Merry Christmas from Scott Larson
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Rising interest rates are a side effect of an improving economy, they are up over 100 basis pts in 30 days to 5%. Buyers now is the time to buy!

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Why buy a home? Although real estate moves in cycles, sometimes up, sometimes down, over the years, real estate has consistently appreciated. Many people view their home investment as a hedge against inflation.

Mortgage Interest Deductions ( One reason home ownership is good option)
Home ownership is a superb tax shelter and our tax rates favor homeowners. As long as your mortgage balance is smaller than the price of your home, mortgage interest is fully deductible on your tax return. Interest is the largest component of your mortgage payment

What is an Earnest Money?
It's a good faith deposit but not to be confused with a down payment. When buyers execute a purchase contract, the contract specifies how much money the buyer is initially putting up to secure the contract, to show "good faith," and how much money all together will be deposited as a down payment. The balance is generally financed as a mortgage or a combination of mortgages. An earnest money deposit says to the seller: "Yes, I am serious enough about buying your house that I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is."

Monroe Arts Center Holiday Silent Auction
Bid on excellent art pieces. Auction bidding through Dec. 10 at the Holiday Concert and Community Sing-Along.
Bid on original and limited edition art to home-baked goods and specialty dinners, home decor items and sports-related memorabilia.
Location:1315 11th St

When it comes time to buy a home, you may need to come up with some creative ways to boost affordability. Let's take a moment to explore a one of these options. The first order of business could be to sit down with your family to see what assistance they'd be happy to offer. You may find that a mother or grandfather would be more than happy to co-sign on a loan, or even offer you a loan at low, or zero, percent interest. You could also discuss a shared-appreciation or shared-equity arrangement. This is when a family member buys a portion of the prospective home, and then is able to share in its appreciative value when it is sold. When credit gets tough the tough get creative.