It's natural to wonder whether you'll be able to buy a home after you’ve filed bankruptcy. After all, everyone has to live somewhere—even those who have turned to the court system for help with handling their debts. Applying for bankruptcy will affect your credit history for years to come and can make getting approved for housing a challenge. But will a bankruptcy quash your chances of ever owning a home? The answer to that question is unequivocally - NO.   Many... [read more]

Recently, I’ve been surprised at the number of buyers who do not seem to understand that a real estate contract is a legal and binding contract the same as any other contract. Some buyers seem to think that it’s like shopping for a pair of shoes they see some other shoes they want so they just return the pair they previously purchased and obtain a refund. Still, other buyers think it’s okay to go under contract and cancel during the inspection period because they see another... [read more]

Having been a single parent, I truly understand the cost of raising kids as well as the need to properly plan. I’ve done somethings right and some wrong. But I share this information with you to help you avoid some pitfalls, and to share some of the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years.   Raising kids isn’t cheap. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the cost (in today’s dollars) of raising  for a baby born in 2015 through age 17 for... [read more]

Knowing the honest truth prior to buying a home will ensure that your home buying experience will be a joyful one, while keeping stress to a minimum.   1. You MUST be Pre Approved – A critical first step. As a Buyer, you need to know your home buying power (how much home you can afford). The only way to do this is to get pre-approved  Pre-approval requires a mortgage lender to review your credit,  income, and assets. This is not a casual conversation with a lender... [read more]

People get hung up on all kinds of things during a real estate transaction. Preconceived notions of good and bad often blind people from the bigger picture, and emotion almost always runs amok. One of the things people get hung up on are seller paid closing cost.  Many buyers mistakenly think the seller must pay their closing cost. This is simply not true. Paying the buyer’s closing cost is the buyer's responsibility. However, your real estate agent may be able to negotiate... [read more]