Homeownership
The rewards of owning a home are many, but so are the responsibilities and challenges. In the channels below, you'll find tips, tricks and help to make everything from saving money to saving your home from foreclosure a little easier.
Mortgage management
A mortgage is a big part of your financial life, and once you've got one, it will be with you for a long time. How long? Well, some of that is up to you, and whether or not you can or want to prepay or refinance your mortgage. There are times when one or the other is your best bet -- and times when you probably shouldn't do either.
To learn more, be sure to read:
Trade up, vacation, second home buyers
Already own a home and looking for another? Whether you're trading up or trading down to a new home, buying a second or vacation home as a family retreat or looking to become a landlord, there are a lot of twists and turns along the way. We can help you get get started and avoid some traps and pitfalls that may await you.
To get your journey underway, check out:
Maintaining/Improving your home
If there's one drawback to owning your own home it's that there can be a lot of maintenance to be done, and done on a regular basis, too. Then, there are regular repairs and replacement of items with various lifespans. Learn about what needs to be fixed (and when it should be), borrowing options to fix things when you have little or no equity and more.
Selling your home
Most people buy and sell several homes in their lifetimes. Market conditions change all the time, and if you're looking to sell your home, there are a number of things you'll need to do and know to improve the chances of a quick, painless and profitable sale.
To get started, we suggest that you read:
Loan modifications, workout solutions
Your financial life may have many twists and turns, but that doesn't mean you can't stay in a home you love. There can be many ways to keep your home using specific refinancing and loan modification techniques, and if need be, graceful ways to exit homeownership without wrecking your credit.
To learn more about working through problems making mortgage payments, please read:
Homeowner tools
Reckon the current value of your home with MyHPI, our home value estimator.
Generate a payment-by-payment amortization schedule for your loan quickly and easily.
Our TriRefi calculator will show you the best way to pay for your refinance.
Tell us when you want your loan to end and learn the exact prepayment you'll need to hit that goal.
See more homeowner help from HSH
Mortgage Management
- Mortgage Prepayment Guide
- How do I calculate my savings when I prepay my mortgage?
- What to Do When Your Mortgage Is Sold
- How do I cancel my mortgage insurance?
- How prepaying your mortgage affects your credit score
- Refinancing savings without refinancing your mortgage
- Should I continue to prepay my mortgage or refinance?
- Should I pay off a mortgage early?
- What Happens to your Mortgage in a Divorce?
- How do I remove or add a name to a home loan?
- Mortgage Paid Off: Next Steps
- Choices Other Than Prepaying Your Mortgage
Trade up/Vacation/Second Home
- Can You Use Your IRA to Buy Real Estate?
- Investing in Real Estate Now
- Buying a Home as an Investment Property
- Why are mortgage rates higher for investment properties than for second homes?
- Hard money loans: great option when buying a fixer upper
- Avoid capital gains tax with a 1031 exchange
- How to Get a Mortgage for Investment Property
- Can You Still Make a Living Flipping Houses?
- Mortgages for Ugly Houses: When You Buy Distressed or "Unique" Homes
- How to refinance a second property
Maintaining/Improving Your Home
- Homeowner's Maintenance Checklist: Monthly, Yearly and More
- Can these home improvements improve your marriage?
- Should You Stay or Go: Home Renovation vs. Relocation
- 75% of Homeowners Surveyed Don't Have Savings to Pay for Home Improvements
- In-Law Suite Addition: A Popular Solution to High Housing Costs
- Can't Move? Improve! Best Home Renovations in 2024
- 6 techy upgrades for your home this holiday season
- Is the PACE program right for you?
- Is Flood Insurance Included in a Mortgage?
- 4 Easy Energy Efficient Improvements
- My home needs to be renovated but I have little equity. What are my options?
- Undisclosed Home Defects: What to Do if You've Bought a Lemon
- Energy Efficient Mortgage Programs
Selling Your Home
- Selling Your Own Home: Pros and Cons
- Seller's remorse? How to back out of a home sale contract
- 5 Outside-the Box Secrets to Help Sell Your Home
- Get a Home Inspection Before Selling Your Home
- How to Sell a Home at Auction
- What can go wrong at closing?
- Neighbor preventing sale of home?
- Selling your home fast: dos and don'ts
- Price Your Home to Sell Fast at Maximum Dollar
- When it's Time to Lower the Price on Your Home
- 5 Real Estate Tips for First-Time Home Sellers
- 5 Essential tips for holiday home sellers
- What Not to Say to an Agent When Listing Your Home
- Making an offer on a house before selling yours
- Cheap Quick Fixes to Help Sell Your Home Fast
Renting your home
Taxes and Homeowership
- How Does Owning a Home Affect Taxes Now?
- Taxes for Homeowners: What You Need to Know Before Filing Your 2023 Return
- How does a refinance in 2023 affect your taxes?
- How to Lower Your Property Taxes
- Tax incentives and issues for homeowners
- Avoid capital gains tax with a 1031 exchange
- Using home equity to pay your tax bill
- Can I separate tax and insurance payments from my mortgage payment?
- How long do I have to own or live in my home to qualify for the capital gains tax exclusion when I sell?
- Will Congress phase out the mortgage interest deduction?
- Is a home equity line of credit tax-deductible?
- We just sold our house. When do we have to pay the IRS?
- Will the debt forgiven from my loan modification be treated as income and taxed?
Loan Modifications/Workout Solutions
- Flex Modification: An outline of HAMP's replacement
- Mortgage Modification Now: What's Available Today?
- HUD Loss Mitigation: Options for FHA loans
- What is the Home Affordable Modification Program?
- How soon can I get another loan modification after my last one?
- Deed-in-Lieu: Is it for You?
- Bankruptcy can save your home from foreclosure
- Rebuilding credit following a foreclosure
- Getting a Mortgage Company to Release Insurance Claim Check
- How quickly can you refinance after a bankruptcy?
Common Homeowner Questions
If your home has been on the market, you're probably dreaming of the day you receive an offer that you can accept. But reaching an agreement doesn't mean your home is as good as sold.
Selling your home is time consuming and has high stakes financially. Knowing how to handle the process and what mistakes to avoid can net you a better sale price while also getting the whole thing over with more quickly.
Spring will be here before you know it. If you're thinking about selling your home, you need to determine now if any of your neighbors might sabotage your home sale.