In early 2018, after living in their current home for nearly 20 years, Alan and Grace (names have been changed to protect privacy), both in their early 70s, decided it was time to look for a smaller, more affordable home. After talking to their Realtor, Alan and Grace found themselves in a quandary that is […]
As difficult as some decisions may be, putting them off may effectively eliminate your best options and leave only one course of action. Quite often that default option never would have been the first choice. It was simply the one that required the least effort. To quote Peter Drucker, “One has to make a decision […]
Guest Author: Amanda Varga Don has recently gone through the books, class time (3 days!) and the testing to become a CSA. What does that mean? CSA stands for Certified Senior Advisor. It means that he has gone through additional training to set him apart from his peers. This particular designation is not specific to […]
I often meet people who are happy that they have no open credit accounts. Being out of debt gives great freedom and is something I endorse, but it is still important to have credit available. Here’s why. I got an email on Tuesday telling me of a woman about to be discharged from a hospital […]
Many people in their 50s or 60s who do not own a home may think buying a home won’t benefit them, but it can. This is the story of one such person. Mary (not her real name) was single, age 59, and renting in 2012. Her income was about $3,000/month. In March 2013, she bought […]
People in their 40s, 50s or 60s commonly buy a “trophy house” while they are working and have a family, with the intention of “moving down” when they retire. This can work fine if the “trophy house” is paid for, along with all other debt, before the buyer stops working. If not, then the trap […]
We recommend that everyone do a mortgage loan review at least once or twice per year just as you go to the dentist for a checkup, visit a doctor and review insurance and legal documents. This review should involve more than just “What’s the rate?” It is too easy to think that a borrower got […]
I met a man whom I’ll call George at a networking event last summer. In 2013, George and his wife Kathy bought a home for $428,000 with 10% down and a $385,389 loan. In August 2016, George asked me if they could get a reverse mortgage. George is 64 and Kathy is 62. Their Situation […]
The ads in the mortgage industry almost always focus on “we will give you the lowest rate.” The advice the government often gives is to shop for the lowest APR. While these approaches have merit, they typically overlook the issue of closing costs and how long it will take to recover the closing costs through […]
Consider purchasing over renting Many people who are renting at full market rates think it may be too late to buy, or they think there is little advantage to buying over renting. With both rents and purchase prices rising in the Denver area, we are seeing situations where it is better to buy than to rent. […]