If you are thinking about buying a new home, then this is an exciting time; however, buying a home is also a big decision. For this reason, you need to make sure that you take the time to get this decision right. That also means working with the right mortgage lender. Unfortunately, there are a lot of common mistakes that homebuyers may make when looking for a lender. Understand these common pitfalls so you can make sure to avoid them.

If you are thinking about refinancing your mortgage to a lower rate, then you are probably looking forward to saving money on your monthly payments. You can also go through the refinancing process to tap into the equity in your home to finance home improvements while also consolidating your other debts. At the same time, this is a big decision and you need to work with the best mortgage lenders to get a new home loan that is favorable to your financial situation. When it comes to refinancing your first mortgage, there are a few tips to follow.

If you are thinking about refinancing your mortgage, then you know that this is a great way to save money on your monthly payment, shorten the term of your loan, or tap into the equity of your home for a home improvement project. At the same time, refinancing is like taking out a new home loan. For this reason, you need to know what to expect. There are a few tips that you should follow to make it easier for you to refinance successfully.

Everyday people secure home improvement loans for a wide variety of reasons. Some feel they need to upgrade rooms or build an addition for resale value purposes. Others want to improve the quality of life experience of living in the space. The different goals make it nearly impossible for someone to definitively say that one way or another is the best way to utilize home improvement loans. That’s because it really comes down to maximizing the benefit you want. But for argument's sake, let’s consider two tracts about “best” uses — lifestyle and return on investment (ROI).

At its core, the concept behind home equity is a simple one. It’s a term that describes the difference between the fair market or “appraised” value and the outstanding balance of any and all loans that you may still owe. If your home was worth $200,000 and you still owed $100,000, for example, the equity on your home would be $100,000.

As you may know, Carolina Trust has recently partnered with WBTW News 13's Living Local Carolina show for a Financial Friday segment. During one of our recent Financial Fridays, we had the opportunity to visit one of our members' beautiful home in Murrells Inlet, SC and talk about Home Equity Loans and Lines of Credit with our Mortgage Loan Officer, Kelly Rowland. 

When hard-working people find themselves swimming in high-interest debt, it’s time to look for a lifeline and pull yourself out. Leveraging your home equity to consolidate monthly payments that are crushing your financial health and quality of life can be a game-changing solution.