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Looking at homes for sale can be the fun part of buying a house. The real work comes when youre picking a mortgage lender that can give you the best loan for your circumstances.

After detailing your income, expenses, down payment and a monthly mortgage you can afford, a lender will run a credit check and should be able to tell you the best options for the interest rate and loan product.

Here are some questions to ask as you comparison shop for a lender:

Whats the interest rate?
This will be based on your loan and credit score, and determines your monthly payment. The lower the interest rate, the lower the payment. Improving your credit score can help lower the interest rate you qualify for.

Fixed rate or ARM?
Fixed-rate loans have the same interest rate for the life of the loan, from 10 to 30 years. Interest rates on adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, change after an initial period, such as a year, and then at regular intervals.

Ask how often an ARM rate will change, the index its tied to, and what the cap is on the interest rate during one period and the life of the loan. Make sure you can afford the higher rate. An ARM will have a lower interest rate than a fixed-rate loan, and can be a good idea if youre not planning on living in the home for long.

How much is the monthly mortgage?
Answering the first two questions will get you to this answer. Its a number you should already have in mind before looking for a house, and should be an amount you can afford.

Be sure to include other monthly costs, including insurance, taxes and, if required, private mortgage insurance, or PMI. This insurance is often needed if you dont have a 20 percent down payment and is meant to protect the mortgage company if you default on the loan.

Any fees?
One-time fees called points are due at closing and each point paid will lower your interest rate by 1 percent. Another option is to not pay any closing costs upfront and to have them rolled into the loan in exchange for a higher interest rate.

If you want to lock in the interest rate and points for a certain amount of time in case rates go up, you may have to pay a fee.

Also ask if there are fees for making extra mortgage payments so you can pay off the principal amount early. Some loans dont have prepayment penalties, but some do.

A lender should be able to help you find the best home loan for your finances. Just be sure not to sign a contract with them until youre satisfied youre getting the best deal with the best mortgage lender you can find.

I hope you found this information helpful. Please contact me for all your real estate information needs today!

Published with permission from RISMedia.

No matter the size of your home, odds are you could still spend all day cleaning. Even though life tends to get in the way of secondary chores, identifying your homes major bound-to-be-disorganized areas can help ease the clutter tension in your home and save you cleaning time.

Kitchen: With so many pots and pans and accumulated bric-a-brac, your kitchen can go from tidy to out-of-control in no time. Sometimes, you just dont have the energy to put everything back exactly where it should go. To get back on track, take one day to strategically organize everything in your kitchen.

Take into account how often you use certain items and in what areas you use them. Keep your pots close to your stove, your utensils close to your plates; you get the picture. Divide your drawers so each item you are looking for is easily accessible. The way to win at this is to think lazy. Figure out what would be the most effortless way to go about cleaning up your kitchen and follow that path.

Closets: There are never enough hangers, there is never enough space, yet you are always adding more clothes. The trick to closets is to make sure everything stays in its place. Find ways to create divisions between your clothing items, be it drawers, hanging shoe-shelves, dividers, or boxes. The point is to make sure the proper clothes are getting appropriate hangers, and that everything else is staying out of the way.

Everything thats out of season can be packed away. Neatly putting them away in a box can even open up space by creating a surface that you can stack things up on. Also, dont forget your doors. Hang jewelry or shoe racks inside closet doors, clearing up more space for your other items.

Bathrooms: Last, but not least, is the never-ending disorganization that is the bathroom. With so many products and appliances, the task of organizing never seems to end. In this case, do the same as with the kitchen. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, and scrubs: it all goes in the shower. If your shower doesnt have built-in shelves, buy hanging organizers.

Use your storage space wisely by stacking towels under the sink, getting baskets to contain your lotions, perfumes, etc., and purchasing additional storage to stow away brushes, cotton balls, and other bathroom items.

Get in touch with your inner organizer and benefit from the perks of decluttering!

Published with permission from RISMedia.

With about 56.7 million people living with a disability in the United States, according to Census Bureau data, there are plenty of disabled people who may need help buying a home.

