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The Best Ways to Build Good Credit

When it comes to building good credit, everyone wants to see overnight results—and who can blame them? The ability to cross something off a checklist can be gratifying. But if you approach your credit profile with the same strategy, you’re in for a letdown. That’s because building good credit is less of a sprint and more of a marathon. In other words, it’s not just a race for results. It’s a lifestyle change that can help you secure a more favorable mortgage rate and terms, but it takes consistent effort and time.

So, if you’re looking for the best ways to build good credit, you’ve come to the right blog. Here are our top seven tips. Let’s get into it, shall we?

1. Knowledge is power.

Maybe you signed up for a store’s charge card to get that extra 20% off one day. Maybe you took out a car loan to celebrate your first adult job. And maybe, just maybe, you have a few late payments hiding amongst the skeletons in your proverbial credit closet. We get it—looking at your own credit score and the history attached to it can be frightening for some people. But if you don’t know what you’ve got, you won’t know what to improve. Our advice? Get familiar—not only with your own credit history, but with how credit works in general. 

First, you’ll want to pull a copy of your credit report from a reputable, reliable source. Any one of the three major reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) ought to do. Everyone in the United States can get six free credit reports from Equifax per year until 2026. Per the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice section, that’s on top of the report you’re able to get for free each year from the three aforementioned agencies. All you have to do is visit AnnualCreditReport.com to get started.

After you’ve pulled and reviewed your credit report, you’ll want to keep this in mind: Each reporting agency calculates your score differently, and not all creditors report to all three bureaus. While they may vary slightly, they all follow the FICO scoring method, which uses predictive data analytics to generate an accurate credit score. That said, they all consider things like account age, payment history, balances, and the number of accounts when generating your score. 

2. Error. Error. Error.

While the nation’s leading credit reporting agencies use digital tools and analytics to read your data and generate a score, those tools are often operated or read by people. And let’s be honest, people make mistakes sometimes. Lenders and creditors are no different. 

Should you obtain a copy of your credit report and discover an error or two—maybe an amount owed is higher than you thought, or maybe your address is wrong—you’re more than welcome to dispute those errors. In fact, you’re well within your legal right to do so, since the Fair Credit Reporting Act promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of consumer information held by credit bureaus. It gives you the right to dispute errors or inaccuracies, have them investigated, and (hopefully) get them corrected. 

3. A low balance is a good balance, but no balance is better.

Hands down, one of the best ways to build good credit is to keep your balances low, or flat-out non-existent. Hey, we understand—sometimes you have to use a credit card to get by until the next paycheck, and sometimes you’ve gotta take out another student loan to cover a semester’s tuition. Those balances play into your “debt-to-income” ratio, or DTI. 

As a mortgage lender, we and other companies use your DTI as one way to gauge your readiness for, and ability to pay off, a home loan. Different home loans and programs have different DTI requirements, but generally speaking, a higher DTI signals greater risk for the lender. We want to know you can pay back what you borrowed, and having to pay off a bunch of other accounts may get in the way of that ability to repay. 

How can you lower your DTI? Lower your balances. There are a number of ways to approach this, but one of the most popular methods is sometimes referred to as “the snowball method,” where you pay off the smallest balances first to free up funds for later payments on larger balances. Even getting a small balance to zero is a win, so don’t hesitate to get started as soon as you’re able.

Want to learn more about DTI? Check out this blog to get all the details.

4. The best time is on-time.

Of all the things that can hurt your credit score, late payments are near the top of the list in terms of impact. That’s because payment history is a major player in determining your credit score, and even one missed payment can cause your previously stellar credit score to go sideways. The later your payment, the greater the impact.

  • 30 days late is usually seen as a minor mistake.
  • 60 days late is a red flag. 
  • Once you hit 90 days late or more, creditors start exploring their options—one of which is sending your account and balance to a collection agency.

Of all the things that can hurt your credit score, late payments are near the top of the list in terms of impact.

Getting sent to collections won’t just damage your credit, it’ll drive you up a wall and have you ready to do whatever it takes to make them stop calling you. So, whatever you do, try not to fall behind. 

