Mortgage insurance is an additional cost that buyers will have to budget for in their total monthly costs when they are not able to put 20% or more down on the purchase of a home. Referred to as MI or ...

Local zoning laws affect how a property can be utilized, and therefore, affect a property’s value. When purchasing a property, it’s important to understand the zoning classification so you can research ...

The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1977 and is part of the Maryland Department of Agriculture. The Foundation purchases ...

Second home mortgage requirements are a bit stricter than first home loans, and a bit stricter than in years past with some new guidelines coming into effect this year. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ...

Without broadband access, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) estimates that a home loses six percent of its value compared to a comparable home with access. In a recent Maryland REALTORS® informal HotSheet poll, ...

The National Association of REALTORS®  publishes a monthlyREALTORS® Confidence Index (RCI) survey. The survey gathers on-the-ground information from REALTORS® based on their real estate ...

There is a Federal Housing Administration program that allows for the financing of a mobile home. It is called the Title I program, and it allows FHA approved lenders to make loans from their own funds ...

Most buyers know they need to save for both a down payment and closing cost money. Buyers also need to pay down their debt to be sure their debt-to-income ratios are under the various thresholds for USDA, ...

A home warranty is different from a homeowner insurance policy. Homeowners insurance policies cover things that “might” happen, such as theft, fire, storms/floods. But, home warranty plans cover things ...

Earlier this week, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) will eliminate the Adverse Market Refinance Fee for loan deliveries effective August ...

Industry experts are still communicating that now is a great time to sell your house, yes, it’s still a sellers’ market.  The housing market forecast remains positive for the remainder of 2021, ...

There are a few options in our local multiple list system (MLS) for letting the public know about a property for sale. These different statuses can become confusing as they are disseminated across the ...

The appraisal of a home is an important step in the real estate process, one that can certainly make or break a deal. An appraisal is a valuation of a property done by a professional, licensed individual ...

Buyers usually pay most of the closing costs associated with a purchase, of which, transfer and recordation taxes are one piece of the total closing costs. Customary in the state of Maryland is a split ...

Purchasing a condominium differs from buying a single-family home in more ways than the obvious. Of course, condo ownership offers buyers the convenience of maintenance free living—but when looking into ...