The good news is, help is available. Here are some laws and programs designed to make homeownership more possible for the disabled:

Federal law: The Fair Housing Act prohibits lenders, sellers and real estate agents, among other housing providers, from discriminating against the disabled in the home-buying process.

They also cant be discriminated against by preventing them from making reasonable modifications to the property, such as accessibility ramps. The act requires that builders of multifamily residences meet certain accessibility standards, such as wide doors for wheelchairs.

Housing counselors from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, are available to help the disabled buy a home or deal with other housing issues.

Another HUD program ” the Section 8 Homeownership Voucher Program ” helps low-income people to rent or buy a house by subsidizing their monthly mortgage payments.

High debt-to-income ratio: Homebuyers with a low income can have difficulty getting a home loan, and people with disabilities earn less on average than most Americans.

Less income can lead to higher debt, and a high debt-to-income ratio of 43 percent can prevent borrowers from being approved for a home loan.

A disabled homebuyer with a ratio as high as 50 percent can get help through the Fannie Mae HomeReady program, which allows the income of someone else who is living in the home with the borrower to be considered household income to help them qualify for the loan.

Financial aid: Down payment assistance, such as Individual Development Accounts, or IDAs, help low-income families buy homes by giving them grants for a down payment. Programs differ by state.

Help for vets: Disabled veterans can get a Specially Adapted Housing Grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to build or remodel a home for disabled access, or to use toward an existing mortgage thats adapted for disabilities.

Buying a home for the first time can be daunting. Whether youre disabled or not, seeking help from a trusted real estate professional will make the process easier.

Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist who specializes in personal finance topics.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Anytime you move into a new home, one of the most important things to consider is the safety of your little ones. Baby-proofing your home may sound like a daunting task, but spending a little time when you first move in kid-proofing the house will save you much worry as you get the rest of your house ready.

The kitchen is possibly one of the most hazardous rooms for a young child. With all the cooking utilities and electrical appliances, this room is one of the most important rooms to have childproofed.

Oven knobs are an appealing gadget for children to play with, so make sure that they are off and protected with stove knob covers. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand in the kitchen and keep it out of reach on a high pantry shelf, mounted on the wall or in a childproof cabinet.

Bathrooms can be one of the trickiest places when baby proofing your home. Implementing safeguards is imperative for your childs safety. In order to safeguard from slips, use non-slip mats for in and out of the tub, as well as any hard-surface floors that are near the bathroom. The chances of chasing a wet toddler around the house at some point is high, so adding these non-slip mats will aid in preventing any scrapes or bruises.

It is also important to install a toilet lock so any curious little fingers dont get caught and smashed by accident. This will also prevent the little ones from any exposure to anything unsanitary. Its also useful to cover the tub spout in order to protect his or her head from any danger in case they fall.

In the nursery, make sure that your crib slats are 2 3/8 inches or less apart. For those with real little ones, you may want to remove all the bumpers, blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals from the babys crib, as some reports have indicated that children could suffocate on them. This also includes mobiles with small hanging parts.

Rather than using the plastic outlet covers we all grew up with, consider using the new innovative sliding covers instead. This prevents children from choking on the little plastic covers if they manage to get them out.

When you think, childproofing, a baby monitor is a must-have. Although, you want to ensure that the cords are wound tightly and are always away from the crib. There is also the option of a cordless monitor as well.

Additionally, if you have pets, be aware that pet food is a choking hazard and should not be left unattended. Either keep the pet in a room where your child cant get to, or remove the food bowl as soon as your pet is done eating.

Interested in more real estate tips? Feel free to contact me directly!

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Here are five of the best luxuries for your home that will get you through this winter.

Radiant Heat

Theres nothing like stepping out of bed and onto a heated floor on a winter morning.

Outdoor Hot Tub

It never feels better to brave the outdoors and have a hot soak in the backyard than in the winter.

Grand Fireplace

Having a home with a grand fireplace in the living room is the perfect centerpiece in the winter.

Steam Room or Sauna

Your own private space for heat therapy will keep your core feeling warm all season long.

Heated Driveway

A heated driveway is a must-have feature in the winter that will save you from shoveling snow and ice.

Published with permission from RISMedia.