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As we enter tax season, let’s review how owning a home can help lower your tax bill.
First, lets clarify that you’ll need to do an itemized return to take advantage of the deductions.
Second the deductions are just that deductions from the income that is subject to tax, not just taking an amount straight off your tax bill.
Onto the benefits! The biggest one, you may already be familiar with – the interest deduction. The money you pay in interest over the year on your loan is fully deductible on the first $750,000 of your loan or up to $1 million if your loan was originated before December 15, 2017. The other biggie is deducting property taxes. You can deduct up to $10,000 in state and local taxes including property taxes. Another deductible is if you paid points to lower your interest rate – this payment is tax deductible. Finally another popular deduction is one many of came to know last couple of years – the home office. However even though many of us have one now – the deduction is meant only for the self employed – if you work full time for a company it may not qualify. Of course talk a certified tax professional regarding your particular situation and if you want to see how much you can qualify for please fill out our quick qual analyzer on our website!

If you bought your home with less than 20% down, you are most likely paying private mortgage insurance (PMI). Most borrowers can’t wait to get to 22% equity when their PMI will be cancelled.
One way to stop paying PMI is through refinancing your home. Now this likely won’t be an inexpensive way to avoid PMI in terms of closing costs involved with refinancing. So you may want to have other reasons to refinance such as a lower monthly payment or getting cash-out as well. If you’re equity has increased a good deal recently so that you have more than 20% equity then you could avoid PMI through this route as well – you’ll still have to pay for an appraisal but that will be a lot less than the closing costs.

What Is A Non-QM Loan?
A Non-Qualified mortgage loan (Non-QM) is a loan that falls outside of the QM (Qualified Mortgage) loan parameters, which provide legal protection to lenders and have stricter guidelines to help prevent against default. Non-QM loans fill a void for people with fluctuating income that may come in lump sums. Most often they used by people who are self-employed (like a small business owner, entrepreneur, contractor, nurses, etc.) and don’t tick the boxes for a traditional mortgage with requirements for their tax statements, pay stubs and W-2s. They are also used by borrowers that may certain credit issues in their past that rule out a QM loan. Non-QM loans do not have the traditional guarantees backed by those of Freddie, Fannie, FHA and VA loans. If you want to learn more about which loans are bested suited to your needs, fill out our 90 second analysis on our website and we can schedule a consult!

Whether you are looking to sell and make your kitchen more presentable, you just moved in to a new place or you built equity and want to upgrade your current kitchen, here are 7 keys to consider before starting. And we’ll throw in one more before we start – ask are you a big kitchen person or do you order out for eggs and bacon? Consider if you are going to use it all day, every day or just as a place to keep beverages cold and to warm food up.
1. Budget – Before getting started set a budget! (Can’t you say this before starting every project? 🙂
2. Lighting – Gone are the days of dark cramped kitchens, make sure there’s plenty of light and consider a mix of light sources.
3. Countertops – This is a big one of course and with more options than ever. A great mid-range option is quartz which has the appeal of marble without the cost and upkeep worries.
4. Outlets – Make sure you plan enough outlets for appliances, gadgets and how knows what;s next – consider adding some built in usb-c plugs and less of the old usb so you future proof.
5. Storage – This is another biggie – you want enough space to store all the goodies and gadgets! Don’t put appliances in corners and make sure doors don’t bang into each other too!
6. Flooring Your grandparents linoleum floors are history – today there are a ton of awesome flooring choices.
7. Appliances This one depends on your budget. The lux range looks great and is useful but be realistic too. It’s an investment, consider if you are going to stay in the house a long time and you’re a big chef are two key factors to consider!

For many people buying a home is part of the American dream but saving for the down payment might not be. So whether you are trying to buy your first home or size up for your growing family here are some tips to save for your down-payment.
1. Eliminate waste and daily splurges – if you have a smart thermostat make sure you don’t have the heat on in the winter or ac in the summer when no one is home. Consider replacing daily coffee stops with brewing at home, subscribe to services you don’t really use – eliminate some of them.
2. Budget – make a monthly budget of your spending – see where you can cut back and see how much you can save monthly.
3. Tax Return – with tax season here, if you are getting a refund, try setting it aside towards your down payment.
4. Get side gig – if you have enough time consider getting a side gig and save the money from that.
5. Ask – its fairly common for parents to help their kids with money towards down payments today (for those lucky enough to have this option), you can also consider asking friends and family for cash instead of gifts to help you put towards your house.
The market is changing and it also helps to see how much you’ll need to save and what you can qualify for – so please fill out our quick qualifier on our website to get a good idea of what you can qualify for.

