10 Jun 2021
By Mark Feder

Photography Tricks To Watch Out For When Buying A Home Online

Mortgage
With COVID and social distancing keeping people apart, buying a home in person has become a real challenge. Digital tools and online presentations of homes for sale have ramped up in response, making it possible to see properties with both static images/photos and with “360 degree” views or interactive walkthroughs. However, these are not real-time images of the home itself. They are professionally-developed representations of a property, and a lot of software work goes into making those images marketing ready. Photographic Tools of the Trade If a listing has included images created by a professional photographer, he or she will…
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09 Jun 2021
By Mark Feder

How Much Will Your Child Tax Credit Be?

Taxes
There are millions of homeowners that are parents waiting for their advance child tax credits to arrive; however, they might not be sure exactly how much money they are going to get. This makes it difficult to set a budget. Some parents could expect to receive $300 per month between now and December. The rest of the credit should arrive after filing their tax returns next year. How much will parents receive? The Process Of Calculating A Child Tax Credit Because of recent changes in federal tax laws, the expanded child tax credit has increased the limit from $2,000 (the…
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08 Jun 2021
By Mark Feder

Understanding Appraisals and What to Do If Your Home Doesn’t Appraise for Its Purchase Price

Home Mortgage Tips
It can be a bit of a surprise if your home turns out to be valued at less than the purchase price offered, but this is the type of thing that can occur in an appraisal situation. While this can change everything from your contract to the amount of your down payment if your home has been appraised at less than you envisioned, here are some options you may want to consider. Review The Appraisal Contingency Clause If an appraisal contingency clause is built into the terms of your contract, this means that the terms of your contract can be…
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07 Jun 2021
By Mark Feder

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 7, 2021

Financial Reports
Last week’s economic reporting included readings on construction spending and public and private-sector employment data. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. Census Bureau Reports Construction Sending Up by 9.8 Percent Year-Over-Year Construction spending rose by nearly 10 percent year-over-year in April. Overall construction spending rose by $1.542 billion on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. Construction spending rose by 0.20 percent in April, which fell short of the expected 0.50 percent reading, and was lower than the March reading of 1.0 percent growth in construction spending. Residential construction spending increased by one percent in April as compared…
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