Davidson Realty, Inc.

Easy ways to boost your curb appeal…this weekend!

October 1, 2019

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Posted by in Agent Feature, News, Top Agents

When home sellers think about improving curb appeal, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. New exterior paint? New landscaping and sod? New driveway? Sounds exhausting and expensive.

 

But it doesn’t have to be!

 

If you’re planning to sell your home in the near future but worry about the time and expense of enhancing your curb appeal, there are plenty of easy ways to spruce it up—without breaking the bank.

 

Here are six easy curb appeal enhancements you can knock out this weekend with a trip to the home improvement store:

 

1.) Pressure wash your exterior. For some jobs, a water hose just won’t do. Be sure to spray all surfaces including the eaves and driveway; just avoid easily damaged areas like caulking around doors and windows as well as roof shingles. Don’t forget to wash the fence as well! You will be shocked at how much a good washing can make your home sparkle. Home Depot rents out electric pressure washers for just $38 per day.

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How Federal Reserve Rate Decisions Impact Mortgages

September 23, 2019

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

As mortgage loan originators, we are often the first phone call when customers hear the Fed (Federal Reserve) has “cut rates” during one of its Open Market Committee meetings.

 

Typically, if the Federal Reserve makes a cut, usually .25% at a time, it is designed to stimulate short term interest rates, encourage investment by businesses and encourage consumers to make durable goods purchases like automobiles, appliances or recreational vehicles. It is also meant to encourage homeowners to dip into home equity for home improvements, debt reduction or possibly college expenses for a child.

 

Short-term financing rates move in the same direction as the Federal Funds rate. So if you are considering a 3-5 Year adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), you may see a dip in those rates. I like to refer to these downward cuts as a “loosening” of credit.

 

As for fixed rate loans at 15-30 Year terms, the Federal Funds rate does not always have an impact. They are not directly linked to each other.

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Lender Tip of the Month: Ease Loan Process with Communication & Organization

July 29, 2019

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

Thanks to technology, gone are the days of the slow, clunky mortgage lending process! We can now speed the process and better track the significant number of required documents with relative ease.

 

George Stone, Loan Originator with Jet HomeLoans, has some great tips to help you utilize technology to improve your experience. Here are George’s tips for a smooth loan process:

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Once you are under contract you will likely have just 5 days to make a “Loan Application.” Basically this means you should speak with your lender right away and be sure that they have the required items to process your loan.

 

Documents that are required are things like your paystubs, your most recent 2 years of W2s and/or tax returns, your bank statements, and your un-expired government ID.

 

Send photos of required documents

Lenders accept photos for these items like your ID and your paystubs. Simply take a clear picture that is nice and straight with your cell phone and forward that along in an email or text.

 

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What’s the best time to refinance? Use this simple rule of thumb

June 24, 2019

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

As mortgage professionals, we are often asked about refinancing, especially at times like these when interest rates are historically low.

 

In addition, every time you turn on your television or go online, you are bombarded with advertising encouraging you to refinance now! But when should you consider refinancing?

 

In a normal interest rate environment and in Florida, the “rule of thumb” is that if you can reduce your rate by 2%, and plan to stay in your home for more than 2 years, you will begin to realize some actual savings. The math is simple:

 

On a 30-year fixed rate loan of $200,000 at a 6% interest rate,your payment (principal + interest) would be $1,199.10.

If you secure a new rate of 4% on the loan, your payment would go down to $954.83. That is a payment reduction of $244.27 a month.

Over 24 months, that’s a net savings of $5,862.48!

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