There are a lot of mortgage terms that we have heard a lot, but we don’t always 100% know what they mean. Today we’ll explain what home equity really is and how you could use it.
To put it simply home equity is the amount of your house that you own. So for example if you have a mortgage loan balance of $100,000 and your home’s value is $300,000 then you have $200,000 in home equity. You calculate home equity by subtracting your mortgage balance from the appraised value of the home.
Your home equity is an asset and you can use it for things like cash-out refinancing, home equity lines of credit (HELOC) perhaps if you have paid your mortgage off you can also get a reverse mortgage.
If your home value has increased in recent years and are looking to use your equity, use our 60 second analysis on our website to see your options.

If you are considering refinancing before rates go up to pay off other debts like credit cards, here is a quick overview.
The average American has nearly $40,000 in debt not including home loans so today we ask if you consider a cash-out refinance to pay off other debts like credit card debt. Credit card interest rates are normally much higher than mortgage interest rates and if you are carrying high credit card debt while making minimum payments, there is an opportunity to save a lot in monthly credit card payments that are primarily going to pay high interest rates on the debt. First you will need enough equity in your home to get a cash-out refinance.
With real estate values rising many people have seen their home value rise so they may qualify for cash-out. You’ll still need to maintain equity in the home at 80-90% to avoid paying mortgage insurance and you will have to get an appraisal and pay closing costs which will be subtracted from the cash out amount.
Contact us to see if a cashing out to pay off your debt makes sense for you. And remember you’re not actually eliminating the debt you’re just saving on high interest payments so be careful not to start spending again on the credit cards and getting caught in a debt cycle loop.

If you’re looking for a new house, many realtors want a pre-approval in advance. Plus its good for you to know how much you can afford and if there are any issues, you will know in advanced instead of an unexpected last minute surprise!

1. Proof of Income
This is usually W-2 statements but also includes any other sources of income like bonuses or alimony.
2. Proof of Assets
This will include bank and investment account statements. If you are receiving a money from a relative or friend you may also need a gift letter from them.
3. Credit Score
Your credit score will be an important factor on the down payment and interest rate on the loan.
4. Employment Verification
Lenders may call your employer to verify employment, or if you are self-employed you may need to supply additional paperwork.
5. You Verification
You may need to supply a copy of your drivers license and social security number as well.

Now that you know the basics, check with us to get pre-approved and see how much you can get approved for!

In today’s market of rising home prices, many people are considering buying a fixer-upper.
We’ve all seen the home make-over shows with amazing before and afters but should you do it?
Here are a few things to consider:
1. Know Your Limits How much of the work can you do. How much time do you have to put into renovations. Are you prepared to live in a work zone for a while
2. Work Out Costs In Advance Have a contractor walk through the inspection with you and get a written estimate for work he would do. If you are doing the work yourself price the costs of supplies, either way add 15% to the costs because surprises are likely.
3. Check Permitting Costs and Procedures Check with local officials to see if the work requires a permit and the permit costs.
4. Be Extra Careful with Structural Issues If the house requires structural repairs then double check the work and pricing. Hire a structural engineer to do an inspection and if structural work needs to be done make sure your bid discounts this work
5. Include Inspection Contingencies Make sure you hire professional inspectors and check for hidden issues like mold, piping issues, pest damage etc. And if things come up ask for discounts. And if too many red flags come up or the seller won’t properly discount the costs for repair then you may want walk away and keep looking!

Many first-time home buyers are looking for ways to get into a house – here are ten programs that can help!
1. FHA Loan – This is most common assistance loan and you may already be familiar with FHA loans, these are widespread and help buyers with lower credit scores and less money saved for a down payment. 2. USDA Loan – are for lower-income borrowers in rural areas (but check with us you may not realize you are in a rural area 🙂 3. VA Loan – this is a great option for those who have service in the military and their families as it allows no down payment! 4. Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Loan – these are conventional loans that are a good option for those with good credit scores but can put down as little as three percent. 5. Good Neighbor Next Door Loan – this HUD program provide aid for first responders and teachers. 6. FHA Section 203k Loan – if you are getting a fixer-upper this is a great option as home improvement costs can be rolled into the FHA primary mortgage. 7. HomePath ReadyBuyer Program – this is program pays ups to 3% of closing cost assistance for Fannie Mae properties in foreclosure (you must complete an educational course as well) 8. Native American Direct Loan – this program is for Native American veterans on federal trust land. 9. Energy-efficient Loans – there are a few federal programs that allow for savings on homes rated as energy efficient or loans that allow the borrower to add efficiency upgrade costs into the primary mortgage. 10. Local State and City Programs – last but definitely not least there are many local options people often don’t know about that can provide assistance to first time home buyers! Check with us and we can review your situation and help you decide if any of these are a good fit!