Home Financing Tips

In the world of credit, establishing a credit score of 850 is like being granted a lifetime achievement award. Both FICO and Vantage—widely used credit-scoring models—consider 850 to be the highest possible credit score. The score is perfect. Exceptional. Untarnished. But… is it possible? The short answer, according to experts: Well, yes. But an 850 credit score takes time and strategy.

You consider yourself responsible with credit: You pay your bills on time and you don’t rack up any major credit card debt. And since you’re looking to apply for a mortgage sometime in the near future, you’ve been actively monitoring your credit. But since you’ve checked last month, your score has gone down. What gives? Why is your score acting so sensitive? Sheesh.

Even if you’ve just started to save for a big purchase like a home or for retirement, you’ve probably already run into plenty of bad advice. Everyone, especially your family, seems to have an opinion on where your hard-earned money should go. But not everyone knows what they’re talking about. (Sorry, Nana!) Luckily, five money experts weigh in on the worst savings advice they’ve ever heard.

Maybe you’re afraid of racking up too much debt. Or, perhaps you fall into an “anti-credit card” category who loathes the potential of paying interest. It could just be that your debit card is at the front of your wallet and, by default, gets swiped far more than your credit card.

Coming up with a down payment for your first home is no easy task. In fact, according to a recent study from HotPads, renters spend about six and a half years saving up before they have enough. (I personally predict I’ll be eligible for AARP before I could build up a nest egg hefty enough to become a homeowner.) Finding clever ways to cut back and save everywhere you can is helpful, but at a certain point, you may realize that you simply need to rake in more dough.

It’s not unusual to live with a roommate to cut down costs. Hey, life is expensive! But 2018 demonstrated that an unlikely population is taking on roommates in order to make ends meet: married people. Economists at Trulia determined that in 2018, over 280,000 married couples (or 0.46 percent of all married U.S. households) lived with a roommate or boarder. Now, you may think that number sounds minuscule. But it’s a serious jump compared to just over 20 years ago.

You know a strong credit score will help you get into your next home. To get specific, if you’re renting, landlords like to see a score of at least 650 before they start asking for extra deposits and guarantors. If you’re taking out a mortgage, a score that’s 760 or above is the magic number that will get you the best interest rate on a home loan. But establishing and maintaining a good credit score isn’t just necessary for keeping a roof over your head.

Before you know it, your down payment savings account will be a bit more full.

There have been two points in my adulthood when I monitored my credit like a hawk: When I was preparing to buy my house, and when I was going through a background investigation for a government security clearance. Keeping my credit score stable, or even bumping it up, was the name of the game as low-interest rates and, potentially, a job were at stake. (I’m not giving away any government secrets!

Any renter with an internet connection and a passion for painting the walls dark green (or black or maybe just wallpapering a bit) can attest to the bit of confusion you feel when first encountering a mortgage calculator or payment estimator online. You approach the thing with some very rough estimates researched in haste about what a modest little 2-bedroom in an up-and-coming neighborhood might cost.

When my husband and I decided to take out a home equity line of credit for a renovation, we assumed we’d get a great interest rate based on our good credit scores. We’ve always paid our bills on time and don’t maintain any credit card debt. There’s just one demerit on my report; a medical bill in collections I’ve unsuccessfully disputed. But even with that blip, the credit monitoring service I use—CreditWise—said my score hovered in the high 700s!

It’s no secret that the dream of home ownership is increasingly a daunting prospect. From overwhelming student loan debt, to less-than-stellar credit scores, to steadily-climbing home prices, there’s no shortage of factors keeping a lot of us from achieving that hallmark of adulthood. However, some markets are tougher to pull off this particular aspect of “adulting” in than others.

We’ve all heard it. If you’re looking to buy, you should always go for the worst house in the best neighborhood. But have many of us ever stopped to question that conventional wisdom? I thought I was bucking convention when I bought one of the lowest priced houses in a neighborhood that many locals steer clear of (and to my eternal frustration that Uber drivers tell my Airbnb guests they should avoid) — but is it true?

Everything on “The Brady Bunch” always seemed so perfect, down to the family’s sprawling Los Angeles-area home. Though the home wasn’t really designed by Mr. Brady, it is a real five-bedroom, three-bedroom home on Dilling Street in Studio City. While the interior scenes were filmed on a sound stage at Paramount Studios, the interior layout of this house is pretty similar to the one portrayed in the show.

