If you're looking to make a move to the city, one major decision to ponder is where you want to live. Urban areas are right in the heart of the city, while suburban living is often on the outskirts of the city. Today, we're going to compare urban and suburban living in six different categories. Let's get right in!

Home Prices

Urban: Home prices in urban areas are often expensive. This is because they're in close proximity to jobs, school, and work. Additionally, many of the homes offered in large urban areas are apartment complexes.

Suburban: Suburban homes are generally considered to be more affordable as compared with their urban counterparts. Additionally, you can expect to see quite a few single-family homes. 

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Urban: Urban…

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There are many considerations that go into a decision to buy a home in a certain area. This includes things like property taxes, crime rates, job opportunities, entertainment options and much more. For parents, though, one of the most important considerations is the quality of the schools in a certain district. If the schools are poor, they will probably decide to move somewhere else. 

However, how do you find the best schools for your children before you buy a house? Answering this question may seem difficult on its own. Below are a few tools you can take advantage of to make your search much easier.

The United States Department of Education

One tool you should start with is provided by the US federal government. The United States Depart of…

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What separates a good realtor from a great realtor? Simply put, a great realtor will possess the qualities of knowledge, enthusiasm, and accessibility. When buying or selling a home, it’s vital that one takes the time to shop around for the right realtor before signing on the dotted line. This is true whether one is a first-time buyer or a real estate veteran. Learning how to spot a great realtor will not only lead to better property choices but ultimately will save ample amounts of money and time. 

Shopping for Knowledge

How does one measure the knowledge of a potential realtor? The easiest way is to ask the realtor how long he or she has worked in a particular neighborhood or city. Is the realtor comfortable naming streets and local…

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Tear down homes are a potential option for home buyers. Although teardowns can be a risky option, there are several benefits of buying a teardown home. Today, we are going to look at the top five reasons you should look into buying a teardown home. Let's get right in!

  1. You Want To Turn A Profit

If you are in the business of making money on real estate, teardowns can be an excellent option. For one, these properties are typically cheap to invest in. Additionally, it is easy to customize these homes for clients. 

There are two main ways that you can make money from a teardown property. First of all, you could buy it on the cheap, renovate the home, and turn it for a profit. Additionally, you could rent the house out to renters or…

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Many people work for decades before they’re able to finally put a down payment on a home. Homeownership is certainly the dream of many people. Living under a landlord has many disadvantages for families that would be solved by owning your own place.

Still, buying a house can be a confusing process. There are, for one, many different things you have to settle on. One of these is the size of your home. Exactly how much home do you really need? That answer depends on a number of different factors.

What Is Your Budget?

Above all else, the biggest constraining factor in how large your house should be is what you can reasonably afford. Buying more house than you can actually afford is a terrible idea. In fact, this was one the key causes of the…

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Down payments are one of the biggest hurdles most homebuyers face. Unless you can pay cash for your home, you will need financing. Unfortunately, banks want you to put some "skin in the game" with money upfront. However, it is not as hard as many people think to buy a house with a small down payment. Unfortunately, you will probably need to put some money down, but the hurdle may not be that high.

Down Payment Requirements

There is a common misconception among homebuyers that you need to make a down payment of at least 20 percent of the purchase price before you can get financing. Fortunately, this is not the case. You can qualify for a mortgage with less than 20 percent down. In some cases, you can get financing with as little as 3 percent…

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The home buying process can be stressful. To make it a little easier on borrowers, it pays to get pre-approved for a mortgage before looking for a house to buy. Getting pre-approved will allow you a better chance of getting the home of your dreams and not losing it to other buyers before you get your loan situated.

Mortgage pre-approvals are basically a lender promising a borrower that they are qualified to borrow a mortgage loan up to a specific amount and for a certain interest rate. This promise is subject to certain requirements such as a property appraisal and no change in income. With a pre-approval promise from a mortgage lender, you will be able to secure financing for the home of your dreams. 

What Is Pre-Approval?

When a mortgage…

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Your credit score is a testament to your creditworthiness. Decades ago, there was a time when people in small towns knew each other and could get loans and credit based on simple understandings and the fact that people knew and trusted one another. For most of western civilization, those days are long gone. Credit scores have been implemented to give lenders and banks an idea of who you are as a person and how likely you are to keep your financial promises. So, when you walk into a financial institution to get a mortgage rate, it doesn't matter how you dress, what you say, or how friendly you are. Your credit score is going to tell the lender everything he or she needs to know to qualify or deny you for a loan.

Your credit score is going to be…

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When you are in the market to purchase a home, the many different things that warrant consideration can be staggering. In addition to finding the home that will best suit your needs, you need to choose the mortgage that is best for your situation — narrow down which mortgages to research further with the following list of mortgage types and brief descriptions. 

Fixed-Rate - These loans will have an interest rate that stays the same over the entire course of your loan. Fixed rates mean you can expect to pay the same payment month after month, even if your loan is as long as 30 years. The interest rate of a fixed-rate loan will often be higher than the starting point of an adjustable rate.

Adjustable-Rate - When an interest rate can be changed,…

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With the economy rebounding, it may be a good time for those who are ready to think about buying their first home. For many people, owning a home would be a dream come true. There are many factors that should be taken into consideration to figure out if you are ready to take out a mortgage. Buying your first home can come with a lot of anxiety when you don't know for sure if you are ready. Below are some top signs that may assure you you are more than ready to start the process of buying a house.

You Have A Down Payment Saved

When you go to purchase your first home, it will come with a few upfront costs such as a down payment. The amount for the down payment will vary between mortgage types. Typically, a down payment can be anywhere between 5%…

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