Why Pre-Approval Is a Great Step to Take Today

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Does high inflation discourage your from buying a home?

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Inflation devalues the purchasing power of money and the interest earned on savings is almost always less than inflation.   Tangible assets like your home consistently become more valuable over time.   In inflationary periods, a home is a good investment and a hedge against inflation. Borrowing money at fixed rates during times of inflation can be very advantageous...like buying a home.   The rate stays the same over the term of the mortgage and so does the payment instead of going up at the rate of inflation. In September 2022, rents rose by 7.2% according to NAR Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun and "rents are accelerating to higher figures with each passing month."   The annualized rate for this year is 10.6%.   Buying a home allows you to avoid rent increases while enjoying property appreciation. The housing shortage that is fueling the price appreciation, as well as increases in rent, is something that has existed for over ten years, yet...
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How FICO 9 May Increase Credit Scores

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  Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties How FICO 9 May Increase Credit Scores How medical debt and other collection items are tallied in a credit score is changing, potentially increasing the credit scores of millions of people. Called the FICO 9, the new credit score changes how medical collections are treated from non-medical changes, such as credit cards. A medical debt will now damage a credit score less than paying a credit card bill on time, for example. FICO 9 came out in 2014, but the improved credit scores could just now be coming to fruition for many consumers because it can take a few years for banks and other lenders to implement the new system. The new FICO 9 score should give responsible borrowers better access to credit and lower rates on existing credit once the changes are accepted by the industry. Part of the thinking behind the changes is that for many people facing medical debt collections, it isn’t s...
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Buying a Home...Ask for a CLUE Report

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People purchasing a used car have most likely heard of CARFAX vehicle history reports to help them avoid buying a car with costly hidden problems.   Less likely are buyers to know that there is a way to discover some of the repair history of homes they are interested in. Lexis Nexis C.L.U.E. (Claims Loss Underwriting Exchange) is a claims history database that enables insurance companies to access consumer claims for the previous seven years when they are underwriting a risk or rating an insurance policy. An insurance underwriter could identify a previous claim for substantial damage to a property and try to find out whether the repairs were completed properly before assuming the risk as a new insurer.   Similarly, a buyer could benefit from knowledge of former claims that may affect the value of the property or possible, future repairs. A CLUE report can discover insurance claims on a home to investigate whether the repairs were done properly.   These report...
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