An easy way to help keep you on track? Auto-pay. Obviously you’ll want to make sure you’ve got cash in your account to cover every payment, but if you’re someone who frequently forgets to make payments (even minimums), this is a no-brainer. 

5. Budget best practices.

For some people, remembering to make payments isn’t the problem. It’s having enough money in the first place.

While living by a budget may not have a direct impact on your credit report, per se, it will lead to better financial habits. That trickle-down effect should then find its way to your credit report, because you’ll have budgeted appropriately to pay down (or pay off) your balances on time, every time. 

Budgeting is a discipline, but it’ll have a long-lasting positive impact on your life if you stick with it. Some folks need a little help with accountability, so ask a friend to tell you “no” next time you want to put a new pair of shoes on that credit card. And while there are apps abound to help keep track of your money and where it’s going, sometimes you can get away with a simple spreadsheet that documents when your money is coming in and what it’s going to. We’re talking simple addition and subtraction, folks. Budgeting is a discipline, but it’ll have a long-lasting positive impact on your life if you stick with it.  

Budgeting is a discipline, but it’ll have a long-lasting positive impact on your life if you stick with it.

6. Live within your means.

Just because credit can help you buy things you wouldn’t typically be able to afford, that doesn’t mean you should depend on it. A smarter way to get a handle on your finances is to live frugally and well within your means. 

If you want to use a credit card for daily expenses and bills, fine, no one will stop you. We recommend treating it like a debit card instead of a credit card, though. If you rack up expenses, pay them off in full each month with your income. That way, you reap the rewards (literally, in some cases—hello, cash back) but maintain good standing with a low or zero-dollar balance. 

Alternatively, consider going on an all-cash diet. Once you’ve got a habit of responsible spending, then you can get back into using your credit card. 

7. Age is more than just a number.

Everyone loves a new pair of shoes, but when it comes to credit reports, the older your account, the better. Earlier, we mentioned credit bureaus keeping track of how long your accounts have been active. That’s where this piece comes into play. 

An older account, especially one that shows consistent on-time payments and a history of keeping a low balance, will do wonders for your credit score. On the other end, new accounts can temporarily lower your score and will impact the average age of your credit profile. One account you’ve held in good standing for 10 years is better than several new accounts you’ve opened up back to back over the last three years. Each new account lowers the average age, which is a major factor in your credit score. 

An older account, especially one that shows consistent on-time payments and a history of keeping a low balance, will do wonders for your credit score.

The best way to build good credit? Be responsible.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build good credit, now you’ve got the goods. Take this information and make your credit work for you, not the other way around. And if you know someone else who wants to know how to build good credit, be a pal and share this blog.

 
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8 Home Landscaping Tips for New Homeowners

Love, labor, and landscaping.

When you live in an apartment or a condominium, odds are you never really had to consider landscaping beyond occasionally pruning a small tree or repotting some pretty flowers. When you move into something larger—whether it’s a simple upgrade to a townhome with a small patio, a detached single-family home with a full yard, or a manufactured home sitting on a large plot of land—you’re in for a change. 

Change, however, is good. Homeownership comes with all sorts of new projects—landscaping chief among them—but those things ultimately serve the benefit of helping you become closer to your new home. While few of us loved having to mow the lawn as a kid, you may in fact find that landscaping can be a labor of love. 

To help you prepare, we assembled eight home landscaping tips for you to check out, and a host of questions to consider before tackling your first landscaping project.

Tip #1: What’s your use case?

Congratulations, you’re a homeowner. Which, unless you’re living in a community that’s run by a strict HOA, means you get to decide how to use your space. You’ll also benefit from the ability to decide how it should look (within local ordinance requirements, of course). Now that you’ve got some amount of outdoor space to play with, you’re going to want to think about how you plan on using it. Consider the following:

  • Will there be kids and animals running around, or is this a peaceful, private garden getaway from the day-to-day grind? 
  • Do you want to rip up all the grass so you can work on vehicle repairs, or do you want something where nature can thrive? 
  • How much labor are you willing to put into your landscaping over the next several years? 

