13
Feb
By First Rate Financial Group
Real Estate

Garage Organization Ideas For Your New Home

Garage Organization Ideas For Your New HomeNow that you have a beautiful new home with a garage, the fun of organizing can begin. When your garage is well organized, everything is much easier. You can get home projects finished faster, get out the door quicker and better enjoy all your sporting activities.

Here are some tips to organize your new garage. 

Make Use Of The Walls

A lot of homeowners overlook the wall space when organizing the garage. If your garage has exposed studs, this is actually a benefit in terms of storage space. You can easily create shallow shelves in between the studs using 2 x 4 and shelf brackets. Use these shelves to store smaller items that tend to get lost on larger shelves. You can also create an effective space for hanging garden tools. Screw extra large hooks onto the outside edge of one of the 2 x 4s. Hang brooms, rakes and shovels from the hooks.

Utilize The Ceiling

You can also utilize the back area of the ceiling, beyond the area where the garage door stops when it’s raised. Install hanging systems that you can source from a local hardware store. You’ll be able to hang things like bicycles, skis, kayaks and more. Some homeowners even hang small lawnmowers and spreaders during off-season.

Invest In A Workbench

Even if you don’t do carpentry, a garage workbench is a useful part of an organized garage. This is the place where you can do small repairs on household items or add to your garage organizational systems. You’re more likely to repair an item when it’s sitting on your workbench and you have all the needed parts within reach. Install some smaller clear storage drawer units above the workbench to hold screws, nails and nuts and bolts in various sizes.

Hang A Pegboard

A pegboard provides a central place for your garage tools. Hang the pegboard on the wall within reach of your workbench. Outline the spaces on the pegboard for hammers and screwdrivers so they always get put back where they belong.

It’s never fun to have to endlessly search every time you need something from the garage. These garage organization ideas will make your new home and garage even more enjoyable.

If you are in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, be sure to contact your trusted home mortgage professional to find out about current financing options.

12
Feb
By First Rate Financial Group
Real Estate

5 Ways Bridge Loans Help Real Estate Investors Increase Profits

5 Ways Bridge Loans Help Real Estate Investors Increase ProfitsBridge loans, which are also commonly referred to as interim financing, gap financing or swing loans, help a motivated home buyer to secure financing before their home or investment property sells. Lenders can usually modify these flexible loans to accommodate a person’s unique needs.

Current real estate market conditions allow savvy investors to make big profits as long as they can move quickly on good opportunities. Low inventories of existing homes and slower than normal construction developments have combined to drive the median home price across the US to $223,900. This represents a 7.6% national average increase through 2018. Market experts expect prices to rise by another 6.3% over the next 12 months which may present very good opportunities for home buyers. 

Bridge loans are a short-term funding solution with some unique features.

  • They usually include payback terms between 2 months to 1 year.
  • Most bridge loan options gain approval in about 15 days.
  • May receive up to 70% of the property’s value in the loan.

Bridge loans are a tool real estate investors can use to increase their holdings in this hot market. How can these funds be used to help you make more money from your properties?

  • When prime properties come up for sale, investors need to be ready to take advantage. If most of your cash is already tied up in other properties, a bridge loan is a perfect way to get the quick cash you need to win the bid.
  • While a property is up for sale, investors can use bridge loans to continue financing new projects. When the sale is complete, the funds can be used to pay off the bridge loan.
  • Hard money loans are a popular option for real estate investors who can’t wait for the normal bank loan process. However, these funds usually come with higher interest rates. Bridge loans are a lower cost alternative, as lenders generally charge less interest for these accounts.
  • Not sure what you’re going to do with your new property? If you wait too long to make your decision, chances are good that the property will be gone. Use a flexible bridge loan to secure your property. If your plans change, it’s simple to convert the funds into a more conventional loan structure.
  • For flippers who buy properties, perform renovations, and put the properties back up for sale for a profit can use bridge loans to quickly increase their holdings without sacrificing the liquid assets they need for material, labors, and other renovation costs.

In order to qualify for these funds, investors need to prove that they can afford double mortgage payments, present a clear plan on how they intend to pay for the loan (either through resale or refinance), and have a property that can be used as collateral with at least 20% existing equity.

When used as part of an overall investment plan, bridge loans help real estate investors buy more properties, which can mean more money in their pockets. Call your trusted home mortgage professional to discuss bridge loan and other financing options that best suit your personal situation.

 

 

11
Feb
By First Rate Financial Group
Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 11th, 2019

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 11th, 2019Last week’s economic news included Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims.

Fed Faced with Public Mistrust of Institutions

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powel said in a speech to a group of teachers that the Federal Reserve is paddling against a current of public mistrust of the institution. Mr. Powell assured his audience that the Fed was “working in a non-political way” to support the economy.

Mr. Powell said that the Fed was working to earn public trust and said that the Central Bank must be accessible to ordinary Americans and lawmakers. In support of his remarks, Chairman Powell cited three meetings he had with lawmakers and a possible meeting at the White House.

Publicity of a recent dinner with President Trump caused speculation that the Fed may be influenced by the administration. Analysts connected last Monday’s White House dinner with the Fed’s sudden reversal of its plan to raise the target range of the federal funds interest rate. Chairman Powell said that he wanted the nation’s prosperity to be widely shared; he cited “education and mobility” as key components of achieving his goal.

Mortgage Rates, New Jobless Claims

Freddie Mac reported lower mortgage rates with a decrease of five basis points across the board for the three types of mortgages it tracks. Rates for 30-year fixed rate mortgages averaged 4.41 percent, rates for 15-year fixed rate mortgages averaged 3.84 percent.

Rates for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages averaged 3.91 percent. Last week’s mortgage rates were approximately the same as for a year ago, but analysts said that less buyer competition and more available homes this year would encourage would-be homebuyers into the market.

First-time jobless claims were lower than the prior week at 234,000 new claims filed but were higher than the expected reading of 225,000 new claims filed, which was based on the prior week’s reading of 253,000 new claims filed. The reading for the four-week rolling average of new jobless claims gained 4,500 claims for a reading of 224,750 new claims filed over the most recent four weeks. Analysts said that although the four-week average was higher, it remained near historic lows.

What‘s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic news includes readings on inflation, retail sales and consumer sentiment. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims are also scheduled.