All articles about North Carolina

About Raleigh, Affordable Housing, First Time Home Buyer, Garner, Johnston County

Southgate Subdivision – Market Update

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ContentsAugust 2018 (Garner, NC 27529)Southgate Market Statistics August 2018Median Days on MarketAverage Sales PriceMedian Days on MarketMedian Percent of Original … More Southgate Subdivision – Market Update →

About Raleigh, foreclosure, Wake County Homes For Sale

Wake County Foreclosure Rising to Pre-Crisis Levels

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ContentsWhat is the Shadow Foreclosure Inventory?What are Judicial Foreclosures?What is a Deed of Trust?Why are foreclosures spiking?What can past due … More Wake County Foreclosure Rising to Pre-Crisis Levels →

About Raleigh

Raleigh’s “Weak and Declining” Real Estate Market

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Wake County Real Estate Market Update June 2014 Second to Fannie Mae, the nation’s largest purchaser of mortgage backed securities … More Raleigh’s “Weak and Declining” Real Estate Market →

USDA Rural Development Loans

USDA has updated its Income Limits for Raleigh-Cary 2014!

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The 2014 Income Limits for the very popular no money down USDA Single Family Guaranteed Loan Program were published on February 12, 2014.  The Guaranteed Underwriting System and the Income Eligibility calculator in the Eligibility website have been updated to use the new income limits. Continue reading USDA has updated its Income Limits for Raleigh-Cary 2014! →

About Raleigh, How To - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, Tips for Home Owners

Deep Fried Turkey Safety Tips

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Char-Broil Easy Turkey Fryer

It’s hard to believe that it’s already that time of the year already.  However given that I waited until Veterans Day to winterize my boat should make it is obvious that I have been attempting  to deny the holiday season is already here but to deny it at this stage would be cause for a thorough head examination!

If you live in North Carolina your plans for Thanksgiving Day celebrations might invariably include the fine Southern tradition of Deep Fried Turkey. So when I got the email from my local U-Haul dealer thanking me for being a “loyal U-Haul customer this year” and the subject read “Oil-Less Propane Turkey Fryers at U-Haul for Thanksgivng” (typo included) it got me thinking about a conversation I had last year with my friend Don Fuller who happens to be my North Carolina Farm Bureau Agent. Continue reading Deep Fried Turkey Safety Tips →

FAQ, FHA Loans, Tips for Home Buyers, Underwriting Tips

FAQ – FHA ‘Back to Work; Extenuating Circumstances’ Explained

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Normally HUD Mortgage Letters are pretty boring stuff but the FHA recently made headlines when they issued the HUD Mortgagee letter 13-26 dated 08/15/2013 with the subject ‘Back to Work – Extenuating Circumstances’.

This 15 page letter outlines how the FHA plans to make exceptions that will allow borrowers with troubled past related to the economic malaise commonly called the Great Recession, to reenter the market in a shorter time-frame. Continue reading FAQ – FHA ‘Back to Work; Extenuating Circumstances’ Explained →

FAQ

5 tips to pay for college tuition

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Contents
  1. Five Tips to Pay for College without leveraging the family home

Five Tips to Pay for College
without leveraging the family home

5 tips to pay for collegeOver the course of the recent borrow and spend decade people from all walks of life and education levels  convinced themselves of the craziest ways to spend borrowed equity from their homes! In spite of wall to wall coverage in the media, it hasn’t changed that much in this decade either.

Recently, a man entered my office and asked me to expedite the closing date of his cash-out mortgage refinance transaction in order to free up the available funds on his Home Equity Line of Credit that he had already maxed out once before with varied consumer purchases so that he could take a $4,000 draw in to pay for a week-long vacation rental at the North Carolina beaches with his ADULT children and grandchildren! To be clear, I am all for vacationing with family and enjoying the fruits of your labor but when it’s borrowed money that is secured by your family’s home, well that’s downright foolish and I don’t recommend it one bit. Continue reading 5 tips to pay for college tuition →

About Raleigh, Affordable Housing, raleigh mortgage lenders, Tips for Home Buyers

FHA 203(b) Loans for North Carolina borrowers with 620 Fico Scores

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Until recently, getting a loan to purchase a home in Raleigh North Carolina for borrowers with credit scores greater than 620 but less than 640 was nearly impossible. However, because of the improving real estate markets, lenders are beginning to once again to loosen their credit guidelines. Continue reading FHA 203(b) Loans for North Carolina borrowers with 620 Fico Scores →

About Raleigh, Local Market Updates, Mortgage Lender Raleigh North Carolina, Moving to Raleigh, Raleigh, Raleigh Homes For Sale, Raleigh Property Values, SAQ's (Should Ask Questions)

HUD Predicts Some Rents increased by as much as 25% in Raleigh – Cary MSA 2013

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English: Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, 12 ...
English: Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, 12 October 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

HUD has just published the 2013 Area Median Income limits and the 2013 Fair Market Rents for use in Raleigh – Cary MSA. You may be asking yourself “why should I care about HUD Median Income Limits”?  If your plans to move to Raleigh or Cary include buying, selling or simply renting a home (and by “home” I also mean an apartment) in the Raleigh – Cary Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) this should be very important to you. That is why I’m filing this post under the category of “SAQ” or what I like to call “Should Ask Questions”. Continue reading HUD Predicts Some Rents increased by as much as 25% in Raleigh – Cary MSA 2013 →