WHEN IS MORTGAGE INTEREST TAX DEDUCTIBLE? 

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Kevin Brierton – 1.12.2024 CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, MORTGAGE INTEREST IS NOT ALWAYS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. HERE’S THE INSIDE SCOOP. DO YOU ITEMIZE YOUR TAX DEDUCTIONS? You cannot take the mortgage interest deduction if you are taking the standard deduction. For 2024 tax returns, the standard deduction is $14,600 for single taxpayers, $21,900 for heads of household,…

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Ways Your Home Equity Can Help You Reach Your Goals

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Kevin Brierton – 1.9.2024 If you’ve owned your house for at least a couple of years, there’s something you’re going to want to know more about – and that’s home equity. If you’re not familiar with that term, Freddie Mac defines it like this: “. . . your home’s equity is the difference between how much your home is worth…

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Thinking About Buying a Home? Ask Yourself These Questions

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Kevin Brierton – 1.3.2024 If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, you’re probably paying closer attention than normal to the housing market. And you’re getting your information from a variety of channels: the news, social media, your real estate agent, conversations with friends and loved ones, the list goes on and on. Most likely, home prices and mortgage…

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3 Keys To Hitting Your Homeownership Goals in 2024

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Kevin Brierton – 1.1.2024 If buying or selling a home is your goal for 2024, it’s important to understand today’s housing market, know your why, and work with industry experts to bring your homeownership vision for the new year into focus. Over the last year, the economy had a big impact on the housing market, and likely on your…

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Retiring Soon? Why Moving Might Be the Perfect Next Step

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Kevin Brierton – 12.27.2023 If you’re thinking about retirement or have already retired this year, it’s a good time to consider if your current house is still a good fit for the next chapter in your life. Fortunately, you may be in a better position to make a move than you realize. Here are a few things…

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Homeowner Net Worth Has Skyrocketed

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Kevin Brierton – 11.7.2023 If you’re weighing your options to decide whether it makes more sense to rent or buy a home today, here’s one key data point that could help you feel more confident in making your decision. Every three years, the Federal Reserve Board releases the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). That report covers the difference in net worth…

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Reasons To Sell Your House Before the New Year

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Kevin Brierton – 11.6.2023 As the year winds down, you may have decided it’s time to make a move and put your house on the market. But should you sell now or wait until January? While it may be tempting to hold off until after the holidays, here are three reasons to make your move…

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Your Home Equity Can Offset Affordability Challenges

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Kevin Brierton – 9.19.2023 Are you thinking about selling your house? If so, today’s mortgage rates may be making you wonder if that’s the right decision. Some homeowners are reluctant to sell and take on a higher mortgage rate on their next home. If you’re worried about this too, know that even though rates are high right now,…

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Four Ways You Can Use Your Home Equity

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Kevin Brierton – 8.7.2023 If you’re a homeowner, odds are your equity has grown significantly over the last few years. Equity builds over time as home values grow and as you pay down your home loan. And, since home prices skyrocketed during the â€˜unicorn’ years, you’ve likely gained more than you think. According to the latest Equity Insights Report from CoreLogic, the average homeowner…

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Two Questions To Ask Yourself if You’re Considering Buying a Home

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Kevin Brierton – 7.5.2023 If you’re thinking of buying a home, chances are you’re paying attention to just about everything you hear about the housing market. And you’re getting your information from a variety of channels: the news, social media, your real estate agent, conversations with friends and loved ones, overhearing someone chatting at the…

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How Homeowners Win When They Downsize

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Kevin Brierton – 5.4.2023 Downsizing has long been a popular option when homeowners reach retirement age. But there are plenty of other life changes that could make downsizing worthwhile. Homeowners who have experienced a change in their lives or no longer feel like their house fits their needs may benefit from downsizing too. U.S. News…

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Trying To Buy a Home? Hang in there.

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Kevin Brierton – 4.6.2023 We’re still in a sellers’ market. And if you’re looking to buy a home, that means you’re likely facing some unique challenges, like difficulty finding a home and volatile mortgage rates. But keep in mind, there are some benefits to being a buyer in today’s market that give you good reason…

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Leverage Your Equity When You Sell Your House

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Kevin Brierton – 3.13.2023 One of the benefits of being a homeowner is that you build equity over time. By selling your house, that equity can be used toward purchasing your next home. But before you can put it to use, you should understand precisely what equity is and how it grows. Bankrate explains it…

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Equity Gains for Today’s Homeowners

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Kevin Brierton – 2.28.2023 Today’s homeowners are sitting on significant equity, even as home price appreciation has eased recently. If you’re a homeowner, your net worth got a boost over the past few years thanks to rising home prices. Here’s what it means for you, even as the market moderates. How Equity Has Grown in Recent Years …

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The Truth About Negative Home Equity Headlines

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Kevin Brierton – 1.10.2023 Home equity has been a hot topic in real estate news lately. And if you’ve been following along, you may have heard there’s a growing number of homeowners with negative equity. But don’t let those headlines scare you. In truth, the headlines don’t give you all the information you really need to understand what’s happening…

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3 Ways You Can Use Your Home Equity

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Kevin Brierton – 11.29.2022 If you’re a homeowner, odds are your equity has grown significantly over the last few years as home prices skyrocketed and you made your monthly mortgage payments. Home equity builds over time and can help you achieve certain goals. According to the latest Equity Insights Report from CoreLogic, the average borrower with a home loan has almost $300,000 in equity…

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