Joseph Pettinella's blog

Single and thinking about buying your first home?  Make sure you do your research and take your time.  Start learning what you need to know several months before you are ready to start viewing properties.  The more you know and the better prepared you are, the quicker you will find the right home to meet your wants and needs.

There’s a huge sense of independence in owning your own home, being comfortable in your own living environment, and making your own rules and decisions.  

Many single women and men are buying their own homes. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors® single women accounted for 21% of all home purchases in the year ended this past June, while single men accounted for approximately 10%.

Here are a few important financial tips for single home buyers (women and men):

Are you under the impression that the credit scores you purchase online from Equifax, TransUnion or Experian are what lenders use to approve and price a home loan?

Then you might be in for a surprise.  Yes, you can buy a score online, but it is not one of the FICO mortgage scores that mortgage lenders use. The actual scores used by lenders can be higher or lower by as many as 75 points or more.

The selling of useless credit scores has become such a big business that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is trying to stop the practice.

The housing market is off to a good start in 2017!