On November 5, 2025, Oconee County voters will decide whether to continue the penny that has been funding safe, modern schools since 1998. Here’s what you need to know—told in everyday language, with real answers from Oconee County Schools’ leadership.Why a Realtor Is Writing About ESPLOSTYou might...

Looking for a simple, no‑refi way to pay off your home faster? Bi‑weekly payments can cut years off your loan and save a lot of interest—without changing your interest rate.What “bi‑weekly” really meansInstead of one payment each month, you pay half your monthly payment every two weeks. There are 52...

How Do Mortgages Really Work? (And Who Actually Owns Your Loan?)When most people think about getting a home loan, they imagine walking into a bank, signing some papers, and then sending payments back to that same bank every month.That’s how it worked decades ago — your local bank lent you money dire...

​An alternative to a non-conforming loan is the use of a land contract, which is allowed in some states. A land contract is an agreement between a buyer and a seller, where the buyer agrees to make periodic payments to the seller. The title to the property only transfers to the land contract buyer o...

​An alternative to a non-conforming loan is the use of a land contract, which is allowed in some states. A land contract is an agreement between a buyer and a seller, where the buyer agrees to make periodic payments to the seller. The title to the property only transfers to the land contract buyer o...

​There really is no such thing as a no-cost mortgage loan. There are always costs, such as appraisal fees, escrow fees, title insurance fees, document fees, processing fees, flood certification fees, recording fees, notary fees, tax service fees, wire fees, and so on, depending on whether the loan i...

​There really is no such thing as a no-cost mortgage loan. There are always costs, such as appraisal fees, escrow fees, title insurance fees, document fees, processing fees, flood certification fees, recording fees, notary fees, tax service fees, wire fees, and so on, depending on whether the loan i...

How would you like a mortgage loan where you did not have to make the whole payment if you did not want to? Or would you like a loan with an interest rate about 1% below a thirty-year fixed rate mortgage and pay zero points? Or a loan where you did not have to document your income, savings history,...

What kind of lender is best?If you ask a loan officer, “What kind of lender is best?” the answer will be whatever kind of company he works for and he will give you a list of reasons why. If you meet the same loan officer years later, and he works for a different kind of lender, he will give you a li...

Mortgage Bankers.Mortgage Bankers are lenders that are large enough to originate loans and create pools of loans, which are then sold directly to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, jumbo loan investors, and others. Any company that does this is considered to be a mortgage banker.Some companies don...