What’s Included in My Mortgage Payment?

When you buy a house, most people expect to pay back the amount borrowed plus interest. But, did you know that a mortgage payment is made up of more than just principal and interest? In some cases, a mortgage payment may have five or six different parts to them. For the first-time homebuyer this can… Continue Reading

Escrows & Prepaids at Closing — What You Should Know

If you are buying a home or refinancing a mortgage, you should be aware of the two most potentially expensive components of your closing costs: Escrows and Prepaids. What Are Escrows and Prepaids? Escrows are the initial amount you must put aside (i.e., pay) at closing to fund your escrow account with sufficient funds so… Continue Reading

How to Use an Escrow Account for Your Benefit

If you are about to close on a loan, whether you’re buying a home or refinancing a loan you already have, you will probably have an escrow account established at closing. This account is where your monthly payments of taxes and insurance will be deposited so that when taxes and insurance are due, your servicer… Continue Reading

Understanding Truth in Lending

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — buying a house isn’t easy, there’s a lot to know and you simply cannot go into it without some education. One of the more important forms in your buying process comes when you make loan application. At that time, you’ll get something called a Truth… Continue Reading

Everything You Wanted to Know About Escrows

As your closing approaches, it seems more and more like everybody and their uncle is crawling out of the woodwork to demand your hard-earned money. You need deposits for the utilities, a great big moving truck and even more cash for something your banker swears he told you about — your mortgage escrow account. This… Continue Reading

12 ways to reduce your mortgage payment

Even though the housing market seems to be rebounding, we are still living in uncertain times and people are increasingly conscious of how much money they’re spending on necessities. If you’re like most people, you’ve managed to slim your grocery budget, reduced your heating costs and eliminated those subscriptions you barely use so you can… Continue Reading