Serving the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire

Before starting the house hunt, there are a few things buyers need to consider.   Credit score: Lenders are generally looking for buyers to have credit scores of at least 620 nowadays.  Although the Federal Housing Administration will extend loans to borrowers with credit scores as low as 580, most banks are ...

The New York Times After a rejection Some borrowers think that because their mortgage application is turned down the first time, they won’t ever be approved.  In reality, some borrowers succeed on the second or third attempt, usually with a different mortgage professional, and often several months later, after they ...

As the traditional home-selling season comes to a close, some home sellers who were unable to sell their homes earlier this year may be willing to make better deals with home buyers.   Before submitting an offer, buyers should understand the market.  A REALTOR® can do a full comparative market analysis of the ...

When purchasing a property, most borrowers will conduct their due diligence on the house, examining its structural soundness and the surrounding neighborhood.  However, not all borrowers do a thorough vetting of the lender.   Borrowers are advised to focus more on the individual who would be the ...

The percentage of home buyers who could afford to purchase a median-priced, single-family home in California declined to 51 percent in the second quarter of 2011, down from 53 percent in first-quarter 2011 but was up from 46 percent in the second quarter of 2010, according to C.A.R.’s Traditional Housing Affordability ...

In addition to conforming loans, mortgage insurance also is becoming harder to obtain for some borrowers.  Many lenders require borrowers to have a 20 percent down payment or the borrower must purchase mortgage insurance.   Prior to the mortgage meltdown, consumers were able to bypass purchasing mortgage ...

An under-utilized program that has been in existence since 1995 can help home buyers save on their utility bills by letting them fold the cost of energy improvements into their mortgage.   The program, Energy Efficient Mortgage, can be used by homeowners with both Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans ...

When beginning the house hunt, some buyers go in blindly, not knowing how much house they can afford.  Without this knowledge, buyers may find themselves viewing houses that aren’t within their budget.  To prevent buyers from spending time viewing homes they may not be able to afford, real estate experts advise ...

There are numerous tech tools available to assist home buyers.  To assist with the first step of the home-buying process – cleaning up and reviewing credit scores and reports – buyers can use a mobile app called “BillTracker,” which helps consumers manage when their monthly bills are due.  ...

Occasionally, homeowners hoping to close a deal agree to purchase home warranties to give the home buyer peace of mind.  However, prospective homeowners should do their homework to make sure the policies will actually help.   Typical home warranties cover the major mechanicals and appliances in a home for one ...