Author: Better.com

Buying a home marks a new beginning for you and your family — especially if your children will be attending new schools as a result of the move. The National Association of Realtors found that 53% of home buyers with children under 18 consider neighborhoods based on the quality of the school districts, and 50% choose their new home based on proximity to schools. If purchasing a home in a quality school district takes priority over other buying criteria, you may want to know how this will impact your home search, the buying process, and your home’s future value. How…

If you’re a homeowner, you might be hearing everyone from neighbors to news anchors talking about refinancing. But should you do it too? People refinance to reach many different goals, but here are some of the more common ones. 1. I want to lower my monthly payments: Rates may have dropped since you got your original mortgage. A lower rate can reduce the amount of interest you pay and lower your monthly payments. 2. My credit score has improved: If your credit score has gotten a significant boost, you may also be able to refinance and get a better rate.…

Summertime is the busiest homebuying season of the year. If you’re a renter who’s thinking about buying a home, this guide can help you decide if buying is the right move for you. We’ve listed some of the pros and cons to both renting and buying to highlight some aspects that can get overlooked. What You’ll Learn When renting a home makes sense The practical and financial benefits of buying a home How your life planning can impact the decision to buy There are benefits to renting For most people the biggest benefit of renting is that compared to the…

This article was originally published on Better.com I talk to people every day who are wondering just how they’ll get their dream home in competitive markets like San Francisco, Denver, and Seattle. In these areas, sellers don’t just have multiple offers. They have offers from cash buyers – people who have enough funds to pay for the home outright. Cash offers are seen as less risky to sellers because they know the money is in the bank. Other offers are contingent on the buyer securing a loan from a lender, which could theoretically fall through. The key is finding a…

This article originally posted on Better.com What You’ll Learn There’s no one biggest factor in determining mortgage price. There are many factors that help lenders set interest rates. Some of the factors are within your control. There are a lot of different factors that decide the price of your mortgage. Some factors depend on you, the homeowner. Some depend on the particular property you have in mind. Some factors depend on the state of the economy. There isn’t one big factor that decides the mortgage price, but many important considerations that help a lender set the interest on a particular…