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Is An Escrow Account Right For You?

Is An Escrow Account Right For You?When someone is looking at purchasing a home, they usually focus on the purchase price of the home and the potential monthly payment. At the same time, there are other costs that need to be included as well. This includes home insurance and real estate taxes.

As a result, many homeowners find themselves asking if they should use an escrow account or not. What do homeowners need to think about and how can they make the right decision?

What Is An Escrow Account?

First, it is important to define an escrow account. An escrow account is an account that contains money for items such as insurance and taxes. That way, homeowners are not blindsided by a major bill at the end of the year. Some people may be required by the lender to have an escrow account, but those who are putting 20 percent down may have an option to use an escrow account or to handle this on their own. With an escrow account, the money that is required for real estate taxes and homeowners’ insurance is broken up into 12 months. That way, homeowners can pay a little bit every month instead of paying it all at once, when the money might get tight. When should homeowners use an escrow account?

Savings Habits And Risks

First, some homeowners would rather handle real estate taxes and home insurance on their own because they want to be in control of their finances. While this is fine, some lenders might see this as an increased risk. If they view that homeowner as a risk, then they could use this as an excuse to raise the rate on the loan. Homeowners need to make sure they do not have to pay more for the loan simply because they are not using an escrow account.

Next, homeowners also need to think about their individual saving habits. Because home insurance and real estate taxes are often paid as one lump sum, this could be a lot of money leaving the account at once. If homeowners do not have appropriate saving habits, they might not set this money aside when the payment is due. If they fall behind on their real estate taxes, they could place themselves at risk of losing the home.

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Why An Emergency Fund Is Important

Why An Emergency Fund Is Important

There’s almost a guarantee that at some point in the future you’re going to face an emergency. Like most things in life, that emergency is going to require money to solve. You can’t assume that you’ll have the funds to face the emergency when it happens. You can’t even assume that you’ll have enough on your credit cards to pay for it. The only safe way to plan is to have an emergency fund.

What Is An Emergency Fund?

An emergency fund is a reserve of cash set aside for emergencies only. It’s not a savings account, because you’re not saving up for anything in particular like a new sofa or a dining set. It’s strictly money on hand to be used in an emergency.

What Constitutes An Emergency

As a homeowner, you could face any number of emergencies regarding your property. An emergency is something unexpected and urgent. In other words, you couldn’t foresee it happening, yet it needs to be taken care of right away. Examples of homeownership emergencies are:

  • Basement floods and needs to be drained and contents cleaned
  • Tree falls on roof, and you can’t wait for insurance check
  • Furnace dies in the middle of winter
  • Central air system dies and there’s a high deductible on your insurance policy
  • Water tank gives out a week before your big family holiday

How To Manage an Emergency Fund

The key thing about an emergency fund is that it needs to be instantly accessible. Instantly accessible means you should only have to use your debit card or write a check to use it. You shouldn’t have to sell stock or transfer money out of your retirement IRA. It should also be kept separate from other funds, so it doesn’t get confused with the Christmas gift fund or the college fund.

Why Have An Emergency Fund?

Emergencies shouldn’t cause catastrophic damage to your finances. With consistent, small saving habits, you can build up an emergency fund so you can easily and readily take care of maintaining and repairing your home. This is part of good homeownership. When you have an emergency fund, you know that you can always keep your home in tip-top shape.

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Do You Have Enough Of A Down Payment Saved Up?

Do You Have Enough Of A Down Payment Saved Up?If you are planning on purchasing a home in the near future, you need to make sure you have enough money saved up. While there are a lot of expenses that go along with purchasing a home, the biggest expense is the down payment.

The common belief is that people have to put 20 percent down; however, even if you don’t have 20 percent saved up, you might still be able to purchase a home. It will depend on whether you can get a lender to provide a loan that is greater than 80 percent of the purchase price of a home. If you have a strong credit history, you may be able to get one.

Getting A Loan With Less Than 20 Percent Down

First, many lenders realize that many people do not have enough money saved up to put down 20 percent. After all, this could be tens of thousands of dollars.  Although some people might be able to get a loan with only 10 percent down, those with outstanding credit might even qualify for a larger loan. There are certain people, such as veterans, who might have other options outside of conventional loans that might open other doors. If you are looking to get a home loan for less than 20 percent down, you will want to check all of your options.

How To Get A Loan For Less Than 20 Percent Down

Particularly if you are a first-time homebuyer, you might not know how to get a loan for less than 20 percent down. First, you need to have a strong credit score. If the lender is giving you a larger loan, they will want to make sure you can pay it back. Having a strong credit score can prove this to them. You may want to check your credit report ahead of time to correct any inaccuracies.

Second, you need to take a look at your debt to income ratio. If you have a lot of debt, consider paying this down before applying for a home loan.

Finally, trust an experienced lender to guide you through the process. You might be able to get a home loan for less than 20 percent down.

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