Buying a home has always been built into the American dream, but in the wake of the housing crash, a new generation of homebuyers is treading more carefully whether to buy instead of rent a home. Having the experience growing up during the Great Recession, there are some things that prospective millennial home buyers will… Read More
Costs When Buying Your First Home
Thanks to less-than-ideal market factors like the mortgage crash of 2008, the ongoing student debt crisis, and record-setting unemployment rates, many Millennials have had to delay major life events including home ownership. But over the past few years as the U.S. climbed out from the Great Recession, opportunities for millennial home ownership has improved. The… Read More
Five Ways to Use a Personal Loan
Paying off debt at lower rates with a personal loan has advantages as well as some downsides. It’s always a good idea to avoid debt when possible, but sometimes life can offer an opportunity or get in the way of plans. Maybe you’re facing a financial emergency, such as a job loss or health issue…. Read More
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM)
Aims to Raise Public Awareness This month, October, is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) and it’s now in its 15th year as an annual initiative to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. NCSAM 2018 is a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every American has the resources they need to stay safer and… Read More
How to Refinance a Home: A Beginners Guide
Before you proceed with a decision to refinance a home, you need to do your homework. Fortunately, Chelsea State Bank has put together the Beginner’s Guide to refinancing your home. The reasons for moving forward to refinance a mortgage generally fall into two categories: 1. Getting a better interest rate to save money and, 2…. Read More
Long-Term ID Protection: How Do You Stay Safe 1, 5, and 10 years after a Data Breach?
A data breach that compromises your identity can have a long-term emotional impact on your health, in addition to challenges you will have developing your personal strategy to protect your health and wealth from a possible stolen identity. Sometimes it can feel like you are fighting an invisible enemy. Staying informed is the best way… Read More
When It Makes Sense to Refinance
There are many reasons a person might want to refinance their home. Beyond getting a lower interest rate and lowering your costs to save you money, other factors to consider in a refinancing decision include current home equity value, market price for your home, cash needed for repairs or remodeling and whether the home you… Read More
5 Steps for Preventing Identity Theft
There are many ways to prevent identity theft. But look closely at these five steps. Sometimes they are so simple or heard of so often, we fail to recognize them as the most critical to protecting our identity. These steps are: Be Very Careful Before Clicking on Any Link in a Text Message You have… Read More
How to Get a Mortgage with Little or No Down Payment
You want to buy a home but have little or no money for a down payment. First, don’t give up because there are options. No Down Payment Mortgage Option Take a look at a no down payment United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan through the Department of Agriculture. The USDA’s Rural Development mortgage guarantee… Read More
Ready To House Hunt? 4 Questions to Ask a Mortgage Lender
There are a number of questions that you will have once you decide you want to buy a house. Here are the first four questions out of the gate that you need to ask your mortgage lender. What mortgage types do you offer? A conventional loan may not be your best bet. Consider other types… Read More