Mortgage Tips & Industry Insights for South Jersey

Buying your first home is exciting. It is also one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make. Most mistakes first-time buyers make are completely avoidable; they just come from not knowing what to watch out for. Here are the ten most common ones. 1. Skipping Pre-Approval Before House Hunting It is tempting to start browsing homes before talking to a lender. But shopping without a pre-approval means you do not actually know what you can afford, and sellers will not

One of the first questions almost every first-time buyer asks is some version of "do I have enough?" The good news is that you probably need less than you think. Keep in mind that down payment percentage isn't the only cost; there are a few different buckets to save for, and a lot of people only plan for one of them. Here is a clear breakdown of what you actually need. 1. Your Down Payment This is the big one everyone thinks about. The common myth is that you need 20 percent

Buying your first home can be daunting, and it comes with an entirely new vocabulary. Here's a cheat sheet of common homebuying vocabulary to help simplify the process. A Appraisal A professional estimate of a home's market value, ordered by your lender. An appraiser visits the property and compares it to similar homes that have recently sold in the area. Lenders require this to make sure they aren't lending more money than the home is actually worth. If the appraisal comes i