How you want to use your lawn now and how you’ll want to use it in the future are two key considerations to make before starting anything expensive or time-consuming. After all, the last thing you want to do is rip up an entire yard’s worth of grass now, only to realize you don’t like walking on hot gravel two or three summers from now. Likewise, if you’re planning on installing an in-ground pool this year, there’s probably no point in overseeding or paying for sod right now. 

How you want to use your lawn now and how you’ll want to use it in the future are two key considerations to make before starting anything expensive or time-consuming.

Beyond that, you’ll also want to consider curb appeal. If you just recently purchased, you’re probably not looking to sell anytime soon. Still, attractive landscaping can boost your property’s value—either perceived or actual, and a house with good landscaping is more likely to sell than a house with bad landscaping. 

Tip #2: Grading, irrigation, and drainage.

Grading, irrigation, and drainage are things few new homeowners consider, either through the purchasing process or after the purchase is complete, at which point it’s too late to raise a red flag or negotiate a concession. 

Like all things, water is controlled by gravity or the grade of your land. It follows slopes and dips and collects in low points. Without appropriate grading or drainage, that runoff can have disastrous effects on your new home and the landscaping surrounding it. So, how do you fix poor drainage? Re-grading is one (expensive) option, but you’ve got other possibilities:

French DrainsChannel DrainsDry Wells
Involves digging a trench where water flows and pools, using gravel, corrugated and perforated pipe, and landscape fabric to promote faster drainage from the home to a desired end point.Where French drains are installed in soil, channel drains are thinner metal “trenches” that are installed directly in concrete, oftentimes near doors or in front of garages. Dry wells can be attached directly to downspouts. While they may not collect excess rainfall around the home, they will divert collected runoff deep underground into perforated tanks that slowly drain into the surrounding area.
Pros: Widely available and affordable materials make this a fairly easy DIY project, especially with the help of friends or family. Pros: Convenience is key. These slim drains can divert water away from concrete to prevent damage.Pros: Out of sight, out of mind. Downspout runoff won’t pour out and collect in your yard.
Cons: If not installed at the proper slope, water and the soil it carries can collect in the corrugated pipe—ultimately drying and clogging. Cons: Costly, and unless installed alongside freshly poured concrete, they’ll require demolition of existing slabs.Cons: In areas with consistently heavy rainfall, they can fill up and become clogged with dirt, leaves, and the like.

Tip #3: Know your soil.

Next up in our landscaping 101 lesson: Soil testing!

Getting your soil tested isn’t just super important, it’s super easy. For starters, there are a number of private third-party testing services to choose from. If you’re not into that, here’s a list of state-by-state testing labs to work with. Generally speaking, they’ll all charge a nominal fee to test your soil, but that cost will more than pay off when you’ve got a happy, healthy lawn. 

Why is knowing your soil makeup so important? Fertility and growth. Maybe you’re planning on overseeding this fall, maybe you’re in the market for a few new shrubs, or maybe you’re thinking about planting a tree that’ll someday support a whole tree house for your future children (or yourself, no judgments here). 

Most soil tests will tell you what nutrients your yard is full of or lacking, as well as the pH balance of your yard. From there, you can purchase soil amendments that will help restore balance to the land, promoting growth for your greenery. Knowing what you’re working with can help you save on costly fertilizer treatments and even some pest control treatments. 

Most soil tests will tell you what nutrients your yard is full of or lacking, as well as the pH balance of your yard.

Tip #4: Grass matters.

Tall fescue, bermuda, bluegrass, zoysia, and dichondra are just some of the most common turf options both here in the United States and around the world. 

If you’re not sure what type of grass is growing in your lawn, a landscaping professional can usually tell you just by looking at it. If you’re looking to start fresh from bare topsoil (maybe with a few pallets of sod), you’re going to want to get a soil test done and you’re going to want to compare the textures, colors, durability, and seasonality of different turf types. 

To help you out, here’s a little cheat sheet:

 Tall FescueBermudaBluegrassZoysiaDichondra
ColorDark greenDeep greenEmeraldMedium greenBright green
TextureCoarseDenseSoftPricklyLight
DurabilityResistant to foot traffic and drought, remains green through colder monthsResistant to foot traffic and high temperaturesTolerant to daily wear and tear of high-volume foot traffic (sports, playgrounds, etc.)Resistant to heat, drought, and foot traffic; Suffers in cold weatherGrows quickly and is soft to walk on, but doesn’t hold up well to high traffic or machinery
SeasonalityCoolWarmCoolWarmWarm

Tip #5: To weed or not to weed, that is the question.

