Cassie Hansley

It's Not Just For Cows Anymore

Written by Cassie Hansley, Realtor® with Wilkinson And Associates in Lincolnton.

With the downturn in the mortgage industry, many old, familiar loan programs are dusting off the cobwebs and coming out to play. The biggest player is obviously the FHA loan product and with the media and congress spending so much time hyping these loans for refinances, other programs get overlooked.

While the FHA loan is great for many borrowers, there is still another program that is even better for middle income families in rural areas that are looking to purchase a home. It's the USDA Guaranteed Rural Development loan. The biggest misconception of this program is that most people think it's just for farmers and their livestock. But, years ago, the USDA started allowing the use of this money to be borrowed for the purchase of single family homes.

Who qualifies? There are several qualifications that must be met. First, the home must be located in an area that USDA has deemed rural which in North Carolina almost 85% of the state is rural. You can determine yourself by visiting http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/. Just type in an address and it will automatically tell you if the home qualifies. The second qualification can be found on the same page. There is an income limitation you must not go over, depending upon the size of your family. It's very reasonable, you should check it out.

The benefits to this loan program are numerous as well. It is a true 100% loan with no money down (except earnest money for the sales contract) and there is no mortgage insurance. One of the great things about this loan is that you can finance in all of the closing costs as well as any repairs that need to be made on top of the purchase price.

It's a great program and one that many prospective home buyers in this area can take advantage of. If you have any questions about this program or you would like to see if you qualify, contact me by email at cassiehansley@yahoo.com

Looking to Buy In Lincolnton, North Carolina???

Contact Cassie for information on ALL HOMES AVAILABLE in Lincolnton, North Carolina and Surrounding Areas.

If you have any questions about the process or where to get started, please feel free to contact me ANYTIME at 828-234-3106.

I Represent People Not Properties!!!

If you want to find out how you can buy a home in Lincolnton, Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Gaston, and Mecklenburg Counties, Please feel free to get in contact with me at 828-234-3106 ANYTIME or you can email me at cassiehansley@yahoo.com.

If you would like to start your search NOW, please visit http://www.lincolntonhomefinder.com/ to begin looking for YOUR HOME. I look forward to hearing from you and discussing your situation and what you are looking for.

Lincolnton, NC, Lincoln, Gaston, Catawba, Cleveland, Iredell, & Mecklenburg County!!

Access to all homes on the Market!!! Log in to thehomefinder to start you search on my website at http://www.lincolntonhomefinder.com/.

Thinking of retiring, a second home, investment, a lifestyle change , First Time Home Buyer?
We've got it and I am here to assist you!
Give me a call, today...

Direct: 828-234-3106

Wilkinson And Associates

http://www.lincolntonhomefinder.com/, http://www.cassiehansley.com/, http://www.lincolntonrealestate.net/

At Wilkinson And Associates our commitment to each client's needs sets us apart. We are experts in the area and are dedicated to serving our clients in the Lincolnton NC real estate area with integrity, honesty, and a personal touch..

Life in the Lincolnton NC real estate area is rapidly changing. Lincolnton is often referred to as "The quiet side of Charlotte." Lincolnton has a charming small-town feel that many U.S. towns have lost. Main street leads to a downtown courthouse and town square with restaurants, book stores and gift shops. There are resorts, golf courses, farm land, country living in the foothills, and beautiful Lake Norman on the eastern side of Lincoln County where you can enjoy boating, fishing and sailing. There are popular neighborhoods like Sailview where you'll find large homesites, deeded boatslips, and a community pool, tennis courts and a clubhouse. Many of the homes are waterfront. Westport neighborhood provides rolling hills, tall, lush trees and the Westport Golf Course. Many of the homes are waterfront or have a water view. Verdict Ridge is a newer neighborhood with a beautiful and challenging golf course called the Verdict Ridge Golf and Country Club. Goodson's Place offers new construction in a Lincolnton neighborhood, and Timberlyne Estates is a large-acreage neighborhood that is close to everything.

