Greg Anderson's Blog Posts

Selling a home and buying a lower priced home that meets your current needs can be to your advantage in an "Up" market like the current one with low inventory.  The advantage is that you

Cutting Your Housing Costs in HalfCutting the price will generally bring buyers of anything out of the woodwork that were not serious before.  Some renters could easily lower their monthly

Alternative InvestmentsIn a recent article, The Wall Street Journal reported that investors have rarely been this flush with cash.  The economic uncertainty due to the pandemic and the

It's Worth Digging a Little DeeperThere are hundreds of thousands of people who believe, for one reason or another, they cannot afford to buy a home currently.  Some people  may not

More people grill in July, June & August than any other months and correspondingly, there are more injuries, as well as fires, due to grilling accidents in those months. Even though Labor Day is

Forbearance is a temporary postponement of mortgage payments.  The lender can grant this option to a borrower instead of forcing the property into foreclosure.  The CARES Act

Three Reasons to RefinanceThree reasons to refinance a home include lowering the cost of housing, shortening the term of the mortgage to pay it off sooner or to using the equity to accomplish

The National Association of REALTORS® just released the Market Recovery Survey of a random sampling to close to 100,000 members conducted June 24-26, 2020.  The following

During the mortgage meltdown that caused the Great Recession a decade ago, some homeowners lost their homes to foreclosure or constructed a short sale to get out from under the debt.  In

The deadline for challenging your property tax assessment this year may be later than normal due to the stay at home orders but when you are notified, you'll want to be ready to decide whether you

One More Reason to RefinanceTaking cash out of the equity of your home could be a legitimate way to fund a temporary cash crisis now or to have it on-hand if the need arises.  Most homeowners

Mortgage Closing ScamsThe American bank robber, Willie Sutton, was asked why he robbed banks and his answer was "because that is where the money is."  During his 40-year career, he stole

What Buyers Can Do While Staying at HomeWhile you're isolating at home, there are things you can do to help buy a home now or in the near future.  Instead of spending time surfing the

Financing Home ImprovementsHome improvement loans provide a source of funds for owners to finance the improvements they want to make.  These are usually, personal installment loans that

House-hacking refers to buying a multifamily property on an owner-occupied mortgage, living in one unit and renting the others.  If you're thinking about becoming a rental mogul, starting early

Take the Standard Deduction & the HomeNow that the standard deduction is increased to $12,200 for single taxpayers and $24,400 for married ones, many homeowners are better off with the standard

Downsizing in 2020Approximately 52 million or 16% of Americans are age 65 and over.  It is easy to understand that some of them are thinking of downsizing their home because they don't

The largest expenditure a buyer has when purchasing a home is the down payment which can range from zero for veterans or 3.5%, 5%, 10% and 20%.  With mortgages come closing costs which can

Personal Finance ReviewEven if Benjamin Franklin never actually used the expression "a penny saved is a penny earned", the reality is that it has been a sentiment for frugality for centuries. 

Understanding the Mortgage Interest DeductionMortgage interest paid on your principal residence is deductible today as it was in 1913 when 16th amendment allowed personal income tax.  

7 Reasons to Buy a HomeSome people don't need a reason to buy a home, they just want it.  That can be enough justification by itself.  Other people need some solid logic before

Buy Your Retirement Home NowMaybe you're not ready to move into it but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take advantage of the present opportunities to acquire the home you want to live in during

A Good Time to Buy a HomeYou may have noticed that REALTORS® seem to always think now is a good time to buy and they can usually justify it with solid reasoning.  While it can be true

Time for a Toilet UpgradeWhether it is a cosmetic or a mechanical reason for upgrading a toilet, you may not know all the choices that are involved to choose the right one for your home.  

Interior Condensation SolutionsCondensation occurs when the air has too much moisture in it which is felt as high humidity.  The water deposits on various surfaces that are cooler than the

What every homeowner should know about their property insuranceInsurance is required on a home by the mortgage company, but homeowners rely on it for peace of mind also.  Unfortunately,

Want to be a Landlord?Real estate has consistently been one of the highest rated investments available to individuals.  TV shows certainly make rentals look easy and you may even know someone

Money You Saved for a Down PaymentOccasionally, buyers who can qualify to purchase a home decide to "take a break" and wait to purchase a home.  When the focus of buying a home is relaxed,

Steps in Home Buying ProcessThe process of buying a home can be different based on the price range and whether a mortgage is needed.  While some things are different, others are similar

Invest in Equity Build-upEquity build-up could be one of the biggest advantages to buying a home.  There are two distinct dynamics that take place to make this happen: each house

Measuring Square FootageSquare footage is commonly used to determine if a home will fit a buyer's needs.  The price per square foot can be used to compare the costs of different homes and

