Understanding the elements of your mortgage payment is as easy as remembering five letters – P, I, T, I, A. The mortgage industry uses the acronym PITIA, which stands for principal, interest, taxes, insurance and Homeowner’s Association Fees to break down the components of a homeowners’ mortgage payments.
Author: Laine Smith
Back to School! Home Values 77 Percent Higher in Zip Codes With Good Schools Than Those Without
A home within a great school district has always been a good selling point, but now a new study performed by ATTOM Data Solutions shows just how big the impact of high-performing education is on home values.
4 Essential Tips for Landscaping a New Construction Home
You’ve considered and decided every miniscule detail of your new home build from windows and doors down to the number of electrical outlets in each room, but now you have a whole new blank canvas to tackle, your landscaping. Here are some tips for starting out the process. Turf Wars: Sod Versus Seed Let’s start…
DIY Lawn Care: 7 Ways to Get a Healthy, Green & Enviable Lawn This Summer
Spring is a time that many homeowners focus on annuals, perennials and landscaping, but don’t forget about a major part of your home’s curb appeal – your grass! Having a lush, green lawn is a pride for many homeowners – but it does require some work and regular maintenance. Here are a few DIY lawn care…
Mortgage Rates: The Who, What, When and Why of How They’re Determined
If you are a homebuyer seeking a mortgage, a big part of when you decide to buy and which lender you choose to finance with will likely depend on where mortgage rates stand. Your mortgage rate not only affects the amount of interest you will pay over the life of your loan but can also…
Happy Mother’s Day! Here Are 8 Perennials You Should Plant in Your Mom’s Garden
Happy Mother’s Day! Stuck on what to give mom this year? Give her a long-lasting, low-maintenance gift by planting some of these Midwest-native perennials in her garden. Columbine This hardy perennial offers dainty red and yellow-spurred flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. This adaptable plant does well in sun or shade but prefers partial shade and…
Remodeling Your Home? See Which Rooms Carry the Most Value
When entertaining the idea of a remodel, most homeowners want to know what the return on their investment will be when the time comes to sell. Though you might enjoy an upscale master suite, a pool or home office – will it increase your home value? Not all rooms or areas of your home are…
Mortgage 101: 7 Things NOT to Do After Applying for a Mortgage
You likely know the list of things to do and not to do before applying for a mortgage, but there’s also certain actions regarding your credit score, finances and employment that should wait until after closing day. Avoid making these mistakes between your application and closing to keep your loan on track.
The Top 8 Value-Adding Projects for Home Sellers
Getting your home in the best shape to sell doesn’t have to mean pouring a huge investment into it. Simple fixes can up the overall appearance of your home, lessen its time on the market, and potentially increase a buyer’s offered purchase price.
Homebuying 101: How to Determine Which Home Type Is Right for You
Determining what type of housing is right for you can prove to be a difficult task when you factor in what you need now and the future possibilities of job promotions, budget fluctuations, out-of-state moves, a marriage, birth of a child, children going off to college, etc.