North Carolina has four distinct seasons which gives Lake Norman its seasonal beauty. It is approximately equal distance to the North Carolina mountains and the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. Living on Lake Norman is very diverse. There is something for everyone including country club living, golf courses, rural-style living, farm land, small town living, shopping, restaurants and more. Living in the Lake Norman area gives you the small town feel but being close to everything!

Many people live at Lake Norman and commute to Charlotte. Charlotte is the second largest banking industry second only to New York City. Lowe's Cos. Inc. is the first Fortune 500 company to move its headquarters to Lake Norman and built its campus in Mooresville. NASCAR race teams, prestigeous Davidson College, and charming towns are also part of the makeup of Lake Norman. Fishing is great on Lake Norman and it is host to national Bass fishing tournaments each year.

Looking to Buy In Lincolnton, North Carolina???

Contact Cassie for information on ALL HOMES AVAILABLE in Lincolnton, North Carolina and Surrounding Areas.

If you have any questions about the process or where to get started, please feel free to contact me ANYTIME at 828-234-3106.

I Represent People Not Properties!!!

If you want to find out how you can buy a home in Lincolnton, Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Gaston, and Mecklenburg Counties, Please feel free to get in contact with me at 828-234-3106 ANYTIME or you can email me at cassiehansley@yahoo.com.

If you would like to start your search NOW, please visit http://www.chansley.remax.com/ to begin looking for YOUR HOME. I look forward to hearing from you and discussing your situation and what you are looking for.

Lincolnton, NC, Lincoln, Gaston, Catawba, Cleveland, Iredell, & Mecklenburg County!!

Access to all homes on the Market!!! Log in to thehomefinder to start you search on my website at http://www.lincolntonhomefinder.com/.

Thinking of retiring, a second home, investment, a lifestyle change , First Time Home Buyer?
We've got it and I am here to assist you!
Give me a call, today...

Direct: 828-234-3106

Wilkinson And Associates

http://www.lincolntonhomefinder.com/, http://www.cassiehansley.com/, http://www.lincolntonrealestate.net/

Shopping Without Money

Written by Cassie Hansley, Realtor® with Wilkinson And Associates in Lincolnton.

Are you one of those obsessive shoppers who often find themselves out shopping for stuff you don't need with money you don't have? I know for myself, that I have done that in the past and I know plenty of people who still do that. But, would you or anyone you know, shop for a home without having money? To my daily amazement, I find that the overwhelming answer to that question is "YES!"

Let me start by saying that I am not talking about pocket money, I am talking about enough money to purchase a home. There have been many times just this year that myself or one of my fellow agents have talked with a potential home buyer about looking for a home and come to find out later that they do not even qualify for a mortgage or have the cash to buy a home. Why? Why would you go shopping for one of the biggest purchases of your life without having the money, or at least, knowing you are qualified for a mortgage, first?

Get pre-qualified.

If you are thinking about buying a home anytime in the future, you should talk with a loan officer about qualifying for a mortgage. This is a relatively short and painless process in which you just fill out an application for a residential mortgage and you have to provide proof of your income. The loan officer will take a look at your credit report and guide you in the direction you need to go. This pre-qualification not only tells you if you can or can not buy, but it should also calculate the total amount that you will be able to borrow based on your ability to repay the mortgage. Then, when you start to look at homes to purchase, you will know exactly what price range to look in and you can fill confident that when you place an offer that you are qualified to buy. This will make your home buying process a much smoother transaction for everyone involved.

Looking to Buy In Lincolnton, North Carolina???

Contact Cassie for information on ALL HOMES AVAILABLE in Lincolnton, North Carolina and Surrounding Areas.

If you have any questions about the process or where to get started, please feel free to contact me ANYTIME at 828-234-3106.

I Represent People Not Properties!!!

If you want to find out how you can buy a home in Lincolnton, Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Gaston, and Mecklenburg Counties, Please feel free to get in contact with me at 828-234-3106 ANYTIME or you can email me at cassiehansley@yahoo.com.

If you would like to start your search NOW, please visit http://www.lincolntonhomefinder.com/ to begin looking for YOUR HOME. I look forward to hearing from you and discussing your situation and what you are looking for.

