Search results for: “escrow”
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A Deed in a Box? Understanding the Deed in Escrow
Deed in escrow has multiple meanings. In this article, we’ll discuss the concept as it applies to community restoration, and we’ll also discuss the deed in escrow as a way of averting a foreclosure.
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Mortgage Company Paying Your Property Taxes Out of Escrow? Check.
Most home buyers get a mortgage loan to finance the purchase. And for most people, the mortgage servicing company holds some of the owner’s payment in escrow, and pays property taxes out of that account on behalf of the borrower as long as the mortgage exists. But what if the mortgage servicer lets a tax…
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Does Your Mortgage Really Need an Escrow Account?
In 2018, United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) decided it would offer an option to people who applied for mortgages backed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. The borrowers could have escrow-free loans, at no extra charge. Even if their down payments were low. Even if they had so-so credit. Other industry professionals criticized the move.…
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All About Escrow
How Escrow Helps Home Buyers—And When It Hurts Through an escrow arrangement, a neutral go-between holds onto documents or collateral while a transaction is underway. Escrow providers usually charge the parties a fee to accept and hold the assets, redistribute the funds pursuant to the parties’ agreement, and ultimately close the escrow account. When you’re…
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Could Ohio Make Property Taxes Unconstitutional? Should It?
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office has received a proposal to insert a new Section 14 into Article XII of the Ohio constitution. This proposed amendment seeks to abolish current and future real estate taxes. For many months, Ohio’s Butler County and Hamilton County deed holders have been pressing state lawmakers to expand property tax…
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The Bulk of U.S. Home Deeds Are About to Be Passed Along. Millennials, Are You Really Ready?
A Realtor.com survey is out, showing 23% of millennials feeling ready to buy a home in the next six months. This is an interesting turn in attitudes. And it only appears with millennials. Just 15% of their generation felt ready in late 2024. If you happen to be a millennial getting ready to buy —…
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Can AI Empower Home Buyers to Represent Themselves? This Month, Homa Debuts in Florida
A new real estate company, Homa, says it can cut the “red tape, middlemen, and mystery” from the home buyer’s experience. It’s an AI-powered tool that helps customers handle their own purchases, step by step. Homa also claims to cut out the pressure and bias that buyers face in the traditional market.
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The Water Log: A Deed Holder’s Intro to Storm Runoff
Storms aren’t exactly getting milder out there. And did you know that rainstorms can implicate a property owner’s rights? Severe or recurrent storms can create significant challenges for a deed holder. Flooding is the costliest risk for homes. Here, we cover just the basics of stormwater and deeds.
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Live and Learn! What I Wish I Knew as a Real Estate Buyer
It’s always nice to learn from others’ mistakes and revelations, before we’re in the position to deal with similar situations ourselves. In this spirit, here are a few things first-time deed holders say they wish they knew before buying.
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Single and Looking (for My Very Own Deed)
Single and looking? Take heart! So many people would love to be in your position. Some never have a home that’s theirs alone. If you think most people in the current real estate market are couples, you’re right. Yet single buyers make up more than a fourth of all buyers. You could join them, and…
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Between Signing My Purchase Agreement and Closing: What’s Going On?
What goes on between the day you find your seller and the day the seller hands you the keys? If you’re new to home buying, you’ll be curious about each step. And if you haven’t closed on a home in a long time, you might want a refresher. Once you sign the agreement, a…
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When Lien Holders Demand Repayment: Who Has the Most to Gain by Foreclosing?
If you own a home, you can use it as collateral and borrow money. The lenders may then place liens on your title, representing that money you have to repay. The classic example involves taking out a mortgage against the value of a home you want to buy. You must repay the home loan, or…
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Ready to Close—But the Home Isn’t Empty
You’re ready to close on your new home. There’s just one issue. On what you thought was your final walk-through, the home still has an occupant. Or, surprise! It’s still cluttered with the seller’s rugs and lamps. Let’s talk about how to avert this scenario — and how to deal with it if and when…
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Heard About Home Equity Sharing? Does It Beat a HELOC or Home Equity Loan?
What if you could get a lump sum of cash today, leveraging your home’s potential appreciation value? You could. With home equity sharing, a deed holder gets a lump-sum cash advance. The lender takes a share of the property’s appreciation. Also called a home equity investment (HEI), it’s an alternative to a home equity loan…
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Title Talk: What’s a Municipal Lien Search?
You might think a title search is an all-in-one exercise. It’ll show any outstanding liens against the title to the home you’re buying, right? Not necessarily. Not all municipal liens get filed with the county recorder of deeds’ office. Unrecorded liens don’t appear in a title search. And they might or might not be found…
