If you’re getting ready to buy a home, one of the first things you’ll hear is that you need to get preapproved. But what does that actually mean — and how is it different from being prequalified? And what about a loan commitment letter, or being pre-underwritten?
These terms get used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. The difference matters — especially in a competitive market where sellers are evaluating the strength of every offer on the table.
Here’s a simple breakdown of each level and what to look for. [Read more…]
If you have been thinking about buying a home this spring, you’re not alone. Experts predict there is quite a bit of pent-up demand following the recent sellers’ market and higher interest rates. Many homebuyers have been waiting patiently for a cooler market with lower interest rates…the key word here is MANY. It’s not anticipated that we will see a flood of new listings as homeowners who currently have extremely low mortgage interest rates seem to be less likely to want to sell and lose the rate. As people start to list their homes in the new year, and more buyers get off the fence, we could see housing prices push higher or at the very least, stay the same as the demand for homes is still strong. 
