Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
When Should I Pay it Off?
I am often asked when a homeowner should put the focus of paying off their mortgage. Although the answer to this question is specific to each homeowner, my general recommendation lies within a 4-step plan that I use to advise each of my clients.
Each step is numbered based upon the priority. In other words, step one should be on track before moving on to step two, and so on. The problem is that many homeowners jump ahead before the prior step are mastered. This typically leads to living paycheck to paycheck, getting stuck in the consumer debt rut, or reaching retirement to find that you are equity rich and cash poor. By following the steps below, you can help ensure you reach retirement having achieved the long-term goals you desire.
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Recession Lessons
Who says that recessions are all bad? From my chair, I have noticed a silver lining through the pain and heartache people are experiencing. In the midst of the financial chaos, many are finding a new beginning. Could it be that people are realizing there are financial habits in their lives that have been destructive and need to change? Somehow, there seems to be peace and healing going on in the lives of many families as they face the realities of years of over indulgence and financial leveraging.
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Why Buy Now?
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Amateur vs. Professional
Expert firefighter Red Adair once said, “If you think the cost of professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur.” This adage has been used in many examples. However, in the mortgage industry this message is exceptionally true.
When shopping for a mortgage, there is far more to consider than interest rate. Like the price of a stock, mortgage rates can change from minute to minute. A rate quote provided at 10:00a.m. can be null and void by 10:15 a.m. This can make one lender appear to offer higher rates when in fact the difference is only a change in the market.
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Shopping for a Lender?
Thinking back on all the years we’ve been in business, we’ve had the wonderful opportunity to assist people with their mortgage needs. Whether it be the purchase of a new home or a refinance we’ve had the great opportunity to get to know a lot of wonderful people. We’ve written the following article to help you understand the importance of finding the right lender. We also want to emphasize the excitement and passion we have for the industry we work in. We’ve spent hours upon hours studying and learning how the mortgage market moves and works, so we can use that knowledge for the betterment of our clients and their unique situations. We’d encourage you to take a read and pass the article along to your friends and family. With the Scott Phippen Lending Team, we are here to serve YOU. We hope you enjoy!
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Homeownership: Still the American Dream
Recently, I heard a quote by Warren Buffet that said, “Be greedy when others are fearful, and be fearful when others are greedy.” This made me realize the great opportunity there is in Real Estate right now. If you’ve been contemplating that first home, or making a possible move, now is the time. We’d love to have the opportunity to assist you, a friend or family member in getting them into the home of their dreams. I came across the following article that helps us all realize what a great investment a home really is. It was written by Steve Harney, mortgage and real estate advisor. We hope you enjoy the read.
“There seems to be a long held American belief currently under attack. For over two hundred years, homeownership in this country was a desire of almost every American family. Recently however, more and more people have been pontificating on the fact that owning your own home should never have been held in such high regard.
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Economy on the Mend?
Over the past year it seems like all we’ve heard in the news is nothing but the status of the economy. Is it getting better or is it getting worse? We always hear conflicting comments and ideas. Recently, I read this article and thought I’d share it with you. I’ll forewarn you that it’s a lot of statistic, but if you take a minute and read through it, you’ll realize that Utah is in pretty good shape in comparison to other states. I hope you enjoy!
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Looking for the Home of Your Dreams?
Does the Home of Your Dreams come with an Extra Incentive?
Fannie Mae is offering a 3.5% incentive for buyers who purchase and close on a Fannie Mae-owned home between January 28 and April 30, 2010. To read more and gather more details simply read the flyer below. In addition, feel free to contact us to see if the home of your dreams is owned by Fannie Mae and would qualify for this program! Read the rest of this entry »
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How Do Interest Rates Move?
If you’ve ever wondered how interest rates work? Take just a few minutes and watch this great video. It’s a very simplified version of how interest rates move UP and DOWN in this very volitale market. You’ll get a small taste of what we monitor each and every day. Enjoy the video!
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Knowledge is Key!
Now I stumbled upon this video courtesy of our friends at Think Big Work Small. They took a clip from a hearing on Capitol Hill with Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke. We’ve taken the liberty to post this video here, to show you that Knowledge is Key in any industry, but especially ours. You’ll clearly see that the Representative that is challenging Mr. Bernanke has no knowledge of what rates affect what. The scary part is that these Representatives are representing you and I. Now we know that many don’t know the difference between the Federal Funds Rate and the Discount Rate, but when you are at the highest levels of our government, you’d hope that they would have acquired that knowledge. Enjoy the Video! (Remember to turn the volume up just a bit.)
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