Some weeds, like dandelions, are pretty to look at. Others, like spiny sowthistle, are less pleasant to deal with. Depending on what kind of yard you want, you may decide to keep all, some, or none of the weeds that are encroaching on your freshly mowed grass. 

For many homeowners, getting rid of or keeping weeds is strictly an aesthetic choice. They may be unattractive to look at, but bare ground doesn’t always mean healthy ground. To these homeowners, some coverage is better than none—weed or not. On the opposite side, what’s the point in taking painstaking care of your turf if and perfecting those criss-cross mow lines if you’re just going to let weeds take over? 

For homeowners that are less anti-weed (we hear you, Colorado), the choice is often environmental. That’s because not all weeds are bad and many attract pollinating insects. Remember, bees are our friends! Letting flowering weeds live to see the light of day isn’t just good for the bees, it’s beneficial for the environment at large. 

All that said, the aforementioned soil test can help you regulate what kind of weeds show up in your yard and how often, since weeds are often an indicator of soil quality. 

Tip #6: In the zone.

We’re nearing the end of our list of home landscaping tips. Next up? Zone coverage. 

Have you ever wondered why some plants thrive better in some environments than in others? Beyond the difference between annuals and perennials, knowing what zone you live in can help determine what kind of flowers, shrubs, and trees will grow best in your climate. 

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is a free resource that allows you to plug in your zip code to find your specific zone, which ranges on a scale from 1a (the frigid tip-top of Alaska) to 13b (the pristine coasts of Puerto Rico). Hardiness zones are “based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree zones and further divided into five-degree half-zones.” When you’re shopping for new plants, you can often sort and filter to find plants that grow best in your designated zone. For example, we’re headquartered in zone 8a—a warmer band that stretches across much of the southern United States. 

Knowing what zone you live in can help determine what kind of flowers, shrubs, and trees will grow best in your climate.

What zone are you located in?

Tip #7: Native vs. Non

Okay, you’ve gotten your soil tested, your sprinklers are installed, you’ve had your sod laid, and you know your hardiness zone. What’s next? The best part of landscaping, we think: picking out the plants that’ll beautify your new space. 

But before you go selecting all sorts of plants and flowers, do some research into what you’re thinking about planting. 

Native plants are well-adapted to their surroundings, and familiar to the native wildlife that surrounds us. They often require less care because they’re so well-established to the area.

Non-native plants are things that have been introduced to the area by human hand, and will likely require greater and more frequent care and maintenance to ensure healthy living. Non-native plants aren’t always invasive, but invasive species are always non-native. Executive Order 13112, signed by President Clinton in 1999, designates invasive species as “non-native species whose introduction does, or is likely to cause, economic or environmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant health.” 

So before you go transplanting any random pretty wildflower to your yard, take your time and find out if it’s native to your region. If not, skip it for something that is!

Tip #8: Best the pests.

Our final home landscaping tip deals with the pests that populate your yard. They may not be fun to look at (or have flying around your head), but ants, bees, and spiders are beneficial to your new yard. 

In a home, ants can certainly be annoying. Out in the yard? Ants actually help aerate yards, allowing water, oxygen, and other nutrients to reach deep roots. Bees pollinate our plants, and spiders spin webs to collect all sorts of nasty critters. While bee stings can be dangerous to those who are allergic to them, they usually don’t sting people unless they’re confused or threatened. Likewise, spiders are often thought of as dangerous—but of the 50,000+ spider species around the world, just 1% are capable of harming humans. 

The same cannot be said for other insects. Mosquitos, for example, are a nuisance that can carry various diseases, as do ticks and fleas. And roaches? We shudder at the thought of seeing one of those things scurry across the floor. 

What’s our point here? Not all pests are bad, but if you’re going to tackle pest control as part of your landscaping dream, make sure you target the right pests with eco-friendly (and potentially pet-safe) treatment options. 

