There's a growing mantra in the real estate community, "It's cheaper to buy than rent, it's cheaper to buy than rent..."  It seems like there's a new article out each week.  Even this past week, Trulia released a new article and illustration, claiming that in 98 of 100 metro areas, it is cheaper to own a home than to rent something comprable.  However, is this really the case, or just a bunch of self-serving salespeople who trying to manipulate you into [...]

Click to view the video When buying a house, many people understand that they need to get a mortgage.  Yet, there are cases where they will only get a pre-qualification letter, which may cause them to lose a potential home, or not even get one until they have found a home they like, only to discover they don't even qualify!  So, what are the signs of a quality pre-approval letter?  What should one look for?  Alan DiGiovanni, a mortgage professional, answers some of [...]

There seems to be a persistent misconception that people need perfect credit or a huge downpayment to buy a home.  In reality, the short answer is that it depends on each individual, but many people are successfully able to make it happen.  To provide some clarity as to the truth of the matter, we went directly to the source and brought in Alex Rivera, Vice President and Mortgage Banker at Jersey Mortgage.  He shared with us some fantastic insights about today's process i [...]

Your credit history is a critical factor when obtaining a mortgage loan. It communicates your past willingness and ability to meet credit obligations and gives the lender a good idea about how responsible you will be in making your monthly mortgage payment. Do not despair if your credit report is less than stellar. If you've made some mistakes in the past but your current credit patterns are good, many lenders will take that into account and may be willing to make you a loan. Get a copy [...]