As soon as a brand new car is purchased and rolls off the dealer’s parking lot it loses a considerable amount of its retail value. That makes the purchase of a fine pre-owned automobile a great investment, but the trick to buying any used car is to avoid purchasing a vehicle that has hidden problems that will impede performance or cause costly and aggravating repairs. (more…)
Locating a good mortgage broker who is resourceful enough to shop your loan to several competitive and reputable lenders is often the best way to go when buying a home or doing a refinance. A mortgage broker may be able to negotiate for a better loan, advise you of options you would not otherwise know about, or help you locate an attractive mortgage from a lender you might not have discovered while doing your own search. (more…)
Many companies offer extended warranties on their products at the point of purchase. When you go to a large electronics store, for example, and buy a camera or CD player you will usually be offered an extended warranty at check-out. The warranty might cost $10-20, and the impulse of most consumers is to go ahead and buy it in case something goes wrong with their item. But according to consumer experts most of those warranties are not worth buying. (more…)
Just as homebuyers scurried to buy homes before the end of the year in order to qualify for a special $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, Congress decided to extend it a little bit longer. The program has been very successful at encouraging sales, and many housing industry observers credit it with helping the housing market rebound. Now first-time buyers have until the last day of April, 2010 to get purchases under signed contract in order to enjoy the big tax perk. (more…)