Suzi Kutsche's (skutsche) Blog

Searching... So your loan is underwritten and approved subject only to an appraisal of your new home, your house if any in escrow, and your cash in hand, the hunt begins in earnest... First, we'll discuss how you like to explore areas and neighborhoods. Buyers generally fall into two categories....

The Loan Process Early loan approval is one of the key elements to developing a strong negotiating position. Time is money to both you and the sellers, especially if the sellers have moved out already or need to move very quickly. Every day that the house remains vacant, the mortgage company con...

Establishing your real estate goals. The first and most important part of the process is to determine your specific needs. These include timing for the purchase of the house as well as timing on applying for and receiving loan approval. They are not always the same for each individual. Oftentime...

Why won’t your house sell? One day a woman named Mary called to ask for real estate advice. She started by saying that her house had been listed for four months with another agent. Activity was slow and she had no offers. When she questioned her agent, she was simply told, "Well, selling a house...

You are not hiring a Realtor to put a sign on the lawn, an ad in the paper, and hold an open house. You can do this yourself. You are hiring a Realtor to provide you with maximum exposure to the greatest number of qualified buyers for your home. Supply and Demand You've heard of supply and deman...

Pricing your home is an art -- not a science. Achieving the optimal price is the result of both objective research into similar properties and instinct in determining how much a buyer will be willing to pay for your home. The right price will attract showings, which will generate offers. The unf...

It is a known fact that the best single investment a couple can make is owning their own home. Not only do they have something that is individualized, they can now do as they please concerning landscaping, decorating, and curb appeal. As in all good things, home ownership has disadvantages as we...

So you’d like to buy a bank owned property? You’ve watched the late-night infomercials and you’re ready to do the bank “a favor” and take a problem off their hands. Plus, you expect to make "a killing" in the process. Sounds great and it might just happen, but first you should take a look at som...

Rural Development Loan: 100% financing No PMI (private mortgage insurance)   FHA 203K Streamline: % of purchase price Plus, improvements up to $35,000.00 Reverse Mortgage Purchase: 0 Cap Must be over 62 years old   *Seller concessions can be up to 6% *Income limits based on household size   ** M...

When it comes to paying down any sort of debt, the sooner you make an extra payment to your loan, the less interest you'll pay over the life of your loan and the faster you'll pay it off. Let's take a look at how this works: Let's assume you have $6,000 extra in cash each year to prepay your mort...