Love the land you live on.

Now that you’ve been prepped, taught, and trained on home landscaping, we want to know what your first landscaping project will be! It could be something as simple as the season’s first mow, or as complex as a new irrigation installation. Either way, there’s always more to learn and even more to do when you’re a homeowner. Check out our related blogs to help you make the most of your home this summer!

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House Hunting Tips for First-Time Home Buyers

Our favorite house hunting tips will have you home in no time.

Spring has sprung, the flowers are in bloom, and the curbs are becoming more and more appealing by the day. Must mean it’s house hunting season. So, if you’re a first-time buyer, you’re going to want all the house hunting tips available to help snag your first home while fighting off all the other first-time buyers.

Don’t worry, with the right advice in hand, buying in a competitive market can be easier than you think. Conquer your homeownership goals with the following house hunting tips for first-time home buyers, curated by yours truly.

Tip #1: The right real estate agent can make all the difference.

When you’re ready to buy a house, it’s important to have the right people on your side. Friends and family members are a good start, and the right lender can help make sure you’re ready financially. But a real estate agent? A good agent makes all the difference. 

Consider this: A lot of people think of real estate agents as glorified tour guides. They unlock doors, they show you around, they answer questions, and that’s it…right? Wrong. 

A solid real estate agent (preferably a Realtor®—otherwise known as a certified agent who’s part of the National Association of Realtors) is half friend, half negotiator. They’re going to have your back through the home buying process, and they’ll spend much of their time scouring listings to find homes that fit your wants and needs. In fact, they’ll be able to search through listings you can’t even find on the most popular listing sites. Most importantly, they’re the ones who read through the contracts to make sure you’re getting a fair shake. 

Tip #2: Don’t get (too) attached.

House hunting can feel like a roller coaster of emotion, and you’re probably going to fall in love with a lot of homes. Our next house hunting tip? Don’t get too attached to what you see online or in person. Sure, the listing pictures may knock your socks off, but remember that those homes are often professionally staged. 

As for in-person viewings? Remember that any home you put an offer on should be professionally inspected anyway, because you never know what that fresh coat of paint is hiding and you may not have immediate access to things like attics and crawl spaces. Looks can be deceiving either way, so don’t forget that most of the homes you’re seeing are staged to sell—not staged for the realities of life. 

Most of the homes you’re seeing are staged to sell—not staged for the realities of life.

When starting out on this journey, the best thing you can do is come to terms with the notion that the first homes you look at probably won’t be the ones you buy. Use this as an opportunity to take notes on what you like and what you dislike, and compare other homes to that list. 

Tip #3: Waving the red flags.

When you do start attending open houses and scheduling private walkthroughs, there are are several factors to consider that might be so obvious. To sum up our next house hunting tip, here’s a short list of things to keep an eye (or a nose) out for:

  • Bad smells: These can be indicative of backed-up sewage lines, hidden mold, garbage, or pests. When it comes to funky odors, trust your gut. 
  • Humidity: If you can, get a humidity reading in basements and crawls, and keep an eye out for signs of moisture. Brown or yellow spots in the ceiling and bubbled wallpaper or drywall could indicate leaks in hidden areas.
  • Craftsmanship: Look closely at corners, edges, and lines to make sure everything lines up. Look for bows, cracks, jams, and scratches, as those could be signs of poor worksmanship. And don’t forget to make sure doors and drawers close correctly. 
  • Surroundings: People love to look at the home, but they often forget about the surroundings. Is the home located on a busy street? Near a church bell? Do the neighbors have dogs? We’d hate for first-time buyers to have buyer’s remorse because they forgot about the sights and sounds around the home.
  • Perspective: Online listings have a habit of making spaces seem larger than they actually are. Rooms that once looked huge online turn out to be little more than the size of a coat closet. Perspective is everything, so don’t let that wide-angle lens fool you. 

Tip #4: Do your homework.

Your agent is going to take you to see plenty of homes, but you should also take the initiative to see some homes on your own time. If not by attending open houses by yourself (or with your partner), then at least by (safely) staking things out during off-hours. What’s the traffic look like at 2:00 PM on a weekday? What’s it like at 10:00 PM on a Saturday night?

