Homeowners

Spring is on the way, which means warmer temperatures and more expensive bills as you utilize your AC more. If you’re a homeowner looking for ways to save money this spring and summer, try some of these tips!  1. Refinance Your Mortgage Mortgage rates are still low, but they’re rising again. Homeowners can save money monthly and yearly by refinancing their mortgage. While they’ll initially...

If buying a home is a New Year’s resolution for you in 2022, then you’re going to need a good credit score if you want to get the best interest rate for a mortgage. Most finance experts say a score of 600 or higher is a good number. But to get excellent interest rates, a score of over 700 is recommended. You can check your score through your online banking platform or request a free credit report at...

The State of Texas passed new legislation, so there’s a new and exciting update to homestead exemptions in Texas! We’ll cover what you need to know about the new legislation and what it means for you and the real estate market.  What Is A Homestead Exemption? A homestead exemption lowers a homeowner’s property tax by removing part of the home’s value from the taxation. The home’s...

Cooler weather has finally arrived in Central Texas! Do you know what that means? It’s time to perform fall home maintenance to keep your home in tip-top shape. Save yourself time and money by tackling these fall home projects this weekend! Regular home maintenance is essential in preserving the major systems within your home, and it may also reduce homeowner costs along the way.  1. Clean the...

Remember the Homestead Exemption we mentioned in our April newsletter? Your efforts to file and save yourself money have paid off! Leander City Council approved a homestead exemption on June 3rd. The Homestead Exemption Earlier this month, Leander City Council approved a residential homestead exemption of $5,000 or 1% of the home’s appraised value, whichever is greater, as property values...

These six features will help increase your home’s value in a buyer’s eyes. This means your home’s listing price could be increased or decreased, too. Factors that determine your home’s value that can’t be changed are square footage, amount of bedrooms, what neighbors’ houses sold for, and location. While there are many factors to consider when a real estate agent analyzes how much to price...

Whether you're saving because you want to put down a 20% down payment, creating an emergency fund, or it's a New Years' resolution, we’re going to give you some tips to save money this year! Automate it all Automating helps you save without you even realizing it or making decisions. Automate your 401(k) contribution to be taken pretax from your salary and automatic transfers from your checking...