That wasn't an earthquake, it was…

Was just speaking with  Mike Pearl,  CPA and Private Wealth Manager about mortgage  and tax solutions, positioning, problems, and planning. As we were speaking about this, Mike make the comment that that the answer to most mortgage and tax questions is….”It Depends….” As I thought about this, that response is much more than a cliche or avoiding of specific […]

You see it everywhere in the Sunday real estate listings and online – “Price reduced $XYZ$ dollars.” When I speak with agents, I’m told the price is what begins the conversation and gets buyers to call. Without the right price, the phone does not ring. Agents know. This does make sense today, but the question […]

If you were eating lunch alone, which would you order, a large pizza or a personal pan pizza? With a large pizza, you would most likely eat a few slices, and bring the rest home to eat later. If you opt for a personal pan pizza, you are portion controlled, with no waste and no […]

The purpose of a Mortgage Pre- Qualification or Mortgage Pre Approval is to re-assure the home seller that the buyer is qualified to purchase their home and that the deal won’t go down at the last minute. These terms can be confusing to both home buyers and sellers.  Here’s what they mean and the differences: A “Mortgage Pre-Qualification” is […]

The NC Real Estate purchase contract changed in 2011. One of the key components is the “due diligence date” that can significantly impact the closing, sellers, and buyers. Watch as Debbie Earp and Robin Mullis of The Earp Group discuss the pro’s and con’s and what you must know about the new contract before you buy or sell.

In a low mortgage rate environment, there are many ways to skin a mortgage so that you pay less and keep more in your bank account, rather than add to the big super mega banks profits. And that, even if you already have a low mortgage rate. I’ll cover that in the next posts. Here’s a […]

On my TV, news and reality shows about immigrants are about illegal’s.  They cast a poor reflection on all immigrants.  I must reach way back to remember the stories from my Grandma Mary Cahill Cronshey Kohn, who told me about her great grandparents coming from Sweden. My Dad’s family emigrated from Ireland.    For a moment I […]

Many people I speak with dread the gathering of documents. Use this checklist, and it will be much easier.   Remember that every lender may have slightly different requirements. When Automated Underwriting is run, a list of documents will be requested “per current guidelines.” The human underwriter may always ask for additional documents.   Whether you […]

When Orange County created its Economic Development Districts in the early 1990’s, the purpose was to designate non-residential zones that would serve “for the next fifty years.” The districts were created along interstate highways to benefit from obvious transportation advantages. Orange County, with its support for quality education and environmental awareness, provides a great place […]

Time to buy or refi. PS- Hope you profited from the brief rate drop last week.