WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CMA AND AN APPRAISAL?
How do you find out the value of your home? There are two ways – a comparative market analysis, or CMA, and a professional appraisal. The...
INCOME TAX – DEFINING WHAT YOUR PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE IS
Homeownership has long been the great American dream. Our tax laws have encouraged and indeed nurtured homeownership in three important ways: when you file...
Dispelling the “Myths” on short sales – when a property is sold for less than the balance remaining on the mortgage loan.
The short sale is an important tool for helping distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure and eliminate their mortgage debt. And thanks to key changes we’ve made in...
Closing Costs Set to Rise: Buy Sooner Rather than Later
Now that the Federal Reserve has finally announced the start of its “taper,” should mortgage shoppers get a move on to beat higher rates?...
“Buyer, beware.” Court Finds for “Reprehensible” Sellers.
In Douglas v. Visser, the Court of Appeals of the State of Washington found in favor of property sellers Terry and Diane Visser (“Sellers”),...
As interest rates rise, hybrid mortgages may be a good option
Loans that provide a guaranteed fixed rate for a pre-defined period of time, then convert to a variable rate, are usually less expensive than...