Education Center
Enjoy a culmination of all things pertaining to your mortgage. First-time home buying, real estate tips, financial advice, and insight into the mortgage industry – we have experts giving you all of the intel.
3 Things to Know About the Charlotte Housing/Mortgage Market
Charlotte, NC is an up and coming city that’s easily attracted many. Keep reading to learn more about Charlotte’s mortgage market.
5 Skills Every Realtor Needs to Succeed
Real Estate is a lucrative business, where customer service drives sales. Check out our recent blog to learn the skills needed to succeed.
TikTok – An Untapped Resource
TikTok is more than an app used fun, but it’s a way to promote your business. Learn how to use TikTok as a marketing tool in our recent blog!
How to Painlessly Lower Your Energy Bill
When saving for a home or keeping the costs of home ownership low, you don’t want to leave money on the table. However, some budget advice can seem onerous, especially when it comes to lowering your energy bills. If advice isn’t practical, you’re not going to take it,...
Renovation Solutions During a Copper and Lumber Shortage
Photo by Sinenkiy via Getty Images Pro One of the variety of consequences from COVID shutdowns and new federal policies is a rise in the price of raw building materials such as copper and lumber. In a recent study by fortune.com, the average price of lumber was shown...
Tax Benefits of Having a Mortgage
Photo by Romakoma via ShutterstockAs a homeowner you want to be aware of the various tax breaks you can get in regards to your home and mortgage. Here are a few ways you can save money if you use itemized deductions when you pay taxes. Mortgage Interest Deduction If...
Unavoidable Property Value Tankers
There are certain aspects that will always tank your property value, no matter how hard you try. Keep reading to learn what they are!
Realtor Tips for Photographing Listings
Photo by pics721 via ShutterstockHow Agents Can Get Better Listing Photographs Overwhelmingly, homebuyers begin the shopping and research process online. Excellent photography is absolutely necessary to get a property noticed, and selling for the best price. Here are...
How Realtors Can Build a Successful Marketing Plan
We’ve talked about some strategies to get your name out there as a realtor, but before you do, it’s necessary to have a framework of who you are as a brand and what you want to accomplish. In short, you need a marketing plan to help direct your energy and focus as you...
Generate Your Own Leads
Did you know? 90% of homebuyers searched online during their home buying process. So stop paying for cheap leads and start generating your own by capturing leads in their online search with our free custom branded rate search landing page! How It Works 1. Link the...
5 Effective Ways to Generate Leads
A critical challenge that tons of real estate professionals are dealing with today is generating leads. Here are 5 effective ways to help you produce the leads you're looking for. 1. Advertise In All Formats From digital presence to direct mail, a competitive realtor...
3 Life Saving Tips for a Successful Move
Are you moving and have no idea where to start? Keep reading for a few tips to maximize your efficiency while minimizing your stress.
Best Time of Year to Buy a House
Photo by Romakoma via ShutterstockWhen you’re about to make the biggest purchase of your life, place yourself in the best buying position possible. If you’re the kind of person who buys winter coats when they go on sale in the summer, you’re certainly going to wonder...
3 Ways to Win a Bidding War On a Home
With too many buyers and too little homes to sell, bidding wars are becoming more common. Keep reading for tips on winning a bidding war!
How & Why Realtors Should Market to Millennials
Millennials are rapidly infiltrating the housing market. Check out our latest blog to learn how & why you should market to millennials!
Counting the Costs of Living Before Your Move
Photo by Wong Yu Liang via ShutterstockDuring 2020, Americans saw record numbers in those moving between states. The increasingly digital workplace and a switch to online homeschooling has removed the constraint of living near the office and local schools. Workers no...
Fast & Easy Ways to Update Your Bathroom for Buyers
Photo by Artazum via ShutterstockWe’d all like to freshen up our bathroom, but most of us lack the expertise, funds, and time for a complete redo. Time may also be an issue if you want to sell in a hot market. In that case, a long remodel may not be the best choice in...
Budgeting Tips to Save Up for a Home
Wanting to buy a home but don’t have the money to do so? Have no fear! Here are a few budgeting tips to help you toward saving for a home!
The Best DIY Projects to Improve the Value of Your Home
Homeowners often have a laundry list of all the things they want to do around the home. The problem is some things are more important than others, especially when it comes to impacting the value of your home when you go to sell. Here are a few of the best DIY...
3 Tried-and-True Methods to Picking Your Realtor
If you’re looking for a home and need a realtor but have no idea where to start, keep reading to learn the 3 best methods to pick a realtor.
Tips to Sell Your House Faster
When you’re trying to get out of your current home and move into your dream home, you’ll do just about anything to help sell the house fast, right? Here are a few tips to sell your house faster so you can move on to the next stage of your life. Photo by Andrey Popov...
Spring Cleaning Tips
With Spring quickly approaching, you know what that means. Spring cleaning! Keep reading to learn tips to have your house clean in no time.
