Finance 101, The Blog

Disregard for Home Maintenance Reduces Property Values

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:42:51 PDT

The Average cost of home repairs typically costs home owners about one tenth of one percent of the value of the property. For example, a home that is worth $100,000 will run $100 a month in...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007-2012

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:25:19 PDT

Although the MFDR act has been in effect for the past five years, the majority of the public still remains completely unaware of its benefits. This act prevents underwater property owners from having...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

Lending Standards Continue to Tighten in 2012, Further Reducing Home Values

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:37:15 PDT

Obtaining a mortgage is the top concern among would be home owners in the nation and for good reason. All across the board the financial landscape is changing but none more rapidly than mortgage...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

High Unemployment Rates Continue to Contribute to Declining Home Values in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:23:46 PDT

It’s very likely that unemployment rates will continue to hover just above 9% nationally and may even dip into the double digits in some areas of the country. Even though some jobs are being created,...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

Death of the McMansion

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:21:14 PDT

Here lies the McMansion, next to it lies it's former home owners, buried in debt. It didn't take long for people to realize how unfabulous it was to pay high real estate taxes and outrageous energy...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

FHA Requirements make it hard to buy or sell a Condo or Townhome

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:14:51 PDT

Purchasing property can be tricky at times, more so today than ever before and the FHA has taken considerable steps to ensure that purchasing a condo or townhouse is no different. In fact their new...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

The Government wants to Eliminate the Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:47:02 PDT

Most Likely Outcome: Mortgages will Become More Expensive and Real Estate Values will Decrease. The government wants to eliminate the mortgage interest tax deduction. This means that the interest...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

Larger Down Payments will be Required in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:29:01 PDT

Most Likely Outcome: Higher Closing Costs, More Expensive Mortgages, Lower Home Values. The mortgage industry and the government would like to require borrowers to make larger down payments. Due to...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

2012 Real Estate Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:49:50 PDT

I predict that real estate will decline in value all through out the year 2012. Here is a list of ten reasons why. 1. Larger down payments will be required 2. Mortgage interest tax deduction may be...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

Hybrid cars don't save you any money.

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:06:34 PST

As the price of a gallon of gas creeps up, many people start to consider buying a hybrid car because they can save some money at the painful pump. Sticker shock quickly kicks in and they are hit with...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

Home Buyer's Tax Credit About to End

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Peidl) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:10:54 PST

Home Buyer's Tax Credit About to End You're probably up to your neck by now in forms and paperwork as the April 15th income tax deadline approaches. Maybe you've already completed your taxes, paid...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

How to Find Real Estate For Rent

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:31:07 PST

The best place to find rentals is still the local newspaper and today most of them have online websites. These and other sites can be used to research property that’s available to rent or purchase....

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

New FHA Lending Policies

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Peidl) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:47:26 PST

New FHA Lending Policies Recently, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced some lending changes. If you or someone you know is considering an FHA loan, some of these changes may affect...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

The Advantages of FHA Loans

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Peidl) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:43:45 PST

The Advantages of FHA Loans In many regions of the US, FHA loans have not been utilized for years, so a lot of real estate agents and mortgage originators aren't familiar with this great resource....

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

The Clock is Ticking as the Homebuyer Tax Credit Expires April 30, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Peidl) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:00:44 PST

The Clock is Ticking...Extended and Expanded Tax Credit Expires 4/30/10 For prospective homebuyers who are on the fence about making a home purchase, the next few months represent a countdown of...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

Federal Reserve holds rates for 10th time, Prime Rate remians at 3.25%

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:41:42 PST

Happy New Years from the Federal Reserve to everyone who has Home Equity Lines of Credit and other products that are tied to Prime Rate like certain credit cards! This means that Interest rates will...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Peidl) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:44:52 PST

Upcoming Changes to FHA Policy Highlight the Importance of Acting Now Those Who Wait Will Pay Thousands More This Spring Waiting a few extra days or weeks to purchase a home this spring could cost...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

File your Taxes for FREE

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 07:40:09 PST

You can file your taxes for free this year using the Free File Program. This program is the culmination of a partnership between the IRS and a group of several private sector tax software companies....

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

My 2010 Real Estate Price Prediction

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:20:48 PST

In my professional opinion, I firmly believe that real estate values will continue to decline all throughout this year. Everyone wants to know where the value of Real Estate is headed. Many would...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

2009 Tax Brackets

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:27:04 PST

There are 6 tax brackets in use for filing your 2009 taxes. Follow this link to see what tax bracket you will fall into depending on how much you make and how your going to file. 2009 Tax...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

FHA Loans Facilitate Home Ownership

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Peidl) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:55:28 PST

FHA Loans Facilitate Home Ownership The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) program first began in 1934 in an effort to encourage home ownership despite the difficult economic times of the era. The...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

What Lenders Look for in Home Loan Applications

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Peidl) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:41:17 PST

What Lenders Look for in Home Loan Applications Once your loan application is filled out and sent to the lender for review, the first thing they will look for is your ability to payback the loan...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

People with good credit lose more points for making mistakes.

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:57:44 PST

There is a lot of things that can take points away from your credit score. Two of the biggest and most common mishaps are late payments and maxing out credit cards. These two things can pull some...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

FDIC Insurance up to Fifty Million at your local bank.

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Piggy) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:29:37 PST

Under normal circumstances most people who put their money in banks are insured up to $100,000.00. Lately that limit has been increased temporarily to $250,000.00 which is set to expire on December...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com

High Credit Score = Low Mortgage Rate

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Peidl) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:50:20 PST

High Credit Score = Low Mortgage Rate Credit scoring was developed in the 1960s as a means to determine whether or not consumers were likely to repay their loans. The score ranges from 350 to 850...

For some great down to earth financial advice visit my site http://honestbanker.blogspot.com and if you want to find the best interest rates in South Jersey then visit sjrates.com