Building EquityOwning a home is the first step to building equity.  Tenants build equity but not for themselves; they build it for the owners.Equity is the difference in the value of the

Taxes and the HomeownerWhether you're an owner now or expect to be one in the future, it is important to be familiar with the federal tax laws that affect homeownership.  Since personal

June and July are the busiest home sale months of the year. When inventory is in short supply and you may be competing with other offers, it is important to show the seller you're serious. Make

Don't Leave Home Without...You been planning this trip for some time and almost every detail has been considered...or has it?  Have you thought about how to protect your home while you're

Tech to Find the Right HomeAccording to the 2018 Profile of Buyers and Sellers, 52% of buyers want help to find the right home to purchase.  Physically locating the home is certainly part

A Home Warranty Can Save MoneyYour income tax is probably filed for last year by now and you've been through your expenses for the year.  Money spent on repairs to your home is not deductible

iBuyers - Convenient at a PriceThere are an increasing number of real estate companies, termed iBuyers, like Open Door, Offerpad, Zillow, Knock and others that market a service that has an appeal to

One Loan for Purchase & RenovationsThe FNMA HomeStyle conventional mortgage allows a buyer to purchase a home that needs renovations and include them in the financing.  This

Get Rid of Things You Don't NeedPeriodically, you need to rid yourself of things that are taking up you time and space to make room for more of what you like and want.There's a frequently quoted

Qualified Charitable ContributionIf you're at an age where you need to be taking Required Minimum Distributions (age 70.5) from your IRA, a qualified charitable contribution and some planning may

Checklists work because they contain the important things that need to be done.  They provide a reminder about things we know and realize but may have slipped our minds as well as inform us

In the time that it takes to write one check, you can set it up with your bank and never have to do it again.  You won't have to write checks, envelopes or buy stamps anymore.  

Reasons Rental Homes Rank HighestSingle family homes offer the investor an opportunity to borrow large loan-to-value loans at fixed interest rates for long terms.  Lenders will loan 75-80%

Will Points Make a DifferenceLenders typically quote mortgages at a market rate but can offer a lower interest rate loan if the borrower is willing to pay points up-front which is considered pre

Depends If You Can Afford ItAffordability, stability and flexibility are the three reasons homebuyers overwhelmingly choose a 30-year term.  The payments are lower, easier to qualify for

Do You Know the Way?Fear of the unknown is common among all ages.  Kids, at night, imagine monsters in their closets or under their beds and adults are unsure of what the future might.

When It's Important...Find the FactsMost parents don't put a lot of credence in the statements "Everyone is doing it" and "No one does that anymore."  They'll dig a little deeper and get

Being a better homeowner is a full-time job.  It takes good information to make good decisions not only when you buy and sell but all the years you own a home.Think of times when you need

Here's the scenario: you have a project and need to borrow some money, but you want to do it in the most economic manner.  You've got a low rate on your existing first mortgage and don't

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 increased the standard deduction to $24,000 for married couples.  There will be some instances that homeowners may be better off taking the standard

Mortgage insurance premium can add almost $200 to the payment on a $265,000 FHA mortgage.  The decision to get an FHA loan may have been the lower down payment requirement or the lower

One of the first steps in a good outcome is knowing a little bit about what you're about to undertake.  By being aware of some of the areas regarding homes that may not come up every year

Being a better homeowner is a full-time job.  It's not just about making better decisions when you buy and sell; it's making better decisions throughout the time you own the home.It takes

Smart home technology promises to make your home more comfortable, convenient and secure.  It may not be the home from the Jetson's but artificial intelligence is the hope to make it the home

Price, condition and terms are factors that any owner must consider when marketing their home.  Price is usually the easiest to adjust to compensate for shortcomings in location or

The Federal Reserve Board's Triennial Survey of Consumer Finances recently revealed the net worth of a homeowner was $231,400 compared to $5,200 for a renter.  The net worth of homeowners

Finding the right home is still the biggest challenge buyers are faced with in today's market as is shown in the latest Confidence Index Survey.  Assuming the buyers find the "right" home

As storybooks go, the character is introduced, they meet their love interest, a villain thwarts their intentions, true love overcomes, they marry and live happily ever-after.  It's a very

When the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly was increased from $12,700 to $24,000 for 2018, there was some speculation that the bloom was off the rose of homeownership.  

 In September, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the third time in 2018 and they're expected to go up one more time this year and three times next year.  If you have a

The gutters and downspouts on your home are intended to channel rainwater away from your home and its foundation.  When they're blocked and not functioning properly they can lead to the

Congress enacted the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010 in response to the mortgage crisis that led to America's Great Recession.  The two parts that apply closely to homebuyers are the Ability-to