Mobile Al Real Estate and Gulf Coast Alabama Area Homes For Sale » Finances

Good Credit Goes Hand in Hand with Acquiring a Daphne, Fairhope or Mobile Mortgage

Barbara Reeves — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 02:42:29 +0000

Good credit goes hand in hand with acquiring a mortgage to buy a Daphne, Fairhope, Mobile or Spanish Fort, Al property these days, especially a loan with a reasonable interest rate. That being said, examining your credit rating should be the first step you take before applying for a home loan. A free credit report is accessible from AnnualCreditReport.com, which will give you access to your credit rating from the three main credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. What these reports will not give you is your FICO score, something that can be purchased for roughly $15.

The FICO score is what lenders go on when determining whether to lend money and under what terms. The FICO score is achieved by weighing out your payment history (whether you pay your creditors on time) and your debt history, this is achieved by weighing credit reports from the different agencies and is updated as credit reports change. The FICO score ranges from 350 to 850, with 850 being the best score possible.

The free credit reports are a great place to start to clean up your credit. You can start with the first discrepancy on the list and go from there. Contacting entities that have posted against you is possible. A little time spent on the phone can often help repair and improve your credit. You can do yourself what can cost lots of $’s. Call Barbara and ask her how.

The old adage “money makes the world go round” is obsolete for those who cannot have access to it due to poor credit. Knowing what your credit score is and fixing the issues that exist within it can only help you in the long run.

Click here to read a recent article from the New York Times, “Healing a Wounded Credit Score”.

Sourced from: Kinetic Content Library

Showing properties 1 - 15 of 246. See more Fairhope/Ptclear community real estate.
(all data current as of 2/7/2012)

$569,500 : 764 Coleman Ave, Fairhope

4 beds, 3 full baths

Home size: 2,900 sq ft

Year built: 1953

Parking spots: 2

Days on market: 0
$544,000 : MLS # 235348 in Fairhope

4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 3,558 sq ft

Lot size: 19,875 sq ft

Year built: 2003

Parking spots: 2

Days on market: 0
$389,900 : 217 North Cir, Daphne

3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 3,250 sq ft

Lot size: 11,130 sq ft

Year built: 2005

Days on market: 3

Walk Score®: 31
$399,000 : 12454 County Road 32, Fairhope

4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 3,406 sq ft

Lot size: 4.54 ac

Year built: 2006

Days on market: 3

Walk Score®: 3
$358,000 : 104 Pebble Ct, Fairhope

4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 3,185 sq ft

Lot size: 13,832 sq ft

Year built: 1999

Days on market: 4

Walk Score®: 26
$217,900 : 17855 State Highway 181, Fairhope

4 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 2,723 sq ft

Year built: 2003

Days on market: 4

Walk Score®: 3
$424,900 : 120 Keplar Pl, Fairhope

4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,903 sq ft

Lot size: 16,150 sq ft

Year built: 2008

Days on market: 6
$234,500 : 21860 Country Woods Dr, Fairhope

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,338 sq ft

Lot size: 19,950 sq ft

Year built: 1993

Days on market: 6

Walk Score®: 3
$284,900 : 20341 Bunker Loop, Fairhope

4 beds, 3 full baths

Home size: 2,250 sq ft

Lot size: 11,852 sq ft

Year built: 2007

Days on market: 7
$289,900 : 20322 Bunker Loop, Fairhope

4 beds, 3 full baths

Home size: 2,320 sq ft

Lot size: 12,300 sq ft

Year built: 2007

Days on market: 7
$244,900 : 10006 Cumbria Dr, Daphne

3 beds, 3 full baths

Home size: 2,477 sq ft

Lot size: 8,250 sq ft

Days on market: 7

Walk Score®: 0
$229,900 : 8847 Lakeview Dr, Fairhope

5 beds, 4 full baths

Home size: 2,636 sq ft

Lot size: 17,440 sq ft

Year built: 2001

Days on market: 7

Walk Score®: 14
$439,500 : 17328 Burwick Loop, Fairhope

4 beds, 4 full baths

Home size: 3,681 sq ft

Lot size: 10,650 sq ft

Year built: 2008

Days on market: 10

Walk Score®: 12
$749,900 : 58 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope

4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 3,020 sq ft

Lot size: 17,472 sq ft

Year built: 1902

Days on market: 11

Walk Score®: 78
$209,000 : 10452 Gayfer Rd Ext, Fairhope

3 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 2,010 sq ft

Lot size: 12,000 sq ft

Year built: 2007

Parking spots: 2

Days on market: 11

Walk Score®: 15

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Remodeling Dos and Don’ts for your Daphne, Fairhope or Mobile, Alabama Home!