Is it a Good Time to Consider a 15-year Mortgage?
If you are still struggling with the decision of which type of mortgage would be best for you, read our recent blog about 15-year mortgages.
Pros and Cons of Buying with a Cosigner
Are you thinking of buying a home with a cosigner? Here are a few pros and cons to going that route. Pros to Buying a House with a Cosigner The first and most obvious advantage you get by having a cosigner is the ability to buy a more expensive home. For example,...
What to Look For In a Home If You Have Pups
Are you trying to buy a home and you’re bringing your pups? Check out our latest blog on a few must-haves if you have pets!
Is a 15 Year Mortgage a Good Idea
Some homeowners love the idea of a 15 year mortgage. They don’t like the idea of taking 30 years to buy their home so they opt for the 15 year option so they can be mortgage-free in less than 2 decades instead of 3 full ones. But is a 15 year mortgage a good idea for...
Buying a Home: What You Should Do First
How much home can you afford? Figure out how by reading our recent blog on what you should do first when you want to buy a home!
Should I Buy a Townhouse
When you’re buying a home you essentially have three options: a single family detached home, a condo, or a townhouse. Let’s take a few minutes to look at the pros and cons of buying a townhouse to see if it’s right for you. Photo by Susan Law Cain via ShutterstockPros...
Ways to Make Your Small Space Feel Bigger
Your home doesn’t have to feel small and cramped! Here are a few tips to help you make your small space feel bigger.
How to Add Curb Appeal to Your Home
Looking for ways to get potential homebuyers to tour your home? Check out our recent blog about easy tips to add curb appeal to your home.
What Credit Score Do I Need to Buy a House
Your credit score is important when it comes to buying a house. But what kind of credit score is necessary to qualify? It turns out that it depends on the type of mortgage you get. Credit Score Required for a Conventional Mortgage The most common type of mortgage is...
Realtor Closing Gift Ideas for Your Clients
Closing gifts are crucial to maintaining a relationship with a client for years after their home purchase. Here are a few closing gift ideas:
Steps to Buying a Home
Gerilyn de Laurentys, a real estate agent, shares with Rosegate the typical steps a home buyer can expect to take when shopping for a home.
Closing Costs – Explained
Closing costs are one of the most important aspects of your journey to purchasing a home. Keep reading to figure out how to prepare.
Home Inspections
Everyone’s heard of home inspections, but what exactly do inspectors look for inside your future home? Keep reading to find out.
How Much Home Can You Afford
Let’s face it - home buying isn’t easy. It can be tempting to say “what’s another $100 a month?,” but that can get you into trouble if you take it too far! Here are a few things to consider as you determine how much home you can afford. What Type of Loan Are You...
Cash-out Refinances
Are you wanting to do major home improvements, but don’t have the funds? Keep reading to see if you should consider a cash-out refinance!
Easy Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home
Are you looking for different ways to increase the value of your home? Here are a few tips that are easy and affordable for everyone!
3 Ways to Start Preparing Your Home to Sell this Spring
Do you think you’ll sell your house this spring? Here are a few things you can do to help it sell faster so you can get into your dream home more quickly. Home-Selling Tip #1: Box Up Your Pictures Pictures are fantastic… but not when it comes to selling your home. If...
4 Tips to Increase Your Credit Score
Looking for a few tips to increase your credit score? Here are some of the best things you can do. Tip #1 to Boost Credit Score: Improve Your DTI Have you heard of your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio? It’s basically a ratio that helps lenders determine if it’s risky to...
More People are Moving!
In a recent study, Atlas Van Lines concluded that millions of Americans moved in 2020. But why? Check out our latest blog to find out.
Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Refinance Your Home
With record-low mortgage rates, now is the perfect time to refinance your home! Keep reading to figure out why!
How to Build Credit to Buy a Home
Building your credit can be difficult, especially when buying your first home. Here are a few tips to help you fix your credit score in no time!
3 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Your First Home
Buying a home for the first time can be tough. Here are 3 rookie mistakes to avoid at all costs when buying your first home!
What is a 15-Year Fixed Mortgage?
What is a 15-year fixed mortgage? In the mortgage industry, there are a variety of different loans that help match borrowers financial goals and circumstances during the home buying process. There are three important factors that define a 15-year fixed mortgage: the...
How to get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
Pre-Approved = Preferred Buyer When shopping for a new home, the first step a borrower can take is to get “pre-approved” for a mortgage. Sellers will prefer your offer for their home over other buyers if you have the stamp of pre-approval for your mortgage loan since...
Understanding Disclosures
Two Primary Documents As a borrower, you’ll quickly understand the back and forth communication and constant exchange of documentation with your lender during the home buying process. That said, there are two documents that you should specifically keep your eye out...
Types of Mortgage Loans
What is a mortgage? A mortgage, by definition, is a debt instrument secured by the collateral of specified real estate property, that the borrower is obliged to pay back with a predetermined set of payments. Mortgage loans can be refined in different types of ways to...