Texas Tax Free Weekend 2014 is August 8th – 10th!!!
Texas Tax Free Weekend 2014 is August 8th – 10th The State of Texas officially calls it a Sales Tax Holiday and has scheduled it for this weekend, August 8th thru 10th. All weekend the State will exempt most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced under $100 from sales and use taxes, which could save you about $8.25 on every […]
To Combat Identity Theft, Free Identity Theft Training is Being Offered By the Sachse, TX Police Department
Identity theft is defined as the unauthorized use or attempted misuse of an existing credit card or other existing account, the misuse of personal information to open a new account of for other fraudulent purposes, or a combination of these types of misuses. U.S Department of Justice, Javelin Strategy and Research. Research Date: 06/18/2013 To combat […]
Financial Fitness Friday – Seven Credit Card Danger Signs and A High Tech Reason Not To Carry Them!
Credit cards are often used as extensions of our income but just because we have a high credit limit doesn’t mean we’re free to purchase whatever we want. Amie and I found this out the hard way by racking up credit card debt multiple times. Here are seven credit card danger signs and a high tech […]
Is An FHA-Insured Mortgage What You Need?
One of the few blessings to come out of the Great Depression was the FHA-insured loan. Although, contrary to what many think, it wasn’t created to help low-income buyers get into homeownership. Just as during our recent recession, in the Great Depression foreclosure rates skyrocketed, leaving lenders in the lurch. The FHA-insured loan was created […]
There Are New Rules for Mortgage Pre-Approval as of January 10, 2014!!!
It is sometimes called the Qualified Mortgage (QM) Rule, other times it is called the Ability-to-Repay (ATR) Rule, either way there are new rules for mortgage pre-approvals as of January 10, 2014. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is an essential first step in the home buying process because real estate agents and the sellers the […]
If My Home Has A FHA Loan… Can I Use It As A Rental Property?
I recently had a conversation with a client who has lived in a home for 12 years with a FHA loan and they wanted to rent it out when they bought another home. They had heard that they would have to refinance to a conventional loan or pay off the FHA loan before they could use […]
The Texas Foreclosure Process
The Texas Foreclosure Process is very short and simple. Homeowners in default on their mortgage can, by law, lose their home in as few as 41 days. And because Texas is a non-right of redemption state, there is no opportunity to reclaim your property once the foreclosure has taken place. For these reasons it is […]
USDA Guaranteed Housing Loans – Still 0% Down!!!
The mission of USDA Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program is to assist low to moderate income rural home buyers achieve their dream of home ownership! USDA Rural Development uses approved local lenders to extend 100% financing opportunities to eligible rural individuals and families for the purchase of safe and sanitary dwellings. These federally guaranteed […]
The Top 5 Ways To Turn Money Into Happiness
“Money can’t buy happiness!” Well… that may not be exactly true. I just read an article by Guy Kawasaki about The Top 5 Ways To Turn Money Into Happiness It’s well worth passing on… Especially on Financial Fitness Friday.
Financial Fitness Friday – Get Debt Free Using the Debt Snowball
Baby Step # 2 – Pay Off All Debt using the “Debt Snowball” List all of your debts, excluding the house, in order. List the account with the smallest balance first. Don’t worry about interest rates unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that’s the case, then list the higher interest rate debt first. Continue listing […]