You’ve saved a good chunk of money, or at least are on a path to do so. Now, you might be wondering what’s better: Invest in real estate or put your money in the stock market? It’s a question you can wrestle with to no end since several factors come into play. Helping to frame the debate and lend advice below are a host of real estate and finance experts. Here are six questions they suggest you ask yourself if you’re exploring your investment options.

Sure, there’s plenty of parental advice that will never grow old: Learn to prioritize your time. Follow the Golden Rule. Wear sunscreen. But when it comes to financial tips, some of those age-old lessons fail to fit in with a millennial’s reality.

Some people were born to fit in. Others were born to stand out. The same goes for homes. For every 100 cookie-cutter McMansions, you might find one home that breaks the mold–which makes such architecturally significant homes priceless in our book. However, you don’t actually have to break the bank to purchase a house that stands out from the crowd.

You can shop for just about anything online these days, from your groceries to shipping containers-turned-houses. So, when it comes to home buying, it only feels natural for digital natives to crack open the laptop to start shopping for a mortgage. Once you tell Google you’re in the market for a mortgage, oodles of comparison sites will pop up, eager to get to know you better with icebreakers like “what’s your credit score?“, “where are you looking to buy?

Checking your credit score regularly is smart, especially if you’re planning to buy a home. You shouldn’t have to pay for a monitoring service to help you keep your credit on track, either. Fortunately, you can choose from a variety of free credit score sites and apps to keep tabs on your numbers. But with so many options, which is the best? By law, you’re entitled to view your credit report once a year on annualcreditreport.

Imagine my surprise when my real estate agent gave me a simple appraisal number—and all additional information in a completely jargon-free way.

Now that we’re settled in the New Year, you may have noticed that your credit score has taken a hit after some overly joyous holiday spending. You’re not the only one: A recent report from Marcus by Goldman Sachs says almost half of the U.S. (48 percent) carries a balance or goes into credit card debt over the holidays due to travel, entertaining, and gift costs. While this can make for an exciting holiday season, it usually leaves our wallets—and credit scores—hurting.

If buying a home is living the dream, paying your mortgage off early could seem like a next-level fantasy. Just imagine what life would be like without forking over monthly mortgage payments. More money for investments! Retirement savings! Home upgrades! Silk bow ties for your dog! But is paying your mortgage off quicker than is required actually a smart financial move? While there’s no “one size fits all” answer, financial experts say it’s not always the wisest decision.

Some bad advice you receive is NBD, honestly. Those bangs your best friend swore would look great on you will eventually grow out after an awkward phase. And maybe one day Dad’s method of filling out a March Madness bracket based on team mascots will actually pay off. But then there’s some bad advice that qualifies as a VBD—yes, a very big deal because it concerns your financial well-being.

Hamilton and Burr. Kanye and Drake. Freshly brushed teeth and orange juice. These are pairs never to be mixed. And generally one would say that debt and homeownership are one of these mutually exclusive pairs—but that may be changing, says a new report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

A new year is a great time to set resolutions (obviously), and if you’ve resolved to graduate from rental life to owner life, you’re going to want to set some savings goals ASAP. A new study from Apartment List found that many millennials want to buy a home, but don’t see that happening in the next five years. What’s more: A large portion of the generation isn’t even saving for a down payment yet.

Have you ever scrolled through social media and secretly wondered “How the heck are my peers affording that lifestyle?” Yeah, we don’t know how they are funding those Bora Bora vacations, either. But a recent report from Zillow gave us some pretty good intel on how people are actually affording down payments for homes in big cities. We’ll give you a hint: It has nothing to do with skipping avocado toast or cutting Netflix from the budget.

Contrary to popular opinion, millennials are buying homes. According to a study conducted by the team at LendingTree, an online loan marketplace, nearly one-fourth of all mortgage purchase requests made on their website between January and November of 2018 came consumers under the age of 35. And three American cities managed to rake in millennial buyers—making up almost one half of total new purchase requests.

