July 2017 RSS Feed

An overview of title insurance when it comes to owning a home.

When you buy your home, you receive a deed, which shows that the seller transferred their legal ownership to you. Legal ownership is called the “title.” Title insurance protects you in case there is any legal trouble down the line.

Title insurance is crucial when it comes to completing your home purchase. It protects you and the lender from the possibility that your seller (or previous sellers) don’t have total ownership of the house and/or property. If they don’t, they may not be able to transfer full ownership over—but title insurance prevents that from happening.

A couple of questions to ask about title insurance include “is the seller pushing a specific title company?” or “who do…

Outdoor fitness, kid-friendly entertainment and baseball are just some of the summer activities in DC’s Capitol Riverfront / Navy Yard.

The Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard area, affectionately known as Yards Park, is brimming with activity. If you’re looking to get fit this summer, try any of their outdoor fitness classes like morning yoga with Vida Fitness, Zumba with Balance Gym and even Jazzercise.

Sunday mornings include the Freshfarm Capitol Riverfront Farmer’s Market, which goes until 2 p.m. each week. Stop by for some of the best fresh produce and flowers out there.

Later in August, take the kids to “Kids in Canal,” a kid-friendly entertainment morning from 10:30-11:30 a.m. August 2nd hosts the Rainbow Rock Band. There’s even an outdoor movie…

Good eats, family friendly activities, game nights and block parties in Chevy Chase this summer!

Summer in Chevy Chase, MD offers plenty to do around the neighborhood. Grab some pizza at Comet Ping Pong for a fun dinner with the family or grab a pastry and a cup of coffee at Bread and Chocolate as you stroll down Connecticut Ave.

The Chevy Chase neighborhood library has plenty of events to choose from, including a Kids’ Chess Club at 5 p.m. and preschool story time as well as mystery book club. From free film screenings (La La Land is coming up on July 24th) and a preschool drive-in where kids create their own cardboard cars, spending the summer at the library is a great way to keep cool.

Take the kids to Barstons Child’s Play on Connecticut Ave…

One thing that ultimately influences your mortgage rate is your credit score.

For first time home buyers, many aspects of home buying can seem daunting. We’re here to explain how your credit affects what mortgage rate you may be given once you decide to buy a home.

One thing that ultimately influences your mortgage rate is your credit score. Basically, the easiest thing to remember is: the higher your credit score, the lower interest rate on your mortgage.

A high credit score not only guarantees a lower mortgage rate, but sometimes it depends on whether you can get a home loan at all. Buyers below a FICO score of 620 have a miniscule chance of securing a mortgage, so step one to getting a home loan and low mortgage rate is working on that credit…

If you're starting to save on a down payment for your home, you’ll want to build credit in the meantime. To get your credit report 100 percent ready to go, here are simple tips and tricks.

It's important to remember your credit report and credit score aren’t the same—but they’re definitely similar. Your credit report is your history of all the borrowing you’ve done but your credit score is the number that represents it.

To get your credit report in tip-top shape before home buying, here are some ideas for you to consider:

• Spread out time between other big loans and a mortgage. If you’ve recently taken out a car loan, student loans or anything similar, you’ll want to hold off on those applications.

• Building credit isn’t hard.…

Arts, yoga, eateries and the summer celebration in the vibrant neighborhood of Adams Morgan in Washington, DC.

Adams Morgan's summers are full of things to do. For art lovers, there’s the D.C. Arts Center, an art gallery and performance space that supports local artists.

Studio DC, which hosts over 80 hot yoga and non-heated classes each week, is currently offering a $25 for 2 weeks newcomer special.

Work remotely on a hot summer day at Tryst and enjoy a cup of their delicious coffee. Summer nights are begging for a fun dinner at restaurants like Tail Up Goat, which serves Mediterranean food and tropical drinks.

Early in the summer are Adams Morgan Movie Nights, which air fun, family-friendly movies with delicious sweets from area eateries…

DC Open Doors Program offers first-time and repeat home buyers a Down Payment Assistance Loan that does not need to be paid back.

DC’s Housing Finance Agency, or the DCHFA, reconfigured its DC Bonds program called “DC Open Doors,” for new first time home buyer assistance, four years ago this summer. The program, which has given over $200 million in down payments for homes in the city, is now even more accessible. Those working in DC who want to live downtown but have trouble making the down payment can utilize this program.

The program and its funding are available to first time home buyers and repeat home buyers. The DC Open Doors Program is constructed around what’s called a “Down Payment Assistance Loan,” one that doesn’t have to be paid back.…

Home loan programs that are offered for teachers in Washington, DC.

If you're a teacher in the D.C. area, did you know there are home loan programs available for you? There are many incentives too! Programs involve up to $800 in reduced closing costs for teachers and discounted real estate agent fees—combined with the discounted closing costs you can get up to $1,600 in credits while closing.

There’s priority loan processing and donations to your school. Up to $400 in donations can be given to your preferred school program. Teachers can even choose what particular program they want to give to—music, arts, science lab, you name it!

There’s also homes for heroes programs, or discounts of up to 25 percent of your realtor fee when you’re buying and…

The pros and cons of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan.

At times homebuying can get overwhelming, especially when it comes to loans. We’re here to make things easier for you by sharing the pros and cons of FHA loans.

FHA loans are government insured loans from the Federal Housing Administration. This means FHA guarantees your loan but doesn’t actually lend out the money. When you take out loans, they need to be with FHA approved lenders. Some benefits of FHA loans include less down payment required, more forgiving debt to income ratio and less restrictions on bankruptcy and foreclosure.

One of the main advantages of an FHA loan is that a very large down payment is unnecessary. Loans can be as low as 3.5 percent, which is great for…

A compilation of the most expensive homes sold in June 2017 in key D.C. neighborhoods.

The month of June was a wildly successful month as far as home sales. The most expensive homes sold in some key areas are all unique and different and boasting their own spectacular amenities.

16th Street Heights

In 16th St. Heights, 1626 Nicholson St. NW sold for $850,000. It includes a whopping FIVE bedrooms, three full baths and one half bath. The Colonial style home was built in 1928 and is just steps to Rock Creek Park. The large deck is beautifully serene and the two-car garage is perfect for busy families.

Chevy Chase

Moving on to Chevy Chase, 3718 Ingomar St. NW sold for $1.38 million. The truly gorgeous Dutch Colonial is close to Military Rd. and…