Borrowing from a 401k, 403b or the cash value of life insurance policy is a common financial strategy. While taxpayers are not allowed borrow from either a traditional or Roth IRA, they can withdraw funds before age 59 ½ for specific purposes like a first home purchase, qualified higher education expenses or permanent disability without incurring a 10% penalty. First-time home buyers can make a...
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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 be another 2-4% and must be paid at settlement in cash. Most mortgages require an escrow account to pay the property taxes and insurance when they are due. Generally, the lender will require one to three months of...
Even 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. He did say: "Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship." At the end of the day, it is not about how much you make as much as it is about how much you keep. The first step in a personal finance review is to discover...
Looking for an investment that will turn $10,000 into $80,000 in seven years? Sound too good to be true? What if I told you that you could live in it every day during that seven years? Would that sound even better? A $300,000 home purchased today on an FHA loan would have a $10,500 down payment. If it appreciated at 2% annually, which is less than the U.S. average, the future value of the home would be...
Mortgage interest paid on your principal residence is deductible today as it was in 1913 when 16th amendment allowed personal income tax. The 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act reduced the maximum amount of acquisition debt from $1,000,000 to $750,000. Acquisition debt is the amount of debt used to buy, build or improve a principal residence, up to the maximum amount. A common misunderstanding among taxpayers is...
Most people who have car, home and health insurance have probably made claims and wouldn't consider being without it. However, it might be difficult to find a homeowner who has made a claim on their title insurance which could lead a person to think that it may not be necessary. Title insurance covers the largest investment most people have and if there was a loss, it could be devastating. Title...
Some 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 they're ready to make the commitment. The following reasons might help you to make a decision. Pride of ownership ... among the most popular reasons given by homebuyers is that they want a place they can call their own and decorate and improve it the...
Before looking for a home, you need to know how much you can afford. While you may have a number in your head, the lender has the final say. Securing a pre-approval from a lender helps make the home buying process easier and helps to avoid delays. Many buyers confuse the terms pre-qualification and pre-approval. They mean two different things. In simple terms, a pre-qualification is an estimate of what...
Maybe 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 retirement. The combination of the low mortgage rates, high rental rates, positive cash flows and tax advantages can help you get it paid for by the time you're ready to move into it. Your tenant could literally buy your retirement...
You 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 in general, a good time to buy has more to do with the individual than anything else. There are four things to consider. It is a good time to buy a home when you have good credit. Since the Great Recession and the housing crisis, lenders have...