You left school with a solid understanding of the Pythagorean theorem, and you could probably recite a row or two of the Periodic Table of Elements in your sleep. But one thing you likely didn’t pick up in class? A personal finance lesson centered on home buying and the importance of credit. Ready to go back to school and learn a few important home buying principles?

I'd managed to raise my credit score 30 points, and snagged a mortgage approval letter from my credit union. These experts agree with me.

When you’re house shopping, it’s easy to find faults with the homes you tour. Why is the master bedroom Cookie Monster blue? Whoever designed the kitchen didn’t know a thing about cooking. Did vampires live here; there’s hardly any natural light?! Sure, most design flaws could be remedied with renovations.

Thanks to social media, we can now turn to our friends (both online and IRL) for just about anything. Whether you’re looking for travel recommendations or advice on your high school reunion outfit, connecting is easier than ever. Another thing you can ask your friends for? Cold hard cash. Crowdfunding platforms like Fundly and Kickstarter have made it simple to ask for financial assistance for everything from unexpected medical bills to start-up seed money.

High-five, you did it! You paid off your student loans. While it takes a lot of financial discipline to get that balance to $0, your credit score unfortunately won’t be celebrating alongside you. In fact, after you pay off your student loans, you’ll probably see a slight drop in your credit score. Go ahead and file that in the “No fair, what gives?” category along with the fact that your credit will take a hit if you buy a house.

You’ve scrimped, saved, and spent more time on Zillow than you’d care to divulge, and you’re ready to add “homeowner” to your list of accomplishments. Now, to choose the right mortgage for you. When it comes to fixed-rate loan programs, there are several options—from five to 50 years. But it’s the 30-year mortgage that’s been most popular among Americans for decades.

Ask anyone about Waco, Texas, and most likely they’ll ask “Isn’t that where Chip and Joanna are from?” Thanks to Gaineses, the stars of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper,” interest in this central Texas community has skyrocketed over the last few years. As a result, Waco, Texas has not only become a huge tourist destination, but it has also sparked the interest of potential home buyers.

A lot of credit-boosting tips we hear are, frankly, pretty darn obvious. Don’t go over your credit limit, don’t pay bills late, check your credit score—yeah, yeah we got it already! So, my ears perked up when Brentnie Daggett, a rental expert at Rentec Direct, a property management industry website, dished a credit-boosting tip that falls into the “Oooh! Interesting” category.

Once you graduate college, you’re handed a diploma and—most likely—a mountain of debt. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a job where you make enough to pay off your student loans and then, maybe, move on to the next big investment of your life homeownership. Unfortunately, according to a study by Credit Sesame, the state in which you live may affect your ability to pay your student loans.

We know, everyone already harps on millennials. So, we hate to give bashers any more ammo, but… millennial credit scores aren’t great. They’re not good, either. They’re actually just “fair,” according to data from Experian, a consumer credit reporting agency. Experian’s credit system ranges from 300 (eek!) to 850 (wow!), and millennials, on average, are stuck in the “fair” category, which is a score between 580 and 669.

Don't want to spend a ton of money? There are more than enough small-scale kitchen repairs and replacements that can increase a home's overall value

If you’re a fan of NBC’s wildly popular drama, “This Is Us,” you probably know a thing or two about the Pearson family. Have you ever wondered about the beautiful (but doomed) home the family lives in? While the house is located in Pittsburgh on the show, it’s actually filmed at a home in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles—the place where Rebecca and Jack road-tripped to early on in their relationship, ironically enough.

Will they or won’t they? Several times this year, the Federal Reserve System raised the benchmark interest rate and seemed gung-ho to do it again by the end of the year. If you’re about to get a new mortgage, these interest rate hikes will directly affect you, meaning you’ll pay more over time for that new house. And if you’re not in the market for a new mortgage, federal interest rate hikes will still hit you, albeit indirectly.

The last time you got a raise, did you potentially daydream of moving to some far-off amazing place? Well, your options may be limited, because that amazing locale might come with a super high price tag—especially if you want to live abroad. The Economist recently updated their list of most expensive cities in the world, and surprisingly, pricey American cities didn’t even crack the list this year.

Maxing out credit cards, falling behind on bills, going into foreclosure—these are all known villains that will slay your credit score. But did you know that buying a house will also most likely cause your credit score to drop? That’s right; after you’ve demonstrated utmost financial responsibility by establishing a solid credit score and saving for a down payment, taking out a mortgage will ding your score.

