Hint: Avoid Loan Froad
What exactly is "loan fraud," or "mortgage fraud"? A few examples, per the FBI are: Property Flipping - purchasing a property, falsely appraised at a higher value, and…
Deciding To Refinance
Mortgage interest rates have continued to decrease over the past year (much to my surprise). Once again, some homeowners are wondering whether it might make sense for…
Buy vs. Rent --- Harrisonburg Townhouse on Vine Street
There are many perspectives on whether it is better to buy or rent --- let's pick one property type, in one imaginary buy vs. rent scenario, and start with a monthly cash…
The Effect of Immigrant Buyers
NPR's All Things Considered ran an interesting story today about immigrant buyers. Per the story (listen here) . . . 12% of the U.S. population is foreign born. An…
How and Why To Buy Property At A Foreclosure Sale
Buying a property at a foreclosure sale (a.k.a. trustee sale) can be a great opportunity to acquire a property under market value, but there are risks that accompany any…
Buying College Student Rental Property
Lots of people consider buying investment properties -- and in Harrisonburg many people start by investigating college housing. Some don't end up buying, and here is why…
Price Corrections . . . How It Affects Us Right Here At Home
A friend (thanks Randy) pointed me to an interesting article published last month by Fortune Magazine that used some interesting data analysis to come to the conclusion…
The Value of Title Insurance
These days it seems like you can buy insurance for just about anything! Life insurance, health insurance, auto insurance, home owners insurance, and what's that --- title…
The Changing Mortgage Market
Over the last decade, many flexible financing solutions have been introduced: 100% mortgages with private mortgage insurance to cover the lender’s risk . . . 80/20…