These kinds of impromptu visits to homes or neighborhoods you like on the surface can reveal far more than a typical house tour, and could help narrow your selection or eliminate some options entirely. Ultimately, the more you see, the better off you’ll be. 

Impromptu visits to homes or neighborhoods you like on the surface can reveal far more than a typical house tour, and could help narrow your selection or eliminate some options entirely.

Tip #5: Get pre-approved.

If, by chance, you do stumble upon your dream home at any point in the house hunting process, you’re going to want to put in an offer. 

These days, offers backed by a lender’s pre-approval carry more weight than your standard pre-qualification (which is nothing more than a statement saying what you might be able to afford). A pre-approval is a bonafide, verified review of your qualifications—your income and your credit score, for example. Plus, it tells sellers that you’re serious about moving forward. 

Tip #6: Patience, patience, patience.

They say it’s a virtue, but it’s also a totally necessary house hunting tip for first-time buyers. Impulsivity leads to mistakes, and mistakes lead to regrets. The process can be unpredictable and time-consuming, but your agent and your lender should help provide a smooth, seamless process that gets you to the closing table in no time and with no regrets.

And now that you know how to house hunt, you’re ready to start the next chapter of your life!

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Unique Homes Call For Unconventional Mortgages

When people think about buying a home, they usually think about buying a house. Who can blame them? That’s what’s often portrayed in popular culture—a house, a yard, a picket fence, and a mortgage payment to boot. 

However, thanks to limited availability and a crowded, competitive market, more and more people have explored less traditional options over the past few years that may require unconventional mortgages.

Types of Unique Homes

Everyone’s heard of houses. Most people know you can purchase apartments and condominiums in larger metropolitan areas. Unless you pay attention to social media trends, however, you may not know that there are other types of homes—like tiny homes, container homes, and modular or manufactured housing. 

Tiny Homes

Some people don’t love the idea of being tied to one place. And although median home prices across the United States are expected to fall by 4.5% this year, it’s hard to blame some people for not wanting to drop more than $400,000 on a home. That’s where tiny homes come into focus, a bite-sized abode that can cost a fraction of the average house. 

Tiny homes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but usually average out at just 225 square feet. Cost-wise, things vary. Prefabricated tiny homes could cost as little as $30,000, whereas custom-built tiny homes could cost as much as $150,000 or more. Still, even that cost is more palatable to some people than the average cost of a full-blown house. 

And thanks to a wider range of financing options, including unconventional mortgages, it’s easier to obtain a mortgage for a tiny home that can be placed virtually anywhere.

Container Homes

Another rising trend? Container homes, or the refurbication of shipping containers, remodeled and rearranged in various ways to create truly unique homes. Like tiny homes, these options can cost as little as $10,000 if people forego finer details, but price tags can balloon upwards quickly for more in-depth configurations and customizations. Still, even the larger container homes shouldn’t cost more than $200,000 to build according to UpNest, a Realtor.com company. 

While one container might feel like living in a studio apartment (or the aforementioned tiny home), two or three shipping containers could be laid out to feel more like a traditional house…or something famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright might have designed. 

Modular & Manufactured

Modular homes are similar to container homes in that they generally consist of prefabricated pieces that are arranged on-site and they require an unconventional mortgage. They’re also referred to as manufactured or mobile homes, and come with a number of advantages:

  • Quick to build
  • Fewer location restrictions
  • Less costly

That said, modular homes also come with some disadvantages. They’re typically harder to finance if they’re mobile, which means a mortgage lender may require the modular home to be permanently set in one location. 

Concerned about cost? Good news: like other unique homes, modular and manufactured homes range in price—with single-wide homes running an average of a little over $75,000 and double-wide homes tacking on another $100,000 to that figure. 

Unconventional Mortgage Options

Okay, now that we’ve broken down a few different types of unique homes, let’s talk about the unconventional mortgages you can use to purchase them. 

One popular option we offer at NAF Financial is the MH AdvantageTM loan, which offers affordable housing alternatives to buyers nationwide so long as the unique home is built on a permanent foundation. The MH Advantage loan comes with flexible underwriting standards and reduced pricing for manufactured homes that meet specific construction, architectural design, and energy efficiency standards.

