Home Buying Tips & Info
Faster & Easier Home Appraisals for Government-Funded Mortgages
Posted in Home Buying Tips & InfoPosted by Maple Tree Funding
Many home buyers utilize government funded mortgages to purchase their new homes. Government funded mortgages, including USDA mortgages, VA loans and FHA loans require a mandatory home appraisal before the mortgage can be secured and approved. Many times, however, the mortgage process is delayed by complications to this appraisal and home inspection process. What is a Home Appraisal? Learn the basics of home appraisal in this short video. How the NY Home Appraisal Process Works…
Continue Reading »How the New York STAR Program Helps Lower Your School Taxes
Posted in Home Buying Tips & InfoPosted by Maple Tree Funding
A lot of items will make the list of “must-haves” when you begin searching for your new home. Two items that commonly rank high on this list are: a good school district and low taxes. Unfortunately, those two items don’t always go hand in hand, but New York’s STAR program can help with this. What is the New York STAR Program? The NY STAR Program is the School Tax Assessment Relief program, and is a tax…
Continue Reading »Local Mortgage Brokers vs. National Lenders
Posted in Home Buying Tips & InfoPosted by Maple Tree Funding
When it comes to financing your home purchase, there are many options out there to explore and consider. As soon as you start the mortgage process, you’ll likely realize there are various avenues to choose from when it comes to obtaining a mortgage that works for you. You’ll come across large-scale commercial lenders, banks, and local mortgage lenders, just to name a few. We’ve already delved into the comparison between brokers and banks (you can…
Continue Reading »3 Key Advantages of Working with a Local, Independent Mortgage Broker
Posted in Home Buying Tips & InfoPosted by Maple Tree Funding
Many mortgage lenders and banks showcase their low prices and advertise low rates to attract customers. While this is not especially surprising, what IS often surprising to home buyers are the added fees, delays, and other complications of working with a big bank or nationwide lender. These additional expenses and other problems often end up costing home buyers MORE than they had expected. So while big banks and lenders may claim that they are the…
Continue Reading »New York STAR Program: Who Receives STAR Refund Checks?
Posted in Home Buying Tips & InfoPosted by Shane Latza
Back in 2016, the New York STAR Program (School Tax Assessment Relief) went through some changes that continue to impact certain homeowners. To find out more about what STAR is, please visit our “How The Star Program Helps Lower Your School Taxes” blog. Due to the changes made to the program in 2016, those who are participating in the STAR program are now in one of two categories: home owners who receive a school property…
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