Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

  When you finally find the home you want to buy, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement. You’ve toured the place, imagined your furniture in it, maybe even pictured your morning coffee on the porch. The last thing you want is to slow down the process with more steps or lose out to another buyer’s offer because they skipped their inspection. But here’s the thing. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. And no matter how perfect that house seems, skipping a home inspection is a risk that could cost you a lot more than just time. What Exactly Is a Home Inspection? A home inspection gives you a detailed look at the home’s condition, usually after your offer’s accepted but before closing. While what’s covered varies by state, an inspector usually goes over the home’s major systems and structure, including things like the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and more. Why an Inspection Is Worth It Here’s a quick rundown of some of the big...

  Chances are you’re hearing a lot about  mortgage rates  right now. You may even see some headlines talking about last week’s  Federal Reserve  (the Fed) meeting and what it means for rates. But the Fed doesn’t determine mortgage rates, even if the headlines make it sound like they do. The truth is,  mortgage rates  are impacted by a  lot of factors : geo-political uncertainty,  inflation  and the economy, and more. And trying to pin down when all those factors will line up enough for rates to come down is tricky. That’s why it’s generally not worth it to try to  time the market . There’s too much at play that you can’t control. The best thing you can do is control the controllables.   And when it comes to rates, here’s what you can influence to make your moving plans a reality.   Your Credit Score Credit scores can play a big role in your mortgage rate. As an article from CNET explains: “ You can’t control the economic f...