Barbara Reeves — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:36:25 +0000

There are many remodeling Dos and Don’ts to examine before undertaking a project with regards to your real estate investment in Daphne, Fairhope and Mobile, Al. Underscoring any remodel is a homeowner’s financial position and commitment to the home. If a remodel is being conducted to create a livable space to be enjoyed for some time and money is no object then remodel choices are not necessarily subject to an analyzing of the return on investment. If money and value are important and the home will be sold after a remodel takes place then paying attention to current trends and cost vs. value reports is important.

Don’t go over the top. No matter what the remodel, whether it is a kitchen, bathroom, or addition, going over the top with finishes, appliances or accessories will automatically reduce the return on your investment. It is important to keep in tune with your neighborhood. If you are in a gated luxury community then your finishes do need to be high end. You don’t want to have the most luxurious house in Daphne, Fairhope and Mobile, Alabama because you simply won’t get the return on your investment.

Do go green. Improving your home’s efficiency and impact on the environment can reduce monthly bills and make a home more appealing to potential buyers. It is important to remember that green is in.

Remodeling a home is carried out for one of two reasons: to add value or to make a home more livable. Knowing your reason for a remodel will factor into your choices. In the end, however, most people want to add value not reduce value in a home. Knowing what is going on in Daphne, Fairhope and Mobile, Al real estate will help you get the result you are looking for.

Click here to read the most recent remodeling cost vs. value report, and click here to read an article from Financially Fit titled “4 Renovations That Will Devalue Your Home”.

Sourced from: Kinetic Content Library

Showing properties 1 - 15 of 78. See more West Mobile community real estate.
(all data current as of 2/7/2012)

