How to Boost Your Savings For a Down Payment
President Donald Trump has floated that his administration can help ease the housing affordability crisis by creating portable mortgages, 50-year terms — and now funding down payments using your 401(k). On Friday, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox Business that the administration is “going to allow people to take money out of their […]
Fed may make its first rate cut of 2025: How to benefit
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to lower its benchmark rate when it meets this week, despite the latest hotter-than-expected inflation data. The market is now pricing in a 96% chance of a 25 basis-point rate cut this month, according to the CME Fedwatch tool. “The betting is currently that the Fed will embark on rate cutting, […]
How to get the best mortgage rates as 30-year fixed nears 1-year low
The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage notched its biggest one-day drop in more than a year on Friday. Although mortgage rates are now at their lowest level since October, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage is still just around 6.29%, according to Mortgage News Daily — a big leap from the under […]
How to prepare for a mortgage refinance, according to experts
Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images Mortgage rates have declined in recent months, and with the potential for a Federal Reserve rate cut this fall, it’s smart for homeowners with high interest rates to start preparing for the opportunity to refinance, experts say. Last week, mortgage rates slightly edged higher. According to the Mortgage […]
How to price your home to sell in 2025
Lifestylevisuals | E+ | Getty Images Selling a house involves much more than just putting up a “for sale” sign. In addition to some key things to consider — like knowing market conditions, preparing your home for showings and deciding whether to work with a real estate agent — it’s important to get the right […]
How to make high interest rates work in your favor
That’s not good news for people borrowing money, but it’s a great time to have savings accounts, says Ted Rossman, chief credit card analyst at Bankrate. “The biggest benefit is for savers,” Rossman says. “You can still get over 5% on a totally liquid totally federally insured savings account. The top one-year certificates of deposit […]
How to negotiate real estate agent commissions
Fuse | Corbis | Getty Images When you buy or sell a home, your real estate agent’s commissions can trim thousands of dollars off the sale price — but many consumers don’t realize you can negotiate those terms. Nearly a third, 31%, of homebuyers and sellers negotiated commissions with their agents, according to a new […]
How to get a bigger home in an unforgiving market
While the number of home purchases has fallen – mortgage approvals in October were a third below their five-year average – many people have still managed to move to bigger homes this year. Increasing numbers have bought in cash, meaning that Savills estate agency expects cash purchasers to make up 43pc of transactions in 2023, […]