QuickTips Index

Short Sale and Foreclosure Effects on Credit
The affect of short sales and foreclosures on credit reports and FICO scores. Which is better to see on a credit report - a foreclosure or a short sale? How soon after foreclosure or short sale can a seller buy a new home?

Negotiation as a For Sale By Owner
How to handle negotiation as a for sale by owner, write counter offers, provide seller disclosures, get through a home inspection and close your For-Sale-By-Owner deal.

Home Equity Loans
Junior loans and encumbrances secured to real property such as home equity loans, home equity lines of credit (HELOC) and bridge loans. The differences among the loans, advantages and drawbacks to such financing.

Short Sale Myths
Popular myths about short sales. Top 5 misconceptions about a short sale. Why agents, sellers and buyers don't understand how a short sale works and believe the myths they hear.

Stopping Trigger Leads - How Mortgage Loan Applications Result in Trigger Leads
Stopping trigger leads. How mortgage loan applications result in trigger leads. Preventing credit bureaus from exploiting your credit through trigger lead phone calls and direct mail solicitation.

Property Search - How to Do a Property Search
How to do a property search. How to find information on any property: who owns the home and balances of mortgage loans. Finding specific details of property. Public records search, MLS search, property information and tax records. Ordering free property profiles.

Posting Internet Home Listings
How to post a home for sale on the Internet. Web sites where you can post free home listings. How to make a free electronic flyer that showcases your home's features and benefits for a buyer and post it to the Internet.

Hiring Buyer's Agents
Should you sign a buyer's broker agreement? Should buying agents show homes to buy without a signed buyer's broker agreement? Advantages and pitfalls to working exclusively with a buyer's agent.

Understanding Option ARM Loans
Definition of Option ARMs as used for mortgage financing. Features of Option ARM loans: terms, start rates, indexed rates, payment options, loan recasting and negative amortization.

FHA Loans - FHA Loans Are Popular with First-Time Home Buyers
FHA Loans are rebounding with home buyers. Find out why FHA loans are popular for first-time home buyers and the benefits to obtaining an FHA loan.

DIY Home Improvemet Projects for First-Time Home Buyers
DIY home improvement projects geared toward novices. DIY tips and ideas for first-time home buyers who want to fix up or make repairs or learn how to do home improvements.

Companies That Advertise We Buy Houses for Cash
Explanation of companies that pay cash for homes. The truth about cash for homes schemes and how much companies pay when you see those signs that read: We buy houses for cash.

Low Appraisals - How to Deal With a Low Appraisal
Both sellers and buyers can get blindsided by low appraisals. If an appraisal comes in low, here are available options. A low appraisal doesn't mean the transaction will blow up. You can still close and salvage the deal.

Short Sales Are No Bargain for Buyers
Why buyers may pay more for a short sale. 11 drawbacks to buying short sales. The hype surrounding short sales and why buyers should use caution.

How to Stage a Short Sale Home
Tips for staging a short sale home. Ryan Brown from Bravo TV Flipping Out talks with Elizabeth Weintraub about how to stage a short sale home.

For Sale By Owner Tips
How to sell a home as a for sale by owner, without an agent, without representation. Proven tips for marketing your home as a for sale by owner

Buying a Home in a Down Market
When real estate prices begin to dip, buyers wonder if they should wait to buy a home. Is that a smart strategy? What are the pitfalls to waiting? Any advantages to waiting to buy a home? Can a buyer time the market?

3 Things to Know About Mortgage Refinancing
Mortgage refinancing is popular among serial mortgage refinancers, but it's not always a good time to consider mortgage refinancing. Here's what you need to know about mortgage refinancing.

Buying a Home Guide to Getting Started
Complete A to Z guide to buying a home. From figuring out what you need versus in a home to what you want, to finding an agent to help you with buying a home, cleaning up credit, finding a lender and locating that perfect home to all the final details of buying a home.

Mortgage Broker Representation
Relationships between mortgage brokers, loan officers and borrowers. Why most lenders have no fiduciary relationship to a borrower, do not need to look out for the borrower's best interests and can serve their own.

Biography of Robert Pirozzi
Biography and photo of Robert Pirozzi

Mortgage Loan Types
Mortgage loan types. Differences among conventional, FHA and VA mortgage loan types. Interest Only Mortgages, Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Types, Fixed-Rate Mortgages, Combo / Piggyback Loans, HELOC, home equity, reverse mortgages and bridge loans.

Tenants in Common Ownership
What it means to hold title as Tenants in Common. Property deeds that show title as tenants in common. Rights of owners and possession. How to hold title as tenants in common.

Benefits of Reverse Mortgages
Would you tell your mother to get a reverse mortgage? What are the benefits of a reverse mortgage? Definition of how reverse mortgages are funded. The costs and risks involved with obtaining a reverse mortgage.

How to Recognize Predatory Mortgage Lenders
How to figure out if you're dealing with a shady mortgage lender. Don't be taken advantage of or for a ride. Know the signs of predatory lenders and avoid them.