Buying A Home: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding the Purchase Process

Buying a home is a big decision, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. If you're unsure about what to expect from the process or how to make a smart purchase in a competitive market, here are some tips for navigating the purchase process and making an informed decision. 

Loan Pre-Approval


The first step, no matter what, is to determine how much money you can borrow to purchase a new home. Keep in mind that you will also incur other expenses as a homeowner, so don't feel obligated to use the full amount you're approved for on your mortgage alone. Your realtor can help you talk through the unexpected to get a realistic budget in place, which provides a great foundation for…

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Ten Tips To Sell A Home Fast

If you want to sell a home fast (and for top dollar), you need to be strategic and plan ahead. But where do you start!? Here are ten tips to help you out!

1. Hire an experienced agent


Although it's tempting to do it yourself, there are major benefits with hiring a realtor. Top-notch listing agents can help accurately price your home, ensure you get professional photos taken for the listing, write an amazing description, and be your biggest advocate when it comes to reviewing offers and negotiating. 

2. Deep clean everything


Nobody likes a dirty house! And potential buyers will be looking at every inch. So don't leave any room, closet, or corner untouched. Ask a friend to come over and do a walk-through to let…

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Top Five Questions We Get About VA Home Loans

How much do we know about VA home loans? A lot! As a team that specializes in helping military families, we get questions all the time.  So much so, there's not enough room to cover it all here! So we've narrowed it down to the top five questions we get asked regularly by our active-duty military and veteran clients. 

Am I eligible for a VA home loan? 

The answer is YES if you are a:

  • current service member (having served at least 90 continuous days)
  • veteran (if you meet the minimum active-duty service requirement based on when you served)
  • surviving spouse of a veteran

That being said, there is still an application process to make it official. And depending on your current status,…

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If you're in the military, you face many unique challenges when looking for your forever home.

That shouldn't prevent you from pursuing your dream of homeownership though! Here are five tips to help you get started. 


1. Know your budget first. 

Before you start searching for a home, get pre-qualified and understand your options when it comes to the type of loan you can use. For many military members, a VA Loan is your best bet because there is no down payment (if you are eligible). To get a better idea of what to expect when it comes to monthly payment, check out our Mortgage Calculator. 


2. Have a plan in mind. 

Chances are you will receive new orders in the future. Before buying a house, have a plan in mind to use your new house as an…

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Want to create wealth through homeownership? BUILD EQUITY.

Home equity is the percentage of your home’s value that you own, and it’s key to building wealth through homeownership. Let’s take a closer look at how to build home equity without blowing your budget — and how to access it when you need it.

How Much Equity Do You Have?

Equity is easy to calculate when you first buy a home because it’s basically your down payment. For example, if you put $11,250 down on a $225,000 home, your down payment is 5% and so is your equity.

How to Build Your Equity

Here are five ways your home can create wealth for you. Some require time, money — or both.

  1. Let your home appreciate

Building equity through appreciation can take little time or a…

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There is more to fall than just getting the rakes out, it is darker earlier, we have broken out our winter coats and even though it may not officially be here, winter is certainly around the corner!

Here are five helpful home maintenance tips to ensure your home is in tip-top shape for the cold that is sure to come in the next few months.

Schedule your HVAC checkup. Nothing is worse than discovering your furnace is out of order on that first chilly night. Turn it on now to ensure it is working properly and consider having it professionally maintenanced / cleaned. You’ll also want to change any air filters in your home and prepare your humidifier for winters dry air.

Prepare your pipes. Exposed pipes can be a nightmare come winter time.…

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1)  CABINETS
Over time, build-up can collect on your kitchen cabinets — especially if you don't run the exhaust hood over your range while you cook to keep grease from settling. To remove build-up use a "cabinet cream" to cut through the dirt and leave wood moisturized.

2)  WINDOWS
Instead of just wiping down the inside make sure you take to the outdoors during spring cleaning season to remove spots and smudges you don't usually have time to tackle. Pro tip? Wash 'em on a cloudy day to ensure that the sun won't dry the cleanser before you're done wiping.

3)  DISHWASHER
To ensure this heavy-duty cleaning appliance gets all the tomato sauce stains off of your dinner plates, you have to clean it too. First, remove any bits of food on the bottom.…

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Clean and Reverse Fans- Your ceiling fans have been hard at work all summer so they may have gathered more dust than you realize. Turn your fans off, and clean the sides, tops and bottoms of the blades. Reverse your fans so the blades send air upward to disrupt the warm air that collects near the ceiling and disperse it downward. This is particularly effective in rooms with high or vaulted ceilings and rooms with stoves or fireplaces.


Clean Window Treatments- Use a cordless hand-held vacuum to remove dust from hanging window treatments. If you have hanging curtains, take them down for a gentle launder.…

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