Certain areas of the country, like Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado, are notorious for their influx of young folk—be it for their tech-hubs, Instagram-worthy walls, or to-die for food. But when it comes to putting down roots, where are younger people buying homes? A new report from LendingTree ranked America’s metropolitan areas by average age of homeowner, and not surprisingly, (with one exception) the coolest millennial cities didn’t fare too well.

A debt forgiveness program for student borrowers sounded promising: Work in a public service sector for 10 years while making on-time loan repayments. Then—after a decade of working as, say, a nurse, police officer, teacher, social worker, first responder, or in some other public sector service job—have your remaining student loan balance erased.

You need a little creativity to make ends meet these days. With wages stagnating and housing prices skyrocketing, people are looking for ways to cut expenses and boost their income. And that’s especially true for anyone trying to save for a down payment on a house. This was all top of mind several years ago when Sam (my now-husband, then-boyfriend) and I decided to move in together.

I asked some experts about the smart way to buy a house with partner—both financially and emotionally—if you're not married. Here's what they said.

Buying a home is a huge financial decision, and, if you’re about to do so, your life advisory panel (family, friends, that opinionated co-worker…) is probably eager to weigh in. While well-intentioned, not all mortgage advice is good.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon will soon announce that their long-awaited HQ2—home to 50,000 new jobs—will be built in not one, but two metro areas: Crystal City, Virginia—in the D.C. metro area; and Long Island City (LIC), Queens—in New York City. As a New Yorker (albeit a Brooklynite), this news wasn’t super exciting. I know by now that a new hot tech headquarters means more people and higher rent prices.

For those that don't know much about VA loans, you'll be surprised at how much it has affected the way many Americans live—even today.

The 800-and-up credit score club is an elite one: 20.7 percent of Americans have reached this upper echelon of credit worthiness, according to the latest data from FICO, a widely-used credit score rating system. But, finance experts explain that you don’t actually need to have a score in the 800 range to qualify for the best mortgage rates. In fact, the score you should really aspire for is… drumroll, please: 760!

Budgeting can be pretty hard—especially on a measly income. And some places, it’s nearly impossible to live a full life on your income alone—so you’re likely to slip into debt to pay the bills. Though it’s not ideal, for many it’s just the way it is. But in other places, it’s much, much easier—like in San Jose, California.

Congrats, America, your credit score has gone up. At last count, the average credit score in the United States was 704, an all-time high, according to FICO, a credit scoring company. If you’re below that score, though, don’t freak out: The average credit score incrementally goes up with age, which makes sense as credit history is one of the big factors layered into your score. Suffice to say, there’s a difference of 88 points between young adults and those aged 60 and up.

As the millennial job market becomes mobile, many twenty- and thirty-somethings are looking outside the big cities for places to settle down. If you haven’t been keeping score like I am, the Midwest is proving itself to be an increasingly attractive option with up-and-coming cities that offer millennials the lifestyle they’re searching for—and the price they want to pay.

It’s funny how buying a home became known as “The American Dream,” because for decades, it wasn’t a dream at all. Just a few generations ago (basically: your grandparents), buying a house in your 20’s was just reality. I love this story from Relative Realty about a couple of real first-time buyers in Toronto—Ron and Joan, both “in their early 20’s”—achieving The American Canadian Dream.

These days, actually using the phone to call people has pretty much fallen by the wayside. But here’s ample reason to pick up the phone: By making a few simple calls—and asking the right questions—you could save hundreds on your household bills. And the best part about living in 2018? You can actually pay someone to do it for you. According to U.S. News & World Report, there are several services that will lobby with your providers for better rates.

When you think of home upgrades that can save you money over time, are you imagining hefty investments like solar-powered roofs and native landscaping? Those projects certainly are the green goddesses in eco-friendly renovations. But, when it comes to upgrades, there are several smaller features that, over time, can pay for themselves, too—and they’re a lot easier to incorporate into your home. What we’re getting at?

If you’re on the hunt to buy a home, chances are you’ve been saving up for that down payment for quite some time—and while you may think you can get away with putting down 10 to 15 percent for your first home, in some states that might not be competitive enough. According to a new study performed by online loan marketplace LendingTree, prospective buyers in five American states can expect to plunk down more than the standard 20 percent.

