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Updated by Tammy Emineth on Jul 13, 2023
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Home and Finance

Great articles for homeowners, buyers, and sellers on credit, finance, mortgages and home funds.

8 Useful Tips for Building an Energy Efficient Home

Viking Construction Group in Everett Washington offers 8 Useful Tips for Building an Energy Efficient Home - Residential and Commercial Construction.

1

USDA Home Loan

USDA Home Loan

A USDA home loan is probably the most common way to buy a house without a down payment. This is possible through the US Department of Agricultural mortgage program and is a zero down payment mortgage for eligible rural and suburban homebuyers. It's designed to help improve the quality and economy in outlying areas so you can't buy a house in the middle of the big city. However, many of the areas eligible are within 5 to 10 minutes from your neighborhood coffee shop or market, so it's not like you're out in the boonies. Other eligibility requirements include low and very low-income borrowers but the income thresholds vary by region, so it's definitely worth it to check out if you're eligible. All you pay for is a home inspection and earnest money deposit, which can run you less than $1000.

Find out more about the USDA Home loan

2

ASK

ASK

You never know unless you ask. You can literally get a down payment from friends, family, or other investors as long as you don't have to pay it back. This is called gift funds, and you can usually take up to $10,000 without having to pay taxes on it and lenders want to make sure that you don't have to pay it back so that it doesn't skew your debt to income ratio. If you take it out as a loan, then that will increase the amount of debt you have, which could increase your interest rates or even make it impossible to get the loan in the first place. But, simply asking for a gift for a down payment, even in exchange for other things such as babysitting, certain goods or services, and other tangible items that are not necessarily paid back in the form of money, are usually acceptable as a down payment.

Read More: The 20% Down Payment Myth

3

Down Payment Assistance

Down Payment Assistance

Many cities, states, and even counties have their own down payment assistance programs. If you qualify, they will actually create a second mortgage or loan that is the down payment. Many times they will come up with a 97% conventional loan and then a 3% additional loan to cover the down payment. This does come with higher interest rates and it can be refinanced in the future, but it definitely takes a big chunk off of your initial homebuying costs. It's important to talk to a lender in your city or county for the current down payment assistance programs available. There are also grants that don't have to be paid back and can be used if your income eligibility meet certain requirements and if it is your first home. However, there are some stipulations with that even. So it definitely pays to contact a lender in your city to find out what's available to you.

4

Use Other People's Money

Use Other People's Money

Face it, somebody's going to have to pay for the down payment, whether it's the state or county, the bank, or underwriters, but and this work specifically well with investment properties, you can use someone else's money to buy the home. If you're planning on investing in a rental home or cash flow property, consider getting other people to make the down payment for you. Look for investors in your local area or even a real estate investment club. Often times these people want to invest but they just don't have the time or resources. Instead of putting money into mutual funds and 401(k)s, convince these people to go with you. In turn, you might be able to gain enough on the rental property or even flipping and selling the property to not only pay your investor back but have enough down payment for your next home or investment.

Read more: How owning someone else's home can make you rich

5

Ask the Seller to Finance

Ask the Seller to Finance

Seller financing is not as big of deal as it was in the 1980s but it's not completely dead. However, it is a lot of work and you'll have to find motivated sellers willing to finance their property. This means that instead of getting a bank to finance the house, the homeowner or seller actually does it for you. You'll usually have a higher interest rate but the terms can be a lot more lenient. Perhaps you can live in the house for six months making payments as you would rent until a certain down payment is completed. You really can structure this type of loan any way you want as long as both buyer and seller agree. Sometimes you might not even have to pay anything for the first few months, allowing you to renovate the property without making payments. It's important to have either real estate agents and/or real estate attorneys involved so that everything is on the up and up, written up correctly, and everyone understands their role in the transaction.

Read More: How to buy your dream house when you weren't ready

What Are Some Low Down Payment Mortgage Options?

For first-time homebuyers or those with not a lot of down payment, you might be looking for options for a mortgage. Are there options that provide either zero or low down payment alternatives? If you can’t come up with a 10% or 20% down payment, as most first-time homebuyers can’t, starting with a low down payment option is really your best bet to getting into the real estate industry. Once you’ve built up some equity from your first home you can roll that into a conventional loan later on down the line when you upgrade the property. For now, low down payment or zero down payment options bite be your best bet. Here’s what’s currently available.

Tips for Staying in a Vacation Rental - Panama City Beach Condos For Sale

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5 Tips to Shopping for a Mortgage » Sunset Beach and Beyond Realty

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New Credit Scoring System Could Challenge Buyers | Coastal Realty Group

Two new factors could increase or decrease your credit FICO score this year. New Credit Scoring System Could Challenge Buyers

A Better Alternative to a Huge Down Payment

Typically, the biggest hurdle that most homebuyers face when looking for property is the down payment. Once you have established some equity in an exi

Website at https://hunterjames.com.au/

Whether you’re buying an investment property or your dream home, there’s no better feeling than securing an address you can proudly call your own.
At Hunter James - Buyers Agent Sydney, we’re here to help you find it.

What Happens if the Bank Forecloses on My Short Sale?

What Happens if the Bank Forecloses on My Short Sale? Advantage Legal Group in Bellevue Washington offers counsel and relief from short sales & foreclosure.

7 Common Mistakes to Refinacing | My Lender Jackie

Refinancing should be applied only when it works but many homeowners don't understand these 7 Common Mistakes to Refinacing a mortgage.

Custom Fishing Cabins Built On-Site | Aurora Quality Buildings

Looking for a fishing cabin, lakefront cabin or mini cabin for your recreational waterfront property? Lakefront or riverfront fishing cabins built on-site.

Tips for Renegotiating Rent Due to COVID-19 | Mobiliti CRE

With the current outbreak, the need for rent relief is imminant. Here are 6 Tips for Renegotiating Rent Due to COVID-19 - 100% tenant represenation.

How to Spot and Avoid Scams During COVID-19

There are 4 main ways scammers and hackers are taking advantage during the Coronavirus. Here's How to Spot and Avoid Scams During COVID-19

4 Scams to Know About During the COVID-19 • Bruce Simon Says SOLD

It doesn’t matter what natural disaster, health crisis, or challenge our country faces, one thing is for certain and that is hackers and scammers are out

20 Tips for Getting a Job During a Pandemic | Advantage Legal Group

Whether you've been laid off or are still looking, there are ways to get a job right now. Here are 20 Tips for Getting a Job During a Pandemic - Washington

How to Start Saving Now For Buying a House | Full Service NYS Licensed Real Estate Agent

Here are 6 ways you can start saving money for a home and how to be prepared as a new homeowner. Lewiston NY Real Estate Agent

When Will This Chaotic Mortgage Market Settle Down?

When Will This Chaotic Mortgage Market Settle Down? What's going to happen to the mortgages that can't be paid? My Lender Jackie.

Should I Use My Stimulus Check for Bills? Advantage Legal Group

What is the best way to spend my stimulus check from the government? How to use your stimulus money wisely. Advantage Legal Group Bellevue Washington

4 Ways to Raise Your Credit Score in 6 Months

Need to increase your credit score rapidly? Here are 4 Ways to Raise Your Credit Score in 6 Months

Bankruptcy or Foreclosure Looming? Call Advantage Legal Group

If you don't think you can make your mortgage payment or bill have just gotten way out of hand, do you have Bankruptcy or Foreclosure Looming?