Plenty of individuals depend on tips to support some or all of their earnings. This trend is especially prominent in the service and hospitality sectors, where millions of Americans work and rely on gratuities as a significant part of…
The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates three times in 2018, and they’re not finished: another hike is expected before the end of the year. If that’s not bad enough, most financial analysts agree that we can look forward…
In the popular imagination, Millennials live in big city apartments or occupy their parents’ basements rent-free. But in fact, members of the Millennial cohort—that generation of young adults born roughly between 1980 and 1998—bought more homes last year than…
If life has treated you pretty well and/or you’re looking for a home in an expensive part of the country, you may discover that the amount you’ll need to borrow to purchase a home puts your mortgage in jumbo…
Summer may be the busiest home buying season, but it’s not necessarily the best time of year to buy a home. Sure, there are lots of houses on the market in the summer. But if you spent your summer…
The home-buying television shows make it look easy. Find a home. Put in an offer. Poof. Done. But in the real world, there are a few hurdles to clear between the seller accepted your offer and congratulations, you’re a…
It’s one thing to idly scroll through online house listings. It’s something else entirely to make a real offer to buy a home, even now when the purchase process has taken on an entirely new form combining online shopping,…
Home appraisals are hugely important when it comes to your mortgage. Once a seller has accepted a homebuyer’s offer, a home appraisal is on the short list of final hurdles to clear before closing day. If you haven’t bought…
A mortgage pre-approval letter in-hand takes the stress out of house hunting. Instead of wasting your time looking at homes out of your price range—or worrying about whether you qualify for a mortgage at all—being pre-approved for a mortgage means you can…
Shopping for your home can be one of the most exciting aspects of becoming a homeowner. However, there are many factors to consider before seriously committing to “the one.” While there’s a lot of good (and bad) advice out…
More than 57 million Americans earned at least some of their income freelancing last year, including 47% of Millennial workers. If you’re one of the millions of workers who won’t be getting a W-2 from a traditional employer next…
Putting together enough money for a down payment on a home isn’t easy. For many people—and especially for many first-time homebuyers—scraping together the traditional 20% down payment may feel next to impossible. Luckily, would-be homeowners without loads of money…
New home construction has picked up in some parts of the country. But currently, more than 50% of American homeowners live in homes built before 1980. In the Northeast and the Midwest, the age of the average home is…
Homeowners can refinance their mortgages at any time of year, of course. But for a variety of reasons, many homeowners looking for a cash-out refinancing of their existing mortgage do so in the spring. There’s a reason cash-out refinancing…
The refrain has been the same now for several years: In most American towns and cities, there are more would-be homebuyers than there are homes on the market. And the competition for homes feels especially fierce as the millennial…
For many folks, hopping from one open house to the next is the most fun part of buying a home. Stepping into a new home is a little like trying on a new life. What if this is your…
In 2008, Beyonce (AKA Queen Bey, AKA Sasha Fierce) released an anthem that praised All the Single Ladies. The song united independent women around the world. It tapped into a new universal truth that seems to have taken over…
Maybe you have a clear vision of your dream home: the very latest in energy efficiency! Shiny new granite countertops in just the right color! Or maybe you live someplace where the existing housing stock just isn’t sufficient to…
If there’s one thing Millennials are particularly skilled at, it’s comparison shopping. Since the advent of the internet and sites like Amazon, the importance of finding the right fit for everything has increased considerably. Millennials will spend hours evaluating…
We heard a rumor that eating one too many avocado toasts at your favorite neighborhood brunch spot may compromise your ability to ever own your own home. In fact, the media likes to act like an entire down payment…