That means, if you like the idea of a modular home or a tiny home but aren’t thinking about traveling the country, you may be able to qualify for financing.

However, if—after reading through all of these unique home types—you’re thinking a conventional home may be more up your alley, consider the possibilities of building your own home with a one-time close loan. That way, if market availability’s got you feeling hopeless, you could create your own custom home that’s unique in its own way. 

With this loan option, you don’t have to pay for the land and the home separately, and you close before construction ever begins. Once the project is complete, the loan becomes a Conventional mortgage. 

Your Home, Your Way

Regardless of what home type you choose to pursue, we’re here to help you find the right financing options for both traditional and unconventional mortgages. One of the best things you can do in your adventure toward homeownership is to obtain a rate quote and speak with a loan expert who can help you find what you’re looking for. 

Luckily, we’ve got a lot of those experts waiting for your call.

Thanks to a wider range of financing options, it’s easier to obtain a mortgage for a tiny home that can be placed virtually anywhere.

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7 Home Security Tips for Your Holiday Vacation

Use these home security tips to keep your home safe and sound while you’re away this holiday season.

December’s here and so is the holiday season. Many kids are celebrating a break from school and families across the country are using their time off for family vacations and quality time away from home. 

Halloween wasn’t too long ago, but leaving your home for an extended period of time can be scary—especially if you haven’t prepared your property for your absence. In the spirit of the holidays, we’re taking inspiration from Home Alone and assembling a list of seven solid home security tips for protecting your home while you’re away on vacation. 

Breathe easy, parents—now you won’t have to leave your eight-year-old at home to hold down the fort.

1. Flip the switch on your way out.

Leaving the lights on at home while you’re away isn’t just a great way to rack up your energy bill—it’s more suspicious than not having them on at all, especially if they’re on all night. Quick fix? Invest in a timer that can program your lights to turn on and off according to a predetermined schedule. Any potential intruders scouting out your home should see lights turning on and off and hopefully assume someone’s home. That, or they’ll think the house is haunted. Either way, you’ll scare them off.

2. You’ve got mail…lots and lots of mail.

Nothing says “No one’s here” like a pile of newspapers in the driveway. If you’re going away for any amount of time, put a “stop” order on your deliveries or ask a friend or neighbor to collect them while you’re gone. We can’t be blamed for any missing comics or crossword puzzles, though. 

3. Spare yourself the trouble.

Everyone knows the welcome mat is where most people hide their spare key. The fake rock in the garden bed? Not much better. If you have to leave behind a spare key, leave it with a trusted neighbor or close friend. It’s better in their hands than anywhere else. 

4. All eyes on you.

People love to publicize their vacations on social media. Here’s a tip: Hold off. Believe it or not, criminals have access to social media too and won’t hesitate to capitalize on an opportunity if you present one. We get it, you’re excited (and we’re stoked for you), but maybe wait on posting your pics until you get back. 

5. Help your home unplug.

Speaking of social media, phones, and other technology, disconnecting the electronics you leave home may not deter burglars, but it can save you money in the long run. Turns out, televisions, computers, and microwaves use energy even when they’re turned off. Unplugging isn’t just a good way to save cash, but it’ll protect your appliances from power surges and may save your home from an electrical fire. On the other hand, people can’t rob what doesn’t exist. 

6. Out of sight, out of mind.

This one may seem obvious, but hide anything of value. Keep it out of sight and locked up somewhere safe…like a safe! Stash away jewelry, firearms, and other valuables a burglar might see or try to get their hands on.

7. Home for the holidays.

The above tips are all well and good, but the best way to give the impression that someone’s home is by having someone actually be home. If you don’t want to leave behind one of your children, ask someone you trust to house-sit while you’re gone. They can water your plants, grab your mail, or feed your pets (if you have any). Your sitter doesn’t need to take a page from Home Alone script—no swinging buckets or red-hot doorknobs—but they can provide helpful home upkeep and potentially prevent a break-in.

The best way to give the impression that someone’s home is someone actually being home.