Author Archives for Andrew Penner

common home buying mistakes

8 Common Home-buying Mistakes

August 7, 2015 11:22 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Gearing up to buy your first home? Not so fast. Here are 8 common mistakes you’ll want to avoid. 1. Shopping for a home before you get preapproved Searching for a home is exciting, and it can be very tempting to hire a real estate agent and immediately begin shopping. The problem with this is... View Article


Puppy-proofing Your New Home

October 14, 2014 10:22 am Published by Leave your thoughts

So you’ve got this new home (and, of course, a mortgage with a low interest rate). With all the additional space, adding a dog to the family is sort of a no-brainer. But while puppies might just be the cutest things in the world, they can also be devious little creatures. An abundance of curiosity... View Article


What is a mortgage-backed security?

September 19, 2014 4:28 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

If you took out a mortgage loan to pay for your home, the odds are high that your mortgage is backing up a publicly traded security. This sounds complicated. But mortgage-backed securities are actually a common and important investment type today. Here’s how the process usually works: First, a homeowner takes out a mortgage from... View Article


Why Should You Pay Cash for a House?

September 17, 2014 9:24 am Published by Leave your thoughts

For many, the American dream is still to own one’s home.  To achieve this, prospective homeowners will save their money, try to keep their credit report clean and obtain a mortgage to do so. But others will purchase their homes with a cash payment. Believe it or not, this method is on the rise. Recently... View Article


Is it worth it to make double payments on my 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with an interest rate of 4.75 percent?

September 15, 2014 1:37 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

It’s tempting, if you can afford it, to make two mortgage payments a month. This will help you slash the time it takes to pay off your mortgage loan. And over time, it can save you a significant amount in interest payments. And let’s be honest: It’s nice not to have make those mortgage payments... View Article