http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Ray+Tolley Finances Ray Tolley Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=298260&ca=Finances While cash-strapped homeowners sometimes struggle to make ends meet, our real estate has seemingly morphed into the local bank. We can tap into our home equity for everything from cars to vacations to college funds. Though tapping into your home's value is one of the smartest ways to borrow money, t... Real Estate Ray Tolley Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=285691&ca=Real+Estate With the slowing housing market, rising interest rates and lenders tightening the reins on their mortgage qualification requirements, it's extremely important to get the best mortgage at a good interest rate. Keep reading for four tips you can use to get the best mortgage in today's residential real... Finances Ray Tolley Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=276587&ca=Finances In this article, we'll cover the benefits and disadvantages of home equity loans, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and personal loans. Whether you're looking for funds to finance a major expense or simply pay down consumer debt, this article can help you decide what type of financing is best for... Real Estate Ray Tolley Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=238252&ca=Real+Estate Approximately one half of all new home buyers check mortgage rate quotes online. Most mortgage providers offer calculators that allow you to calculate your monthly payment once you input your principal, interest rate and terms. Others offer wizards and questionnaires that help you pinpoint the right... Home Management Ray Tolley Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=238255&ca=Home+Management Electricity and water bills can add up fast, especially when you're doing laundry for what feels like an army. Keep reading for 10 great laundry tips that will help you cut your monthly energy bills. 1. Run full loads of laundry. It's much more cost-effective to wash a full load rather than two sm... Finances Ray Tolley Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=235838&ca=Finances When you buy a home, whether it's a single-family house, townhouse, co-op or condominium, you're probably going to need a mortgage. For first-time buyers who may not have a lot of down payment cash to deposit, getting the right mortgage is absolutely essential. The size and type of your mortgage wil... Real Estate Ray Tolley Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=233409&ca=Real+Estate Most people don't realize it, but you typically pay more for your mortgage loan than you do for the house. In fact, quite a bit more. For example, imagine you buy a $250,000 home, pay $50,000 (which is 20% of the cost) for the initial down payment, and obtain a loan for the remaining $200,000. If th... Finances Ray Tolley Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=231400&ca=Finances Despite what many fly-by-night credit repair companies tell you, you need good credit to get a good mortgage interest rate. Good credit means you pay back what you've borrowed and you do so on time. Even just a few late payments can have a negative impact on your mortgage possibilities. Meanwhile, d... Real Estate Ray Tolley Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=229612&ca=Real+Estate A HELOC (home equity line of credit) works somewhat similar to a credit card, but it is secured and protected by the equity in your home - equity equals the market value of your home minus the balance owed on your mortgage. Whatever the size of your home equity credit line, you pay interest only on... Finances Ray Tolley Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=227510&ca=Finances The chaos in the subprime-mortgage market means tighter standards for everyone. While prospective home buyers with perfect credit records won't feel the pinch as much, first-time home buyers or borrowers with less-than-perfect credit are going to need help shopping for that first mortgage. Basically...