It's been three years to the week since I purchased my first home. With buying a house came the responsibility of so many things I had never had to think about while renting. I was now responsible for maintenance or repairs, lawn care, pest control, taxes, insurance, etc.

With any new purchases, there is typically some type of warranty, and for me, with new construction, I had a one-year window on many of the different systems within my home. My contractor and I became great friends over the year because I called him with a million questions and issues with anything warranty-related.

As I was nearing that one-year mark, I began to worry about what I would do and what it might cost to fix things after my year. Fortunately, I stayed alert and was able to avoid any extended warranty scams, where people tried taking advantage of that worried feeling. Check out the blog post below with some of the tips I used to avoid falling victim to warranty scams:

Buying a home in the Carolinas for the first time can be a daunting experience. If you are a first time home buyer, remember that knowledge is power. Below, we present 5 key lessons to remember as you start shopping for your first house.

Have you been considering the idea of buying a home? Well, maybe 2022 is the year that you stop just browsing on Zillow and actually make the jump into homeownership.

So, how do you get started? Once you've gotten pre-qualified at Carolina Trust, you'll want to find a reputable real estate agent to help you find your dream home. But, how do you choose the right one with all the different agents and agencies?

Check out the BALANCE blog below for three easy steps to finding the perfect realtor.

Finding and buying your first home is one of life’s adventures. For first time home buyers, a first home is an excellent financial investment that offers an empty canvas of possibility. Yet what many forget with their first home purchase is that your home, unless it is in the middle of the country, also comes with a neighborhood. As you shop for your first home, you are also shopping for your first neighborhood, and you need to consider the location carefully.

Here are some considerations that can help you choose the right neighborhood when you are buying your first home.

The process of shopping for a home, negotiating a purchase price, applying for a loan, and closing a mortgage loan can be daunting and complicated for even a seasoned home buyer. As a first time home buyer, everything about the process is new and unfamiliar. While your mortgage lender and local credit counselors can help you navigate the path to homeownership, the following do's and don'ts will help you avoid some of the more common mistakes and oversights that can trip you up on your way to buying your first home.

Buying a house is exciting. Alongside the thrill of house hunting comes the anxiety of the unknown. Knowing how to buy a house and find the right mortgage to make your dream a reality are valid concerns. With multiple mortgage options, how do you decide which mortgage is right for you? Although these are good questions, there are answers, and buying a house doesn’t have to be a stressful experience.

Home mortgage options vary from state to state; sometimes, different options exist at a city or county level. In the Carolinas, there are multiple options to help home buyers, including state-specific programs to help first-time home buyers find the perfect house. Some of these programs help first time home buyers afford their new home by offering little or no money down mortgage requirements.

The surging real estate market shows no signs of slowing down, and that creates opportunities and challenges for buyers.

Buying your first home is an exciting time full of many emotions. You are ready to strike out on your own and become a homeowner! This time is also full of lots of important information, and sometimes you can feel a little overwhelmed.

You have been saving and planning, and now it is finally time to start shopping for your first home! We are thrilled for you! But before you hit the real estate listings or start interviewing agents, you have a little math to do.

Buying your first home doesn't have to be a terrifying experience. Surprisingly, however, that's how many perspective homeowners view the process. According to Nerdwallet, millennials, especially, are hesitant to enter into the home-buying arena, even though they'd like to become homeowners and see the value of buying over renting. Most feel they don't yet make enough money to foot a monthly mortgage.