Lincolnton, NC, Lincoln, Gaston, Catawba, Cleveland, Iredell, & Mecklenburg County!!

Access to all homes on the Market!!! Log in to thehomefinder to start you search on my website at http://www.lincolntonhomefinder.com/.

Thinking of retiring, a second home, investment, a lifestyle change , First Time Home Buyer?
We've got it and I am here to assist you!
Give me a call, today...

Direct: 828-234-3106

Toll Free : 1-866-736-2990

www.lincolntonhomefinder.com

Lincolnton NC Homes For Sale--Lincolnton North Carolina Real Estate-- First Time Home Buyers --Opportunity in 2008

There is opportunity for first time home buyers in 2008. We have attractive interest rates at present and affordable opportunities within the Lincolnton real estate market.

The real estate market in Lincolnton, North Carolina is more affordable and interest rates are very attractive. If you are renting in Lincolnton, Lincoln County, North Carolina you may want to consider the current interest rates as an incentive to purchase your first home. We have a opportunity available in this market and there are more affordable homes available to you now. Our prices are attractive and the seller may agree to pay the closing cost..

Lincolnton NC Real Estate : More affordable homes are available for you and very attractive interest rates make this a good opportunity for you to purchase your first home. We specialize in helping first-time home buyers find their perfect home. Call today and let's get started working on finding you that "perfect" property. You really cannot afford to let this opportunity pass you by. The real estate market is more affordable and interest rates are at a 4 year low.

Call today and we will send you a list of homes that are available in the price range you desire and would make excellent first homes

WE CAN HELP! We provide you our main real estate website for all your Lincolnton NC Real Estate needs.

SEND FOR A RELOCATION PACKAGE TODAY. CALL AND WE'LL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT OUR AREA.

Visit these links to learn more about Lincolnton , North Carolina and its surrounding area: Denver, Charlotte, Lake Norman, Maiden, Gastonia. Mount Holly, Belmont , etc.. City of Lincolnton, North Carolina offers you information on our city current development, crime statistics and news. Information on our schools can be found at http://www.lincoln.k12.nc.us/.

Cassie Hansley :Your Lincolnton North Carolina Real Estate Specialist

Cassie Hansleyis a Realtor with Wilkinson And Associates. I specialize in helping individuals buy and sell Lincolnton North Carolina Real Estate. I help clients with technology tools to sell homes and to help buyers find homes that fit their defined goals. Visit our websites and learn all about the Lincolnton North Carolina Real Estate Market and Lincolnton , North Carolina. You will love it and we will love having you here! Call today, we can help you.

What Is PMI?

Written by Cassie Hansley, Realtor® with Wilkinson And Associates in Lincolnton.

Check My Weekly Article out In The Whats Up Shopper

If you have been thinking about buying a home and you have done any kind of research, then you have probably heard the term PMI. Well, just what is PMI?

PMI is an acronym for Private Mortgage Insurance. It is an insurance policy offered by private companies to protect lenders on their investments. If you default on your loan and the lender has to sell the house to recoup their lost money, the PMI coverage gives them a margin to cover such things as legal fees, closing costs, discounts to the new buyer, or Realtor commissions. The PMI policy is used, in other words, to cover the amount of equity that you would have otherwise paid into the property if you had made a full 20 percent down payment. This may be hard to follow so just stay with me.

Traditionally, when you went to buy a home, you were required by the banks to put at least 20% down on your home no matter what your credit score was. It was considered to be a commitment by you to the bank that you were serious about buying a home. You are able to manage money and therefore you are able to make your monthly payments and be a responsible homeowner. As time went by and more and more banks began to compete for new customers, the lenders started to become less strict about their down payment requirements. As you can imagine, this lead to more loan programs that were created for lower down payments. Likewise, the borrowers had less invested into the home from the beginning, so, if times got tough, many homeowners with less invested would choose to walk away from their home. As a result of higher foreclosures, lenders had to find a way to insure their investment. The result: Private Mortgage Insurance.

