Using Gift Money for Your Down Payment

If you’re receiving a down payment gift for the purchase of your next home, you’re not alone; many U.S. home buyers do it. Gifts for down payment can come from parents, grandparents, siblings, children, or even spouses on a variety of loan programs including FHA, VA, USDA, conventional, and jumbo loans. But you need to make sure that ...

Millennials: Are you ready for Homeownership?

If you have found yourself renting for several years, it may be time to look at the bigger picture and realize that you could be paying your own mortgage by now instead of your landlords. Over half of the millennial generation feel that finances are the biggest obstacle of homeownership. However, the most common misconception ...

A Home’s Cost vs a Home’s Price

When you’re in the market for a new home and start searching through the listings online, you will often see a mortgage payment estimate by the purchase price. While this number can be helpful to get an idea of how much house you can afford, it’s important to understand that that number does not truly ...

Benefits of Making a Larger Down Payment

Figuring out how much of a down payment to make when buying a home can be difficult. It also makes a big difference in how much your home will cost you in the long run including mortgage payments. If you can afford to make a large down payment, should you do it? See the reasons ...

Low Down Payment Mortgage

Low down payment mortgages are making a comeback. Previously the lowest down payment on a conventional conforming mortgage loan was 5%. Now even more potential homebuyers may qualify for a loan with just 3% down. Even though a low down payment loan requires mortgage insurance, this loan option provides potential first time homebuyers the chance ...