Hal Tennant's (haltennant) Blog

I’m not an insurance agent, but I’ve heard enough stories to know that when reviewing your homeowner’s insurance coverage, don’t assume that everything will be covered in case of a claim.  In fact, a National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ survey revealed that homeowners misunderstood wh...

If it hasn’t happened to you, surely a friend or family member has had the unpleasant experience of foreclosure. One of the most common questions I receive is, “When can I buy another house after foreclosure?” Yes, it is possible to buy another home after foreclosure, maybe sooner than you think....

   1. Choose a low down payment loan.There is no law that says you MUST put 20% or even 10% down. There are some loans that require as little as 3.5% or even zero down. This is attractive for three reasons: It’s hard to save for a large down payment, you could earn more interest on that money tha...

Mistake #1: Not knowing how much you can afford before you make an offer. The easiest way to avoid this mistake is to get pre-approved for a mortgage by a Lender so you know in advance exactly how much you can afford.   Most pre-approvals are free and it will give you a basis to make a more infor...

If you listen to the news media, you might think that without a 20% down payment you won’t be able to get great low rates and favorable terms for your purchase. Well, surprise, surprise! That’s just not so. Certainly 20% is the magic number if you don’t want to pay mortgage insurance. Mortgage in...

  http://youtu.be/Yl3653NBElc

  What requires little to no income from the borrower, has a fantastic rate and only 3.5% down?    A Kiddie Condo loan!    And it doesn’t apply ONLY to condos!    What better way to purchase a home for your son or daughter who is headed off to college?  It’s a no-brainer!  The process of buying a...

HARP - You Knew it Had to Happen   According to Better Business Bureau spokesperson Katherine Hutt, referring to the HARP program, “Whenever there is a new or updated government program that may be a bit confusing, scammers come out of the woodwork to take advantage of that confusion. There are a...

If there is one thing that remains constant, it’s that interest rates go up…they go down…but they rarely remain the same.  But with every decrease, you have an opportunity to take advantage of the lower rates.  However, refinancing your mortgage may not be for everyone.  Here are six reasons why ...

The new Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) hasn't even kicked in fully and already there is an uproar over what is growing more controversial by the day. Here's the question. Is this really going to help homeowners or just cost the taxpayers more money? HARP appears to be designed to help h...