Angela Mackinnon

CMI Mortgage #217909

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Maintain A Home’s Value With These Helpful Home Maintenance Tips

January 14, 2022 by Angela Mackinnon

Maintain A Home's Value With These Helpful Home Maintenance Tips A home is an investment, so it is important to treat it as such. The best time to capitalize on a home’s value is when it is sold. Therefore, it is important to take care of it with some simple home maintenance tips. There is a common misconception that if something is working well, it does not need to be fixed; however, it is always better to prevent problems from happening than to fix them after they have appeared. The average homeowner should spend between one and four percent of a home’s value per year to keep it in excellent condition. There are several key home maintenance tips that homeowners need to keep in mind. 

Paint The Interior And Exterior

There is never a second chance to make a first impression, and a home’s paint job will be responsible for a significant portion of that first impression. A fresh coat of paint can make a home look like new. At the same time, it is usually better to hire a professional to paint the house to make sure it looks as great as possible. 

Clean The Gutters And Roof

Many homeowners forget about the roof of the house because it is difficult to see the entirety of the roof from the ground. On the other hand, a damaged roof can lead to expensive repairs, particularly if the roof begins to leak. Therefore, homeowners need to clean the gutters and roof regularly. That way, water has an easier time running down the roof, through the gutters, and away from the house. This can prevent serious problems from happening.

Stay Up To Date On HVAC Maintenance

Homeowners should service the furnace and ductwork regularly. It can be expensive to replace an HVAC unit, and routine maintenance is critical for making sure it lasts as long as possible. Furthermore, an efficient, working, maintained HVAC unit can be an attractive asset to a potential buyer. Service the HVAC unit at least once per year.

Take Care Of The House

These are a few of the most important home maintenance tips that homeowners should keep in mind. They can go a long way toward preserving the value of a house.

 

Filed Under: Mortgage Tagged With: Home Maintenance, Home Maintenance Tips, Mortgage

A Guide to Financing Home Improvements and How Mortgage Refinancing Can Help

January 13, 2022 by Angela Mackinnon

A Guide to Financing Home Improvements and How Mortgage Refinancing Can HelpIf you’re planning to remodel or renovate your home in the near future – whether to provide a better living environment or as part of a house flip – you’ll need to find a way to pay for your home improvements. There are several different possible sources of renovation money, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. One option that is gaining popularity is mortgage refinancing.

How does mortgage refinancing work, and how does it compare to other renovation financing options? How can you use a mortgage refinance to get the most out of your renovation? Here’s what you need to know.

Home Improvement Investments: Which Renovations Generate The Best Returns?

If you’re considering a mortgage refinance in order to fund your home improvements, you’ll want to concentrate on doing renovations that increase your home’s value. Otherwise, you’ll be taking on more debt without gaining anything in return.

If you want to max out your return on investment, re-finishing your kitchen is your best strategy. Remodeling Magazine’s annual cost-to-value renovation analysis shows that new appliances, a new coat of paint, and new surface finishes in the kitchen generate the biggest returns. Meanwhile, swimming pools and home offices tend to generate the lowest returns because they appeal only to a select group of buyers.

Your Options For Financing Home Improvement Projects

Financing for a home improvement project is a critical consideration. Unless you can afford to pay $20,000 out of pocket for a remodeling project, you’ll need to secure financing of some sort.

Your options for home improvement financing include home equity lines of credit, renovation mortgages, and refinancing. A HELOC may not be an ideal solution, as repayment requires discipline, while a renovation mortgage (or home renovation loan) is typically used only for foreclosures and other properties requiring major renovation work.

Mortgage Refinancing: A Smart Option For Savvy Borrowers

If you’re looking to simply make improvements to your existing home, a mortgage refinance is likely your best option. A straight refinance gives you a lump sum of cash that you can use to pay for renovations upfront.

There’s also a “refinance plus improvements” arrangement, which can provide you with extra capital as you need it. Under this model, you can get up to 80% of your home’s post-renovation appraisal value – however, you’ll only get the money as the renovations are completed and inspected. With a straight refinance, you’re not out of pocket for any length of time.

Making smart home improvements is a great way to boost your home’s value and improve your living conditions. An experienced mortgage professional can help you to find financing for those renovations without a hassle. Contact your local mortgage advisor to learn more.

Filed Under: Home Mortgage Tips Tagged With: Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgages, Refinancing

Does Shopping Around for A Mortgage Pre-Approval Hurt Your Credit Rating?

January 12, 2022 by Angela Mackinnon

Does Shopping Around for A Mortgage Pre-Approval Hurt Your Credit Rating?Smart homebuyers know that mortgage rates and terms can vary widely among lenders. While your credit score and history will influence what rates and terms you’re offered, there’s a wide range of flexibility, which means shopping around for a pre-approval makes sense. At the same time, it’s important to minimize credit inquiries to protect your credit rating.

What is Mortgage Pre-Approval?

Mortgage pre-approval is often mistaken for mortgage pre-qualification. Pre-qualification is a process whereby the borrower personally submits their financial information to the lender. Pre-approval is the process whereby the lender does their own vetting regarding the income, debt and credit of a potential borrower. Pre-approvals will involve a hard “hit” to the credit score, due to the inquiry.

Pre-Qualification Doesn’t Guarantee Pre-Approval

Note that just because you are pre-qualified for a certain amount, that doesn’t guarantee pre-approval. So it’s important to go ahead and get the official pre-approval before shopping for a home. This will make you a more attractive homebuyer to sellers. 

Mortgage Hard Inquiries Make Credit Scores Dip

When lenders do a true pre-approval inquiry, it will make the credit score dip temporarily. This is an automatic process that happens because it looks like the person is looking to get more credit, which they are. Small drops from hard inquiries are temporary and will bounce back up in a short period of time.

Mortgage Inquiries Don’t Count

However, mortgage inquiries now don’t count on a credit rating, anymore. Lenders know that borrowers will be shopping around for the best rates and terms. As long as the inquiries take place in a short period of time, the inquiries will count only as one single hard inquiry, rather than multiple hard inquiries. In the event that multiple hard inquiries are noted on a credit report, as long as they are all from the same type of lender—a mortgage lender—it won’t count against the borrower.

The bottom line is that it’s wise to get multiple quotes when shopping for a mortgage. It’s more important to have a long-standing history of paying bills on time and managing credit well, than it is to worry about mortgage “hard inquiries.” Your real estate agent will help you to navigate getting multiple quotes in a short time span. Contact your agent to learn more.

Filed Under: Mortgage Tagged With: Credit Score, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates

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