So how exactly does PMI protect your lender? From the lender's perspective, PMI is a necessary protection. It insures the first 20% of the amount of money that was loaned on your home. If you put 5% down and financed 95%, then the PMI would cover the 15% of your loan and so forth. Keep in mind, the insurance is based on the amount of money you borrow and NOTthe value of your home. However, when you have 20% equity in your home, you can have the PMI dropped completely from your monthly payments by having a new appraisal completed. NOTE: Most lenders will require you to keep the PMI for at least two years.

So how does this help the new homebuyer? If lenders are willing to lend you money with little or no money down, then you don't have to save that 20% and let's face it, home values have increased much faster than our income levels within the past thirty years and it is much tougher to save for a home than it used to be. So, with PMI, you are more likely to be approved for a home mortgage.

But hold on a second before you pick up that phone and call your lender. You need to know how this will affect your monthly payments. The PMI will be broken down as a percentage and you will be required to pay it each month with your monthly house payment. The percentage that you pay is based on your credit history up to that point and is ultimately decided by the particular insurer that will carry the coverage on your loan. Please take note that there are loan programs that do not require PMI but you may end up paying a higher interest rate for the full term of your loan instead of having the option to drop the premium. Even FHA programs require borrowers to pay an up front mortgage insurance and a monthly premium.

So now, home buyers have an option when buying a home. You can save up the money to put down, or you can opt to pay the PMI each month until you reach the drop out point. It truly does help new home buyers get into their firs home. The silver lining of this "necessary evil" is that it allows thousands of renters each year achieve the American Dream of homeownership.

How to Avoid PMI Payments

• If you make at least a 20 percent down payment, you don't have to pay for PMI.
• Another way to avoid PMI is to pay down the principal balance on your loan until it is 80 percent or less and then request your lender to terminate PMI. (Keep in mind that with a typical fixed-rate 30-year loan, it might take 10 years to reduce your balance that much.)
• Financial experts recommend that homeowners keep track of their outstanding balance, so that as soon as the 20 percent rule is satisfied, they can discontinue PMI payments to save money.
• In some cases you can use market appreciation to avoid PMI. In other words, if you owe less than 75 or 80 percent of the appraised value of your home, you may be able to discontinue PMI. Check with your lender or real estate attorney to determine exactly what guidelines apply to your mortgage.
  
  Tax Incentives For 2007
• Hopefully by now you have figured out how PMI basically works. But just to complicate matters, Congress and the Internal Revenue Service have thrown a new feature into the PMI calculation, for 2007. The good news is that it involves a tax deduction that might save you a considerable amount of money.
• Congress has passed legislation that will make 2007 PMI payments tax deductible. They may extend the deduction after they review the results of this trial period experiment, but that remains to be seen. Meanwhile, if you have been toying with the idea of taking out a mortgage or refinancing, this may be the best year to go ahead and do it.
• If you borrow 100 percent of the financing to buy a $300,000 home and the PMI charges are in the $180 range, that adds up to a potential 2007 PMI deduction of more than $2,000. The PMI premium is 100 percent deductible if your household adjusted gross income does not exceed $100,000.

Looking to Buy In Lincolnton, North Carolina???

Contact Cassie for information on ALL HOMES AVAILABLE in Lincolnton, North Carolina and Surrounding Areas.

If you have any questions about the process or where to get started, please feel free to contact me ANYTIME at 828-234-3106.

I Represent People Not Properties!!!

If you want to find out how you can buy a home in Lincolnton, Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Gaston, and Mecklenburg Counties, Please feel free to get in contact with me at 828-234-3106 ANYTIME or you can email me at cassiehansley@yahoo.com.

If you would like to start your search NOW, please visit http://www.lincolntonhomefinder.com/ to begin looking for YOUR HOME. I look forward to hearing from you and discussing your situation and what you are looking for.

Lincolnton, NC, Lincoln, Gaston, Catawba, Cleveland, Iredell, & Mecklenburg County!!

Access to all homes on the Market!!! Log in to thehomefinder to start you search on my website at http://www.lincolntonhomefinder.com/.

Thinking of retiring, a second home, investment, a lifestyle change , First Time Home Buyer?
We've got it and I am here to assist you!
Give me a call, today...

Direct: 828-234-3106