It’s no surprise college grads make more money than those with just a high school diploma. To get specific, a college degree can boost your lifetime earning potential by $1 million. But what often gets lost in this 101 discussion about college degrees and earning potential is the fact there’s a wealth gap—and it’s a huge one—between those who have student loans and those who don’t.

If you were planning on winning the lottery and buying yourself a totally elaborate multi-million dollar mansion… all I can say is I’m sorry. (In full disclosure, I did win… $2.) But the time you spent swimming through listings and the feelings you felt for that perfect mansion don’t have to go to waste, right? Is it really so far-fetched that you could one day afford to live there?

You pay your rent on time every month, keep your savings account padded with at least a few hundred bucks, and don’t overdraw your checking account. While these are all responsible money management habits, they haven’t actually been helping you build your credit–but that could change soon.

So—you’re searching for an apartment on Craigslist. You click on “housing” and enter your search criteria: min bedrooms, max price, X miles from your zip code of choice, only show ads with pictures—GO! Aaaaaand you’ve already made a huge mistake. Not only did I do an annual housing hunt every five years while living in Brooklyn (I’m now in L.A.), I also worked as a real estate agent in Brooklyn for two years. I know the deal.

It took some deep digging to figure out which option best fit our needs right now and for the term of our loan. Here's how we made our decision.

When I was a kid, I used to dream of busting out of my hometown. I’d pine for shows in the mid-2000s that featured gorgeous locales like cities in California, or chic ones like New York City. I was convinced that once I made my big move, it’d be permanent: There would be no turning back to come home again. But while my husband finished up with the Army, I found myself needing to house hunt, find a job, and see about putting down roots.

Andrea Kaplan-Chambers and her husband have owned their Austin, Texas, home for a year now, but the path there wasn’t easy. The couple were both freelancers when they were applying for mortgages, (Kaplan-Chambers worked as a contract programmer and her husband owned a small sound design business) something they didn’t know was going to be as big of a problem as it ended up being.

Fact: The majority of people don’t have amazing credit. In fact, the median credit score, according to Experian, is only “good,” the average score hitting 700. But some people do blast their way into 800 territory—a tier known as “exceptional.

First, a disclaimer: You should, of course, live your life on your own timeline. But, if you were curious about the median age of homebuyers, a snapshot from the National Association of Realtors reveals that it’s 32. To get super specific… the average household income of the median homebuyer is $75,000, their homes were 1,640 square feet, and they spent $190,000 on their first property.

You’re trying to save 20 percent to put down on your first home, but do you know exactly why you’re striving for that amount? Though you don’t need to put down that percentage of your home purchase price in order to buy, it does help in two major ways: It saves you money in the long run by shredding off interest and makes you a more attractive loan applicant. And while all that sounds like a great goal, it can feel impossibly to many.

Saving money for a down payment on a house may seem like a monumental task, but it doesn’t have to be. By taking baby steps toward your goal and giving yourself enough time to reach it, you can make the entire process more palatable. And, if you’re not the most motivated person, these five tips and tricks from real estate and financial experts are so easy that even the laziest among you will likely approve. It’s difficult to spend money when you don’t have access to it.

So your credit score is less than perfect and you’re doing everything in your power to improve it. The bills are paid on time and you’re only charging about $20 on your credit card every month (because the limit is only $500!). But, even with all of this, your credit doesn’t seem to budge more than a few points because your bills aren’t tied to your credit or you have just one measly credit card.

Many people feel that New York City is the center of the universe. And if that center had a center, it just very well may be Times Square. Though it’s often called “the Crossroads of the World,” many New Yorkers will tell you that Times Square itself is nothing but a tawdry tourist trap. But there’s no denying its proximity to many of the features that make New York City a major hub, including the Broadway theater scene and “restaurant row.

Most homebuyers and renters have experienced that chill when a real estate agent asks them that one question: How is your credit? But as of August 14, 2018, that question will be haunting fewer potential homebuyers. A recent study from the New York Fed’s Center for Microeconomic Data found that the number of collections accounts and the number of individuals with a collections account on their credit report shrank between June 2017 and June 2018.