Nearly a full third of households are still renting...Are you one of them? How much is renting truly costing you? You are missing out on tax breaks, building equity, and all the other advantages of homeownership.

Over the last 90 days, the media has addressed several factors going on nationwide: rising foreclosure rates, declining equity, the collapse of sub-prime mortgages, etc.

Pass Your Assets to Loved Ones...Not Uncle Sam

If you don’t have an estate plan in place, don’t worry…the IRS has one for you.

But you may not like it, so it’s always a good idea to get your finances in order and avoid incurring tax penalties and hefty estate taxes. Knowing the value of your estate and becoming familiar with several exemptions and tax benefits can help you hand your assets over to your loved ones…without handing a portion of your hard earned assets over to
Uncle Sam.

Here’s breaking news you need to know…and you need to let all your family and friends know right away as well.

Having credit checked is an important and necessary step in the home buying process. But very few people realize that each time their credit is checked, the “inquiry data” that the credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, Innovis or Experian) have on file have now become a commodity. This information is being sold by the credit bureaus to other lenders…and also to companies that sell and resell the same names and personal information.

1. Know your Credit History !!!

In today's mortgage market, programs and rates are often determined by credit ratings. Often times there are mistakes made on credit histories or items that are reported in error. These can frequently be corrected before you write a contract on a property.

Correcting these issues up front can often help you obtain the lowest rate available.