Home prices are on the rise nationally. Record low inventory coupled with high demand is pushing prices up. If you’re looking to buy a home and considering stretching your finances a bit, remember that there are many costs beyond the selling price. It’s important to weigh all the “little extras” when figuring out your budget. Here are some top costs to conside ..

It’s common to make mistakes when you’re first getting your finances in order, but learning how to manage money early on can help you throughout your life. Brianna McGurran, a personal finance columnist at Nerdwallet.com, shares her tips for avoiding five common money mistakes. Mistake #1: Not knowing where your money goes McGurran says the number one mistake people make  ..

When purchasing a house you have several different loan options, depending on which state and/or county you are looking to purchase in. Most first time home buyers choose to go with a FHA Loan because it only requires 3.5% down in most cases. Let's be honest, it's easier and less stressful to try and save 3.5% than a whopping 20%. Am I right? But before you decide to terminate that le ..

With more than 143 million people affected by the recent Equifax data breach, there’s been a lot of talk about credit scores. But did you know that you have not just one, two, three — or even ten different credit scores? It’s true. Most people have a whopping 70 different scores. Today, I’ll explain why there so many versions and which ones matter most. Why your credi ..

Think you’re ready to buy your first home? Like so many who are eager to own, you’re probably excited to jump right in and check out some open houses. But before you go anywhere, the smartest buyers take a step back to make sure they’re really prepared. So that you can be taken seriously as a buyer in any market, we want to share some rookie mistakes to avoid. #1 Mista ..

A great way to build credit is by making on-time credit payments every month. How to Build Credit with a Credit Card Any credit card, including a secured card, works well for this. Just choose a routine monthly expense, charge it on your credit card and pay the account in full each month. Payment history makes up 35 percent of your credit score, so making a series of on-time payments can re ..

If you’re living from paycheck to paycheck or your finances are feeling pinched, it’s a good indicator that it’s time to take control of your finances. One of the most important steps to doing that is to take a good hard look at the money you have coming in vs. the money you have going out, so that you can establish a solid budget — and stick to it. Here are 5 easy ste ..

Hitting big in Vegas, winning the lottery, inheriting a fortune and inventing the next billion-dollar idea can be paths to financial freedom. Unfortunately for most of us, our own path instead requires some smart decision-making, discipline, budgeting and real work. No matter the size of your paycheck, your financial moves can make a big impact on how you live. To avoid financial difficulties or h ..

What measures determine home affordability?Mortgage lenders have traditionally expected borrowers to have a housing expense ratio of 28% or less. The housing expense ratio is an indication of a borrower’s ability to make the payments on their mortgage loan. The ratio measures housing expense as a percentage of gross income (income before deducting for Social Security, Medicare, and taxes). F ..

Did you recently change jobs or receive a promotion? Despite what you might have heard, it is still possible to qualify for a mortgage to buy or refinance a home using your new income. The lending atmosphere is rife with misconceptions about job gaps, job changes and occupational changes within the course of an employment time frame. You can get a mortgage if you switched jobs or even changed indu ..