Blythe's Mt Hood Real Estate Blog

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Name: Blythe Creek 503-706-7101
Location: Welches, Brightwood, Government Camp and Rhododendron, Mt Hood Corridor, Oregon/ Villages of Mt Hood

Having moved to the Mt Hood Corridor in 1972 while attending college, I choose the Mt Hood Corridor to buy my first home, raise a family, and enjoy a quiet life surrounded by the natural beauty of Mt. Hood. I’ve watched the Mt. Hood Corridor evolve to mixture of full time and vacation homes and cabins in price ranges for the first time home buyer to the fantastic custom built lodges plus everything in-between. Fulfilling the dream for a home on Mt Hood for my clients is what I love to do! Getting the right balance for each buyer is the key… Call me at 503-706-7101 for more information property available in “the Villages of Mt Hood”.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

This House Will Surprise You!
Step onto the main living level and enjoy the River Views from all Three Floors. Capturing old world charm, this home is 3 levels with a bedroom, bath and living or family room on every level plus 5 covered Porches and 11 foot ceilings!. Gorgeous,secluded quiet and private location on over an acre with wonderful year round light!.
Check out this Virtual tour link: 22483eautumnln.ePropertySites.com

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3 Tips to Pay Off Your Mt Hood Home Mortgage Early!

If you own a home in Brightwood, Rhododendron, Welches or Government Camp, you're probably trying to figure out how you can save money. One of the best ways to add a bit of cash back into your pocket is create a budget, and work on paying off your mortgage early. With a little research and a lot of focus, you can be mortgage free.

1. Make Additional Monthly Payments


One of the easiest ways to pay off your home mortgage is to simply make extra payments towards your principal balance. This helps decrease interest over the years, which helps you pay off your mortgage loan at a faster rate. You could pay as little as $100 extra a month and make a huge difference in the amount of interest you'll pay over the life of your loan. Use a mortgage calculator to check out figures and help you get an idea of how much you could save over the years.

When you make principal only payments, be sure to write a separate check and write "Principal Pre-payment Only" and your account number in the memo area of the check. Also enclose a letter instructing the mortgage company to apply this to pay down your principal balance. If you don't do this, the bank may apply it to your next mortgage payment instead of just to your principal.

2. Pay Bi-Weekly


Another way to pay off your Mt Hood home mortgage early is to pay twice a month, or bi-weekly. Paying bi-weekly could potentially subtract up to nine years off your loan. You simply make two smaller payments, instead of one big one. Therefore, you save a significant amount of money in interest charges.

However, if your loan company requires that you pay a fee to pay bi-weekly, or if they require that you switch plans whereby you are required to make a bi-monthly payment, don't do it.

Instead, stick with your current monthly payment schedule and simply pay more on your principal each month as described above. This way you'll still save a significant amount of interest, but you won't be locked in to making bi-weekly payments. If you run into a rough patch, you can go back to paying your normal monthly amount. This keeps your options open, rather than being locked in if you converted to the bi-weekly payment plan.

3. Refinance Your Loan


When you refinance, the goal is usually to get a lower mortgage payment. But if you want to pay off your mortgage early, you could refinance, get a lower interest rate, but continue to make the same payments you were initially paying on your previous loan. This would allow you to pay more on your interest charges, and ultimately shorten the life of your loan.

When trying to pay off your home mortgage early, you have several options. Just make sure to thoroughly research all the available plans of action until you find the one that's right for you.

Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my blog to receive weekly tips like this one. It's easy and free.


Mortgage calculator:
www.somersetmortgagelenders.com/MortgageCalculator/LoanPaymentCalculator.aspx

Bi-weekly:
www.bankrate.com/brm/news/mtg/20010920a.asp

Refinance:
www.mortgagefit.com/refinance.html

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Saturday, June 13, 2009

6 Great Reasons First-Time Mt Hood Home Buyers Should Purchase Now

Although the housing market has had its fair share of ups and down, many home buyers, particularly first-time home buyers, are reaping the benefits. If you're thinking about purchasing a home in Sandy, Brightwood, Welches or Rhododendron, there are many good reasons to make your move today. Here are six of them:

1. Low interest rates – Right now, interest rates are lower than ever before. This means you can get an extremely affordable loan and save big on interest payments.

2. Cheaper home prices – Not only are interest rates low, but homes all around are cheaper. Since the market is packed with homes for sale, selling has become harder. As a result, prices have fallen significantly, allowing you to get a more expensive home for less money. The Bubble has been sliced off!

3. Potential tax credits – As a first-time buyer, you could be eligible for thousands of dollars in tax credits. Best of all, you do not have to pay it back, as opposed to previous years.

4. Less competition – Many people no longer have the money to purchase homes, so fewer people are visiting model homes and open houses. This is great news for you. If you're ready to buy a home on Mt Hood, you don't have to worry about floods of people bidding up the price on the property in Bid wars.

5. Huge inventory – With new homes constantly being built, not to mention an array of existing homes, you can take your pick from a wide variety of available properties.

6. Big bargaining power – Because so many people are trying to sell their homes, they're more willing to be flexible. As a buyer, you could greatly benefit and may be able to save on closing costs, upgrades, repairs and more. Work with a skilled real estate agent who can negotiate a great contract for you.

If you have the funds to step out and purchase one of the many Mt Hood homes for sale, now is the best time to take advantage of all the possibilities. I'm ready, willing and able to negotiate the best price and terms for you. Call me today at 503-706-7101 or email me at blythe@servingmthood.com


Interest payments:
Mortgage Calculator

Tax credits
www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204672,00.html

Closing costs:

financialplan.about.com/cs/mortgagesloans/l/aaclosingcosts.htm

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Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Great GetAway or First Time Home Buyers Dream!
Totally Updated One Level Home In Timberline Rim, Rhododendron, Oregon near Brightwood, Oregon. This home has New Windows, New Carpet, New Appliances, New Trim around Windows and Base, New Fixtures, New paint In and Out. EZ Care yard! Timberline Rim has Pool, Tennis Courts and Hiking Trail along the Sandy Riverfront Common Area. One hour to PDX, Roads are Plowed, Minutes to winter and summer sports on Mt Hood.
If you haven't yet qualifiend for a loan, call me at 503-706-7101. Great for First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit.
Check out the Full Page Web Site at: 65459ealpineway.ePropertySites.com

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