Dora Griffin's Blog

When You Buy A Home With Bad Neighbors   You found the home you LOVE and are so excited about the newness of it all, then you move in and discover you have "bad neighbors". It happens, hopefully not a lot, but it can.Having less than perfect neighbors can be frustrating IF it interferes regularly...

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY NOV 25, 2017   SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY FALLS ON NOVEMBER 25, 2017 THIS YEAR.  This is the day consumers elect to buy from local small businesses as opposed to the big box stores or malls. I love buying local and do so every time I have an opportunity. I prefer my local sma...

Buying A Home With Little or No Down Payment You don't have to break the bank these days to buy a home. There are many low or even no down payment programs available. Here is how I approach the subject with potential home buyers. What are your goals? Have you saved money specifically for a down p...

DO RELATIONSHIPS MATTER IN REAL ESTATE?I find myself today pondering whether relationships matter, particularly in real estate transactions. We professionals view real estate and home financing by nature as a relationship business because we get pretty personal during those transactions. I know p...

I CAN'T IMAGINE DOING IT WITHOUT YOU. That is what I heard from a buyer I recently helped with a mortgage loan for his first time home purchase. All transactions make us feel really good when they are finished and our client is happy. We always get a thank you, a hug, a happy smile. I closed a mo...

DOES YOUR HOME QUALIFY FOR AN APPRAISAL WAIVER?  What is an appraisal waiver?? An appraisal waiver is when the lender is not requiring an appraisal be done on your property before making a mortgage loan to you.Benefits of an appraisal waiver: Clearly a big one is you get to save the money for the...

HARP LOANS STILL AVAILABLEHARP (Home Affordable Refinance Program) refinance home loans are still available and can be a great option for home buyers who have not refinanced their home mortgage and that loan was originated before June 1, 2009. After the housing collapse several years ago many fol...

 Turmoil in Washington Could Be Good For Rates Long term interest rates can hit some pretty rough patches. There is always something going on that drives them up or down. This week we've seen some changes because of the turmoil in Washington. The changes have been to the good because the news is ...

HOW CAN A LENDER OFFER LOW OR NO CLOSING COSTS? Home buyers in the market to save money on closing costs often are pulled to the ads or marquees of lenders who offer Low Or No Closing Costs.  We have several banks in our area that put out the signs and it draws people in who are looking for a dea...

ALL LENDERS ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY I recently experienced a situation where the title of this blog "all lenders are not created equally" proved costly to the home buyer.A past client called me about her son who was trying to purchase a second home. At this stage he had found the home and written...