Posted by Shawn Simpson // December 9, 2020
Will we ever be normal again? COVID has brought significant changes to our lives, and many will be permanent. Right now, many homeowners are in the money, and they’re dipping into it as residential real estate values skyrocket and cash-out refinancing balloons. Due to strained housing supply and increased demand driven by extremely low mortgage rates, the average […]
Posted by Shawn Simpson // December 2, 2020
According to the Omaha World-Herald, “Millions of seniors rely on Social Security to stay afloat during retirement, but those benefits only go so far in paying the bills. In fact, the average senior on Social Security today collects $1,519 a month. But here are a few income sources that could actually pay you a lot more money […]
Posted by Shawn Simpson // November 25, 2020
The Thanksgiving season brings some bad news for some. Realty Biz News reports, “The number of foreclosure filings in the U.S. rose almost 20% compared to the previous month during October. How will you avoid foreclosure?” “ATTOM Data Solutions, which said foreclosure filings include default notices, bank repossessions, and scheduled auctions and said the COVID-19 pandemic […]
Posted by Shawn Simpson // November 18, 2020
A lot of people got hurt in the housing crash in 2008-2009 with the adjustable-rate mortgage. Does that mean one shouldn’t consider an adjustable-rate mortgage? Maybe the choice is based on your circumstances. For example, a five-year ARM only has a fixed rate for the first five years; then the rate adjusts once per year […]
Posted by Shawn Simpson // November 11, 2020
According to Landlordology, “Being a great landlord doesn’t mean that you’re immune from having bad tenants. Yes, tenant screening is important, but even under the best of circumstances, it’s not unusual for a well-intentioned tenant to struggle to pay rent from time to time.” That is why you need to know the Seven Steps to Handle an […]
Posted by Shawn Simpson // November 4, 2020
It is still Halloween for many of us. We still have Halloween candy. So this subject appeared in OmegaHome. “Would you be uncomfortable living in a home where someone recently died? If so, you’re not alone! Around 26% of participants in a Realtor.com survey indicated that they would not live in a home where someone died. Someone […]
Posted by Shawn Simpson // October 28, 2020
Omaha, Neb., and Greater Cincinnati home sales are sizzling hot and tied as the fastest-selling housing markets in the country last month, even as the weather began to cool in September. “The real estate market in these two areas are crazy busy, with homes in both markets selling in an average of 17 days, according […]
Posted by Shawn Simpson // October 21, 2020
Monday, this sad story appeared on MSN News. They were not aware of the value of working smoke detectors “A stray ember from a wood-burning fireplace sparked a house fire over the weekend that killed four people, fire officials in the eastern Nebraska city of Columbus said. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s office said Monday, […]
Posted by Shawn Simpson // October 14, 2020
For Homeowners, Saving a Down Payment Is Only the Start. In 6 Tips for First Time Home Buyers, we advised you to beware of sleeper costs – Comparing the monthly mortgage payments to paying rent is only part of the story. The bank may require property taxes and insurance to be part of the monthly […]
Posted by Shawn Simpson // October 7, 2020
Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s chief economist, said, “The significant churn in the labor market now, more than six months into the pandemic, Covid-19 is still causing financial distress for millions of homeowners.” About 29% of total loans in forbearance are in the initial plan stage, while 70% are in a forbearance extension, MBA said. The remaining 1.4% are forbearance […]