$439,900 : 1862 Redberry Ct, Mobile

4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

Lot size: 2,700 sq ft

Year built: 2008

Days on market: 0
$229,500 : 7569 Mallard Dr, Mobile

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,825 sq ft

Year built: 1995

Days on market: 7

Walk Score®: 25
$244,900 : 7126 Raleigh Way, Mobile

4 beds, 4 full baths

Home size: 2,849 sq ft

Lot size: 19,928 sq ft

Year built: 2005

Days on market: 10

Walk Score®: 9
$369,000 : 3435 Raleigh Way, Mobile

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 3,455 sq ft

Lot size: 5,547 sq ft

Year built: 2003

Parking spots: 2

Days on market: 11

Walk Score®: 9
$209,000 : 7431 Johnson Ct, Mobile

4 beds, 3 full baths

Home size: 2,400 sq ft

Year built: 1988

Parking spots: 2

Days on market: 12

Walk Score®: 26
$729,900 : 1440 Stone Hedge Dr, Mobile

4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 4,505 sq ft

Year built: 2007

Days on market: 12

Walk Score®: 37
$200,000 : 1655 Stonebridge Ct, Mobile

3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,300 sq ft

Year built: 2008

Days on market: 18

Walk Score®: 12
$1,695,000 : 8561 East Dawes Lake Rd, Mobile

5 beds, 5 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 7,000 sq ft

Year built: 1991

Days on market: 21

Walk Score®: 2
$259,500 : 556 West Briarcliff Dr, Mobile

3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,487 sq ft

Lot size: 15,175 sq ft

Year built: 2001

Days on market: 26

Walk Score®: 20
$240,000 : 9651 South Old Abilene Ct, Mobile

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,828 sq ft

Year built: 2004

Days on market: 28

Walk Score®: 15
$289,900 : 8103 Hilltop St, Mobile

5 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,569 sq ft

Lot size: 1.22 ac

Year built: 1991

Days on market: 28

Walk Score®: 5
$699,799 : 7558 Stone Creek Ct, Mobile

5 beds, 4 full, 2 part baths

Home size: 5,618 sq ft

Lot size: 2.02 ac

Year built: 2007

Days on market: 28

Walk Score®: 28
$289,900 : 1500 South Brockton Ln, Mobile

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,837 sq ft

Lot size: 2,400 sq ft

Year built: 1991

Days on market: 31

Walk Score®: 26
$215,235 : 2210 Brittany Dr, Mobile

4 beds, 3 full baths

Home size: 2,400 sq ft

Lot size: 10,425 sq ft

Year built: 1993

Parking spots: 2

Days on market: 34

Walk Score®: 34
$699,000 : 3613 Pelham Dr, Mobile

4 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 6,000 sq ft

Year built: 1988

Days on market: 34

Walk Score®: 5

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Identity Theft: Part III Keep Your Computer Safe

lheraty — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:19:14 +0000

Many people are afraid thieves will somehow get their information off of the computer. This is possible for them to do, but there are ways to protect yourself. Some people find that installing anti-virus, anti-spy ware, firewall protection and hardware firewalls is over-kill. In reality, when protecting your personal information you should always err on the side of caution.

When setting up wireless Internet access, educate yourself on wireless security.
Store your backed-up data away from your computer.
Never open an e-mail from someone you don’t know.
Never open attachments unless you know where it is coming from. Make sure you set up Windows to show all file extensions.
Make sure you set up your browser to block pop-ups.
Never use your credit card on a website that does not direct you to a secure page with a URL starting with https://.
Use different passwords for every single site you use that asks for one. Always mix letters and numbers to make up that password.
Never keep financial information on your hard drive.

For more information on Computer Safety go to Internet Safety Solutions.

Identity Theft Part II: Ways To Make Sure It Never Happens To You

lheraty — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:37:15 +0000

Statistics show that around 5% of reported identity theft case victims are children. The reason your child is a target is because the crime will very likely go undetected for years. Most do not realize it until they are in college and apply for their first credit card, and find then that they have been victimized. Take heart, there are many ways to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. Here are some of them:

Create a list of every credit card number and bank card that you keep in your wallet.
Never keep your social security card or any information with your social security number on it in your wallet.
Never give out any private information on your e-mail.
Cease all bank and credit card mailings.
Always reconcile your bank statements and go over your credit card statements. Some thieves start small, to find out who pays attention.
Keep your car registration and car insurance together in a closed envelope, hidden away in your car. Be sure to always lock your car.
Try never to use a public computer for business use or to make a purchase.
Memorize your ATM pin, and make sure no one is standing nearby when you use your ATM card.
Never save financial information on your cell phone.
Never apply for a job on-line, unless the employer has a verifiable address.

For more information about safer online banking go to going paperless.

Identity Theft Part I: Learn All Of The Ways That Thieves Can Steal Your Personal Information

lheraty — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:06:43 +0000

Identity theft has become a very serious problem in the United States. Thieves are not only stealing your personal information for themselves, but many simply sell it on the black market to another thief. They are using this personal information not only to obtain cash and credit cards, but high-cost medical procedures as well. There are a myriad of ways that thieves can steal your private information. Be aware of the following threats:

Phishing: This is an e-mail in your Inbox that claims to be from either your bank, Paypal or Ebay, or other online service. They then ask you to click on a link and enter your personal information.
Spoofing and Pharming: Thieves can actually redirect legitimate website traffic to an imposter site, where they will ask you to enter your personal information.
Spyware: It is very common for people to mistakenly download illicit software and find themselves accidentally clicking on a pop-up. This opens the door for thieves to steal your credit card numbers and passwords by accessing information on your hard drive.
Vishing: This is “voice phishing”, which is when a thief sends you a phone message asking you to key in your personal information.
Bank card skimming: Thieves actually add a fake ATM slot and camera to a legitimate cash machine so they can copy your account information. Servers at restaurants can also be armed with a portable card reader.
Thieves try to steal your wallet and can also go through your garbage for personal information.

If you are concerned that you are an Identity theft victim go to the Federal Trade Comission website for more information.