Saturday Strategy

Mortgage FAQ's, did you knows and much more...

What is prescreenopout and why it is important to you

Last week, we covered identifying questionable mail, and now let's focus on Prescreenoptout.com and trigger leads.

Prescreenoptout.com offers an easy way to safeguard your privacy by opting out of pre-approved credit offers. This reduces unwanted mail and gives you control over your personal data. In this weeks Saturday Strategy video I talk about how and why you want to do this.

Trigger leads occur when a credit inquiry is made on your report, indicating potential credit or loan interest. Companies sell your information to lenders, leading to a barrage of loan offers. Be cautious about sharing your credit data with callers, as they may not be from the company you think. Stay informed and protect your personal information!

**We want to assure you that we do NOT sell any of your information after we have pulled your credit. However, we would like to inform you that the credit bureaus keep a record of the credit inquiry, which they unfortunately sell to bidders in the form of "trigger leads." This often results in receiving numerous spam calls from online lenders. Although every bank is actively fighting against this, we currently have no control over stopping it. We understand that this can be frustrating, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.**

To help prevent this I recommend doing these 2 hacks...

Register with the Do-Not-Call Registry here: donotcall.gov

Complete the Op Out Prescreen - https://www.optoutprescreen.com/

P.S. Can I count on you to call us when any friends, family or coworkers are looking to buy, sell or refinance a home?  We'd love to help! You can just text/call me at 480.553.8770.

* Did you know we can finance in 45 states?

A house with paint swatches and tools on the floor.

Which Home Improvement Projects Are Most Likely to Increase Your Home Value?

By Kevin Brierton Team | February 8, 2022

According to two recent studies on this topic, here are the top home improvement projects that are likely to add the most value to your home: 1 – Landscape improvement 2 – Bathroom improvement 3 – Kitchen improvement 4 – New roof 5 – New windows 6 – New garage door 7 – New siding…

Two people sitting at a table with papers and a calculator.

Tax Deductible Items for 2021 Mortgages

By Kevin Brierton Team | February 8, 2022

Congratulations on your mortgage closing!  Here is a general overview of some information that may be helpful to you and your CPA as you prepare your 2021 tax returns (the return you’ll file by April 2022). NOTE: These items are only deductible if you itemize.  They do not apply if you take the standard deduction.…

A picture of a person with a credit card.

Two Ways to Be More Strategic With Your Credit

By Kevin Brierton Team | February 8, 2022

Your length of credit history looks at how long your accounts have been opened. This has a 15% impact on your score. The longer your accounts have been opened, the higher your score will be; newly opened accounts will bring your score down. Here are three practical steps for you to improve your score in…

A brown house sitting on top of the floor.

Should You Cash-out Your Home Equity to Buy a Vacation Home?

By Kevin Brierton Team | February 8, 2022

The main problem with cashing out the equity in your primary home to buy a vacation home is that you lose the tax deduction on the mortgage. Mortgage interest is only deductible if you itemize your tax deductions AND if the mortgage proceeds are used to buy, build or improve a “qualified residenceâ€. Here’s the…

A bar graph showing the cost of walking on 0. 5 % increase in mortgage rates

Cost of Waiting to Buy $30,000 Mistake

By Kevin Brierton Team | February 8, 2022

Just one year of waiting to buy a house could cost you tens of thousands of dollars (see charts). For example, a homebuyer considering a $250,000 home would lose $7,500 if home prices increase by 3% during that one year timeframe.  They would lose an additional $21,391 over the life of a $200,000 mortgage if…

P.S. Can I count on you to contact me if you hear that a friend, family or coworker is looking to buy, sell or refinance? Call/Text 480.553.8770 - We'd be honored to help them too!