For nearly 80 years, servicemen returning home after military duty have been offered the opportunity to re-enter civilian life and move into a home with "no down" as a "thank you" for time spent in uniform. Today, the program still exists for all individuals who have served in any branch of the U.S. military for at least six months, or who have completed a six-year commitment with a reserve unit or in the National Guard.

The zero down payment is perhaps the greatest advantage, but that doesn't mean that there are no costs involved with a VA loan. In fact, the "funding fee" of 2.15 percent of the mortgage amount can represent a substantial amount, even though it can be rolled into the loan, meaning that a buyer doesn't have to pay out the cash in

There are many down-payment assistance programs available across the U.S., all of which can help you purchase a home sooner than you think. Eligibility requirements vary, but there are some common positive features found in these specialized buying programs.

The Benefits of Home-Buying Assistance Programs

Helps You Purchase a Home Sooner

Assistance programs are an immediate solution to building your buying power. With it, you take action on a purchase quickly and competitively. Down payment assistance programs also give you a cushion of available funds for home maintenance and emergencies.

Makes Buying a Home Affordable and Feasible

All income levels felt the pinch of the housing crises. If this describes you, you'll want to ensure that

Homeowners, particularly those who live in homes that are more than a few years old, may already know that selling their home for top dollar requires making some upgrades. For those whose homes still have older, less efficient windows, there are some very good reasons to begin the upgrade process there.

New Windows Help Strengthen Curb Appeal

Older homes that have had one or more additions added over its lifetime may have more than one style and type of window. When viewed from the curb or through photos on websites or in marketing materials, buyers may find this type of visual issue distracting or even ugly and choose to move on to another more appealing home. While replacing all the home's windows with new, matching ones is the best plan to

Low mortgage rates have been in the news lately, making the option to refinance all the more appealing. Homeowners are eager to lock in these lowered home loan rates not only to save money their monthly payments but also have additional funds to invest or save for life's emergencies. 

Does Refinancing Make Sense For You? 

With advantages as enticing as these, you may also be eager to refinance. You may be wondering if it's a good idea to refinance to a 30-year loan. 

When you refinance to a new, 30-year loan, it's likely that your payments will be lowered since the loan amount is spread out over a greater number of years than the current loan. However, it also means paying more over the long term because the interest is applied over a longer

FHA loans are a popular home loan choice for borrowers. Qualifying standards tend to be more flexible and down-payment requirements are lower when compared to other home loan options. 

Read on to see what makes an FHA loan an attractive mortgage option and learn how you can take advantage of this home financing opportunity. 

About FHA Loans 

FHA loans are mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration. With an FHA loan, borrowers pay mortgage insurance, which protects the lender in case the borrower defaults on the mortgage. 

 Why are FHA Loans popular? 

Since the loan is insured, FHA loans are often offered at a lower interest rate and have qualification requirements that are less strict. 

Facts borrowers need to know about FHA

Your new home purchase is almost complete. As you are working out the final details of the closing, the real estate agent suggests getting a home warranty that will cover certain home aspects in case they break down right after you move in. Scratching your head, you are unsure whether you should get one or if you really need one.

Doesn't the homeowner's insurance cover damages to the home? What exactly is a home warranty then? It's not exactly common knowledge, but it is certainly helpful to know.

Home Warranties: Protecting the Items Inside

Most buyers don't learn about home warranties until they are searching for a property to buy, or they confuse such a policy as homeowner's insurance. Yet a home warranty is not the same as homeowner's

When you're buying a home, it's important to be able to recognize a good home from a lemon. Fortunately, many of the most major and expensive problems in homes can be recognized by home buyers through their own keen eyes or other safeguards, like the home inspection. Knowing what to look for when seeing a home for the first time can help you decide which properties to consider purchasing and which are more trouble than they're worth.

Poor Drainage Outside

Poor drainage can lead to foundation problems and basement leaks.

Signs of poor drainage include:

• Standing water on the lawn near the home
• Ground pitched in the direction of the foundation, causing water to run into the home instead of away
• Flaking deposits on the walls of the

If your home has increased in value during the time that you've owned it, you may be worried about capital gains taxes. Is there a chance that you may owe taxes when you sell your home? This post can help you figure out if you might owe, as well as how to reduce your tax liability at the time of sale.

Capital Gains Tax Exemptions

In the past, sellers had to roll profits from a home sale into a new property within two years to avoid capital gains taxes. Additionally, they were only allowed to take a single $125,000 exemption during their lives. The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 changed that and reduced the tax burden of many sellers.

Most home sellers will not have to pay capital gains taxes when they sell because their profits fall below

The housing market goes through shifts, and currently, we are in what is commonly known as a “seller’s market” – that is, a market in which there are more buyers than there are homes for sale. As a result, competition between buyers will increase, and you may even find yourself battling with the dreaded “all cash” offers. 

Is it possible to compete with all-cash home purchase offer? 

It may seem unlikely that anything can be more attractive, we're here to tell you that it is very possible to beat an all-cash offer! Review these top three strategies for beating all-cash offers and getting into the home of your dreams. 

Be Ready to Move 

All-cash offers don't necessarily mean that they can move quickly to take ownership of the home. They may

Smart home technology is a hot topic among today's home buyers that is sweeping both the home market and and the real estate world. This is especially true for younger Millennial buyers who have grown up with computers, smartphones, and tablets as part of their everyday lives. With this age group now making up a significant portion of those actively searching for a home to buy, it makes sense that they want, and maybe even expect to find, some type of smart technology in the home they ultimately purchase.

While smart technology is now being incorporated into the design of many new homes, owners of existing homes can still add a wide variety of smart technology features without making invasive and expensive structural changes. Because of this,