Gary Keller made an excellent observation in his book "Shift" when he remarked, "The moment the media declares a "real estate shift,", it's as if the Market just got doused in a cold shower.  The result is fearful buyers, pickier buyers, and eventually fewer buyers.  Cautious consumers ...

Lifestyle & Future Needs

Now that you are ready to buy a home, consider how you will "grow" into your new place. What you choose should fit your lifestyle and have features that appeal to you and your family. Anticipate your future wants and needs. Do you have enough ...

Making plans to purchase a new home or even to make a move up requires financial planning. Here are some tips:

1. Make a plan. Create a straightforward budget for the year and monitor it monthly or weekly. Each month, review your progress and revise where necessary. Make a ...

Recently at an HOA meeting in Baton Rouge, I was asked if having a strong Home Owners Association was a good thing or just one MORE thing to have to deal with. The answer is definitely YES!

A strong home owners association will help to retain home values ...

So as a home buyer you are probably already aware that we have a crazy real estate market.  Limited inventory of homes for sale, homes selling for over list price, homes with multiple offers the first few hours, sellers unwilling to assist with closing costs, etc, etc, etc.  ...

1-Open New Accounts Now

One of the best tips is the importance of opening new accounts now, rather than waiting until your credit report is all cleaned up. New accounts show that you are capable of getting back in the game and will have a great impact on your score ...

What a great idea!  Get somebody else to fund your child's college education! Nifty idea? Well, all it takes is owning rental property. Think about this - if you bought a rental property when the child is born, or within a couple of years, put it on a 15 year ...

1. Savings and Equity

When you are renting a home, you pay your monthly rent check and that money is gone forever. When buying a home, every mortgage payment you make builds equity in your home and gets you closer to full ownership.

 2. Interest Rates

With interest rates still low, now is ...

Once you’ve received a pre-approval letter from a lender, you are on your way to purchasing your new home!  You and your lender will have determined what type of loan best suits you and the Downpayment needed for that particular loan, which is the percentage of the home’s ...

Real estate investments should be part of your overall investment portfolio. Why?

Return on investment – plain and simple. In looking for investment property properties the first factor I look for is the 1% rule. Will the possible monthly rent be at least 1% of the investment basis (purchase cost ...