No credit score? There’s a new automated home loan option for you

Not having enough credit history for a credit score doesn't necessarily mean you must go through a drawn-out manual underwriting process to get a home loan. If you have a history of making housing payments on time and references, you could benefit from a new automated process from Freddie Mac, a quasi-public agency that purchases mortgages. Starting in June, borrowers without credit scores can see if they're eligible for purchase mortgages or no-cash-out refinance transactions on one-unit owner-occupied homes. Lenders will be able to use Freddie Mac's automated assessments to quickly approve your loan with greater confidence that Freddie Mac will purchase it. Loans will still be evaluated against Freddie Mac's credit requirements, but the automated process should allow lenders to more efficiently serve borrowers.

2017 Dargel Boats Owners Tournament

Start: Jun 09, 2017 • End: Jun 10, 2017 South Padre Island Convention Centre • 7355 Padre Boulevard The Dargel Owners Tournament is a spot tournament, the slot redfish with the most spots wins. In case of a tie the earliest fish weighed in will be the winner. We’ll have several surprise side tournaments that we’ll announce at the event. This is a family friendly event with kids and junior divisions, we love seeing the next generation get hooked on fishing!

You found dozens of homes listed online that you love. Now what?

It’s nice having options, right? Especially when it comes to making a big purchase like a home. If you’ve started your home search by using online listing sites, you’ve probably found a long list of properties you want to tour. Even though it’s exciting to see what’s out there, are you wondering how you’ll be able to choose a favorite? Are you overwhelmed with your choices? That’s normal. In fact, research shows that when people have too many options, they have a harder time making a decision and tend to be less satisfied with their selection. Instead of making such an important decision on your own, there’s an easy way to get there faster: Hire a Texas REALTOR®. Texas REALTORS® can help you quickly focus on properties worth seeing because they can eliminate those that may look good online but don’t actually meet your needs. They also have access to current information about whether a home is still on the market, and when homes you thought are out of your price range might actually be open to negotiations. This is information you won’t find on your own searching online, and even if you could, it would take a lot of your valuable time. I can help you avoid wasting your time and the stress that can come with choosing the perfect home!

Zillow's Zestimates are about as useful as the "g" in Lasagna

Queen Isabella Market Days April 8th & 9th

An accepted contract is just the beginning

As a homebuyer or seller, an accepted contract is exciting. But hang on … the deal’s not done. Thankfully, if you’re working with a REALTOR®, he or she can guide you through all the potential twists and turns on the way to closing. An option to back out For starters, most purchase contracts include a termination option. The buyer pays the seller a fee for a specified period of time during which the buyer can cancel the contract. The buyer can exercise this option for any reason. In fact, he doesn’t even have to explain why. A closer look at the property Buyers usually hire inspectors during the termination-option period. Inspections that reveal items in need of repair may prompt a buyer to ask for a price reduction or repairs prior to closing. Or the buyer may simply choose to cancel the deal. Financing considerations Transactions sometimes unravel when a buyer cannot obtain the financing specified in the contract or the property does not meet the lender’s requirements. For example, appraisals can come in lower than the purchase price, or there may be issues with obtaining insurance for the home. The list goes on Option periods, inspections, and financing are three common trouble spots for transactions, but there are many others. Problems with title insurance or the survey, disagreements about items that convey, issues related to homeowners associations, or damage to the property after acceptance of the contract but before closing are a few examples of issues that can arise. You have a valuable resource Communicating with your REALTOR® about each stage of the transaction will minimize surprises and increase the chances that your transaction will proceed smoothly.