Kids of all ages often have a hard time dealing with moving. They may not be able to understand why the family can't stay in the same place forever. Even with explanations, children often can't readily envision how amazing the new place will be. Here are some ideas for helping your kids deal with the move. 1. Make It Easy To Stay In Touch For a lot of kids, a big sore spot with moving is having to say goodbye to friends and schoolmates. They may even feel like you're intentionally wresting them away from their friends. To demonstrate how much you understand the sacrifice, make a gift of a cute … [Read More...]
You have lots of choices when it comes to choosing a real estate agent. Aside from deciding if you'd prefer to work with a man or woman, and what age range you'd like them to be, here are some tips to help ensure that you pick one that is best suited for your needs. Signs In Their Bio The first thing to do is read the bios of any real estate agents you're considering. Bios tell a lot about an agent, including what certifications they hold and how long they've been an agent. Some bios even have some personal information such as charitable interests or a little about their family life. Look for … [Read More...]
Last week's economic news included Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. Fed Faced with Public Mistrust of Institutions Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powel said in a speech to a group of teachers that the Federal Reserve is paddling against a current of public mistrust of the institution. Mr. Powell assured his audience that the Fed was "working in a non-political way" to support the economy. Mr. Powell said that the Fed was working to earn public trust and said that the Central Bank must be accessible to ordinary Americans and … [Read More...]
Savvy home buyers often get great deals on new home constructions by asking for deals and discounts and doing some up-front research. Home builders often dislike offering steep discounts in sales prices because they want everyone in the community to feel like they bought their property at a fair price. Maintaining sales prices also helps with future home appraisal values. It helps all of the buyers in a neighborhood to keep sales prices consistent and growing. Fortunately, you can still get great discounts that can reduce the cost of your new home. Ask the builder if they can do … [Read More...]
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 instituted some of the most dramatic changes to the financial landscape in the United States in over 30 years. These adjustments to the IRS code have an effect on everyone who earns and spends money in this country. What changes can real estate investors expect to see from the new legal standards? Higher Standard Deduction, Less Itemized Deductions Before the reforms, single tax filers were allowed a standard deduction of $6,350. Married couples filing jointly were given $12,700. The standard deduction is the amount of income you can earn before any income … [Read More...]
It's no secret that mortgage lending institutions look favorably on steady paychecks and positive debt-to-income ratios. That can leave many self-employed prospective home buyers feeling anxious about getting approved for a mortgage. But just like the 9-to-5ers who get regular paychecks, self-employed people earning a good living can get approved with a little due diligence. The primary concern of mortgage lenders is not necessarily where your revenue comes from, it's confidence that you can meet the monthly obligations. A lender probably wouldn't see a significant difference between someone … [Read More...]
