Mortgage underwriters deny about one in every 10 mortgage loan applications. This is often because the applicant has too much debt, a spotty employment history, or a low appraisal report. However, by knowing what an underwriter reviews, you can make your application as attractive as possible.

Tax-deferred accounts allow investments to grow tax-free until some point in the future (sometimes indefinitely). This allows assets to grow faster and reduces tax liability. Investors should consider taking advantage of tax-deferred accounts whenever available.

PITI stands for Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance, which represent the four components of a property owner’s monthly mortgage payment. By combining the numbers from each of these initials, a mortgage lender estimates the loan you can afford based on your current income.

If you inherit real estate, the existing mortgage doesn’t need to be immediately paid off. You can take possession of the property, assume the mortgage (or refinance it) and continue making payments.

You can use VA Loans as many times as you want, but you can only have one active (or maybe two in special circumstances) at any one time. The US military offers excellent benefits as an incentive to recruit people into the armed services and make it their career. These benefits stay with them when they leave the service. If you are on active service or a veteran of the US military, the VA home loan program is an excellent VA benefit enabling you to buy your primary residence with no down payment.

Wondering what the difference is between mortgage insurance vs. homeowners insurance? When you borrow money to purchase property, lenders will use every tool in their toolkit to minimize risk. For borrowers only making a small down payment, requiring you to carry mortgage insurance is one tool. Another tool is requiring you to carry homeowner’s insurance.

Paper money may soon be obsolete.  You may have already converted your life to online payments, Apple Pay, and contactless credit card payment. This works well at home but probably isn’t the best strategy when traveling abroad, especially outside major cities. Here’s how we do it.