Michael Haigh's (mhaigh) Blog

When you are looking for a mortgage for your home, your credit score is very important. Any potential lender will check your score and will use the number to assess your creditworthiness and the interest rate that they offer you. The better your credit score the lower the mortgage interest rates ...

If you're absolutely sick of looking at the popcorn ceiling of your 1980's home - it's time for a change. However, behind the facade of a ceiling is a mess of plumbing, wiring, joists and structural beams, so you have to be careful and creative when updating your home. Whether you're dealing with...

Last week’s financial news was relatively limited due to the Memorial Day holiday and no economic reports being released on Wednesday. The biggest news in terms of housing and mortgages was the S&P/Case-Shiller Housing Market Indices (HMI) released on Tuesday. The March HMI data for national hous...

    It's a good question. Why should you choose W.J. Bradley to obtain your home financing? You get bombarded daily by ads, mailers and spam from lots of mortgage lenders. How do you know which one to choose?Here are some great reasons to choose us. Direct lender. No middleman, no broker, just yo...

The most recent S&P/Case-Shiller Index showed all three composites posting double-digit increases over the last four quarters.  The national composite, which is the broadest based index, showed an increase of 10.2% annually. The 20-City composite posted even stronger annual growth at 10.9%. Click...

As the weather gets warmer, the desire to get outside and enjoy the fresh air begins to take hold. Having a place to entertain or just unwind can add a new dimension and enjoyment to your home. First, you have to decide what type of space you want to create. Whether you want to have an outdoor li...

The National Association of REALTORS reported that sales of existing homes in April reached 4.97 million on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. Although this reading fell short of Wall Street's expectations of 5.00 million existing homes sold, it surpassed the March 2013 upwardly revised reading ...

Memorial Day weekend is widely regarded as the beginning of summer and many people kick off their summer plans on the weekend coming up. We take this time to remember the brave men and women who have given their lives to protect and defend our liberty and freedom. But even while giving thanks for...

Minutes of the April/May Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) recently released may have a significant impact on mortgage rates going forward.  One significant development from the meeting suggests that the present quantitative easing (QE)  program may be modified in the near future.  The current...

Flowerbeds can be a very attractive addition to any San Mateo home -- if you have the time to set up and maintain them. Flowerbeds don't necessarily require a profusion of costly flowers that need to be fertilized, mulched, covered during severe weather, and possibly re-planted on a yearly basis....