply put, equity is the dollar amount assigned to the percentage of your home that you independently own.

For simplicity’s sake, let’s use

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