Latest posts
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Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Before Selling or Moving Up in Pierce County?
Should you pay off your mortgage before selling or moving up in Pierce County? Usually, no. When you sell, escrow pays off your mortgage from the sale proceeds at closing, so you don’t need to pay it off first. Putting extra cash into your mortgage right before a sale just ties up money you may…
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Moving Up From a Puyallup Starter Home: What Your Budget Buys in Bonney Lake, Sumner, and Orting
Selling a $525K Puyallup starter home with $300K owed can net about $183K. Here’s what that equity buys in Bonney Lake, Sumner, and Orting, with sample payments.
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Pierce County Homeowners Can Leverage Equity to Move Up
Learn how Pierce County homeowners can calculate and leverage their home equity to move up in the real estate market.
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Can You Keep Your FHA Loan and Buy Another Home When You Move Up?
Can you keep your FHA loan and buy another home with FHA? Usually not. FHA generally insures only one mortgage per borrower at a time, so most move-up buyers either sell the FHA home first, refinance it into a conventional loan, or use a conventional loan for the next home. HUD allows limited exceptions: an…
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Mortgage Recast After You Sell: Lowering Your Payment When You Buy First
What is a mortgage recast, and how does it help when you buy first? A mortgage recast lets you pay a lump sum toward principal and have your servicer recalculate your monthly payment on the lower balance. You keep the same rate and term, and there’s no refinance. For move-up buyers who buy before they…
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55+ Communities in Pierce County: What Downsizers Should Know Before Buying
Thinking about a 55+ community? Here’s how age-restricted housing works under federal law, what HOA documents to read, and how to plan the sale of your current home.
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Using Gift Funds From Family for Your Move-Up Down Payment
Family can help with your down payment, but lenders need a gift letter and a paper trail. Here’s how gift funds work on conventional loans for move-up buyers.
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Using Your VA Loan Again to Move Up: Entitlement, Restoration, and a Second VA Loan
You can use a VA loan more than once. Here’s how entitlement restoration, remaining entitlement, and the funding fee work when you move up in Pierce County.
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Using Your 401(k) for a Move-Up Down Payment: Loan vs. Withdrawal
Thinking about tapping your 401(k) to move up? Compare a 401(k) loan and a withdrawal: limits, repayment, taxes, and the risks if you change jobs.
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How Long Should You Own Your Home Before Moving Up? The Break-Even Math
Selling and buying costs can eat years of equity growth. Here’s how Pierce County homeowners can run break-even math before moving up, with a worked example.