Mortgages - Registered Investment Advisor

Torn Between Two Houses

By Scott Burns Q. My husband and I moved to Austin about 5 years ago. Tom is 65 and I am 63. Tom is a marketing research executive who was laid off in February of 2009. He has been unable to find work. In January of this year he and a colleague started...

Posted Aug 04 2010, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Q&A (from print), Mortgages

Paycheck Houses and Portfolio Houses

By Scott Burns How many times have you seen a gigantic house and wondered: How can anyone afford a place that expensive? Plenty, I bet. They may not be in the neighborhood, but you can’t escape the pictures. It’s pretty intimidating to look...

Posted Jun 25 2010, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Mortgages

In Austin, Sleepless about Seattle Home

By Scott Burns Q. We own a home in a suburb of Seattle. We paid $475,000 for it in the summer of 2006. We still owe $350,000. It has 2,300 square feet, was built in 2000, and needs updating. My husband took a transfer to Texas in 2008. I stayed with our...

Posted Jun 16 2010, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Q&A (from print), Mortgages

It Won’t Hurt to Pay Off a Mortgage

By Scott Burns Q. I have 10 years left on a 15-year mortgage at 5.75 percent. The payment is $909 a month. The pay-off is $84,000. So I could save about $25,000 in interest by paying it off. I also have a CD coming due for the same amount. If I could...

Posted May 19 2010, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 2 comment(s)

Filed under: Q&A (from print), Mortgages

Who Should Rent and Who Should Own?

By Scott Burns Q. In several columns you have advocated renting rather than owning a house. I would like to ask you: Under what circumstances is renting more feasible? I am single, female and 69 years old. I own a house with no mortgage. It’s worth...

Posted May 05 2010, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Q&A (from print), Mortgages

Shelter: There is a Time to Rent, and a Time to Buy

By Scott Burns Q. I've tried to get opinions from different people on this question and all the opinions differ. I have a home and 80 acres in the country. Recently, I inherited another 240 acres adjoining my property. Everything I have is paid for...

Posted Apr 07 2010, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Q&A (from print), Mortgages

House Rich, or House Poor?

By Scott Burns Q. Our home is appraised at $851,000. I think we could sell it for much more than that. In 2008, for instance, it was appraised at $1,077,000. As an 18-year-old house, it will soon be in need of significant repairs— roof, windows...

Posted Feb 10 2010, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Q&A (from print), Mortgages

Home Lending: Still A Problem, But Another Kind of Problem

By Scott Burns Analysts greeted the tiny May increase in existing home sales with minimal cheer. I guess they were looking for something more dramatic. In fact, they didn’t understand the meaning of the little uptick. It was a miracle . It is miraculous...

Posted Jul 10 2009, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 2 comment(s)

Filed under: Mortgages, Economy, Financial Crisis

How Older People Benefit from Mortgage Payoff

By Scott Burns It’s always good to have readers who pay attention. Last week, asked how a young Army lieutenant should invest , I focused on finding a low-cost fund that invested in a broad portfolio. I suggested three such funds. Readers quickly...

Posted Jun 17 2009, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 2 comment(s)

Filed under: Mortgages

Extra Principal Payments on Small Mortgages Are a Good Use of Extra Cash

By Scott Burns Q. My monthly mortgage payment is slightly over $500 a month. It varies yearly with cost of taxes and insurance. I pay an extra $100 each month on the principal. Is this a good idea? ---P.M., by email A. Yes, it is a very good idea. It...

Posted May 27 2009, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Q&A (from print), Mortgages

No Magic in Biweekly Mortgage Payments

By Scott Burns Q. I have a new mortgage loan of $328,000 at 5.25 percent. Recently a direct mail offer said that if I pay the mortgage biweekly, I can save about $100,000 during the loan repayment period. Can I pay one additional installment every year...

Posted May 06 2009, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Q&A (from print), Mortgages

Lock n’ Load: We’re on Foreclosure Safari!

By Scott Burns LAS VEGAS . If you’d like to learn about adapting to change, spend an afternoon with Jennifer Martin, Realtor. You might also buy a condo or house while you’re at it. Priced to insane levels at the top of the bubble, lots of Las Vegas real...

Posted Apr 03 2009, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Mortgages, Economy, Financial Crisis

Watching California: The National Yard Sale Begins

By Scott Burns SAN DIEGO. “License to Chill” glides by a wonderful sight in San Diego harbor. Hundreds of sea lions, basking at leisure, occupy their own private resort, a long dock that is anchored out in the harbor. Respectful pelicans, cormorants and...

Posted Oct 22 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments

Filed under: Government, Mortgages, Other Disasters, Taxes &amp, Financial Crisis

Stay the Course, But Rethink Shelter

By Scott Burns Q. My wife and I are 52 years old. We’re slogging through a lot of expenses, and we’re nervous about the market. Here are the basics: Our two children in private school cost $19,000 a year. College starts for one in 2 years. Both will be...

Posted Apr 16 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 1 comment(s)

Filed under: Q&A (from print), Mortgages

The Last Bubble

By Scott Burns First it was technology stocks. Then houses. Now U.S. Treasury obligations. I guess you can’t keep a bubble down. But it doesn’t seem right. How can a government as irresponsible as ours be rewarded with such low interest rates? The answer...

Posted Mar 21 2008, 02:45 PM by admin with | with 3 comment(s)

Filed under: Mortgages, Financial Crisis

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Registered Investment Advisor

Torn Between Two Houses

Paycheck Houses and Portfolio Houses

In Austin, Sleepless about Seattle Home

It Won’t Hurt to Pay Off a Mortgage

Who Should Rent and Who Should Own?

Shelter: There is a Time to Rent, and a Time to Buy

House Rich, or House Poor?

Home Lending: Still A Problem, But Another Kind of Problem

How Older People Benefit from Mortgage Payoff

Extra Principal Payments on Small Mortgages Are a Good Use of Extra Cash

No Magic in Biweekly Mortgage Payments

Lock n’ Load: We’re on Foreclosure Safari!

Watching California: The National Yard Sale Begins

Stay the Course, But Rethink Shelter

The Last Bubble

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