Non-conforming Home Loans vs Conforming Loans
The simple definition of a "non-conforming home loan" is: You have a job and can make the payments. Your credit is used only to determine your interest rate and the loan amount to value of the home ratio. This ratio is referred to as your "LTV" or "Loan To Value". There are many lenders who will ... more...

What Homeowners Should Know to Stop Foreclosure- Speaking Your Lender's Language
Financial literacy is the means of empowering consumers to make informed financial decisions through exposure to accurate and timely information. In no other area is the void of accurate information more evident that in the area of foreclosure.The national foreclosure rate is at the highest level ... more...

Real Estate Tax Incentives
Lower Your TaxesTax incentives for real estate investors can often make the difference in your tax rates. Deductions for rental property can often be used to offset wage income. Tax breaks can often enable investors to turn a loss into a profit.For which items can investors get tax breaks? You ... more...

How Appraisals and Assessments Differ
Many people think appraisals and assessments are the same thing or at least that they should be for the same amount. The truth is they can vary greatly. Lets look at each of them.AppraisalsAn appraisal is an estimate of market value. An appraiser can use many methods for coming up with this ... more...

Filling Out The Loan Application
1. Property information. The application begins with a section on the property. Questions as to the type of loan sought, the terms of the loan, location and legal description of the property, the property's value, and the manner of taking title must be completed. This information is used to ... more...

Will a 1031 Property Exchange Solve Your Problems?
If your problem is listed below, a 1031 exchange may or may not be your solution.1. Are you a landlord that doesn't want to manage property anymore?2. Do you want to sell your investment property, but don't want to pay huge amounts of Capital Gains Tax?3. Is your current income property not ... more...

Mortgage Loans
A mortgage is a device used to create a lien on real estate by contract. The mortgage is an instrument that the borrower (called the mortgagor) uses to pledge real property to the lender (called the mortgagee) as security for a debt, also called hypothecation. The mortgage, as a rule, consists of ... more...

Estate Planning Overview, Part I
Why Plan Your Estate?The knowledge that we will eventually die is one of the things that seem to distinguish humans from other living beings. At the same time, no one likes to dwell on the prospect of his or her own death. But if you postpone planning for your passing until it is too late, you run ... more...

Negative Gearing Its Not to Your Benefit!
The concept of negative gearing has been originally developed to encourage real estate investment in Australia by allowing any income losses from property investment to be deductible from other income as a tax benefit. This means that the taxable income of the owner will be reduced after the ... more...