Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Zero Down Payment Mortgages Are Here Again
Mortgage loans are prohibitively expensive; this is hardly breaking news. Housing prices are so far outside people’s budgets that the only way to lower your mortgage payment to something that you can qualify for is to make a sizable down payment, but rent is so expensive that no one can save for a down… Read More »
Short Refinances
You can tell that trouble is brewing in the housing market because people have started resorting to unconventional methods in order to obtain and keep home mortgage loans. For example, it is so difficult to qualify for a home mortgage loan, given the astronomical interest rates, that assumable mortgages are experiencing a resurgence in… Read More »
LLC Operating Agreements
Starting a business is easy, but making it profitable is not. To incorporate a business, all you have to do is file a form, and then you can get to work marketing your products or services. When things go wrong, though, you often wish that you had more written agreements to rely on so… Read More »
ABC As an Alternative to Bankruptcy
The decision to close a business can come as a relief. You might be walking away from an unsuccessful venture so that you can start a new one that has greater chances of success. Perhaps you have decided to get out of the entrepreneurship game all together and just work a boring desk job,… Read More »
The 5 Ds of Real Estate Purchases
Economists have described the current generation of first-time home buyers as “nepo babies.” This means that house purchases are so expensive that no one below the age of 40 can afford to buy a house or condo unless their parents contribute to the down payment. In other words, the young generation cannot reasonably aspire… Read More »
PITI Mortgage Loans Are So Expensive
If you are in the market for a home mortgage, first take a moment to be grateful that your financial situation is as good as it is. Home ownership is becoming an increasingly unattainable dream. Home mortgage loans are the biggest debt that most people incur in their lives, and the value of the… Read More »
What’s New With Residential Real Estate Tax Credits?
The Internet is practically unanimous about the fact that most Americans who have never owned a house will never be able to buy one unless they get a subsidy from the Bank of Mom and Dad. The policies that expanded homeownership opportunities are long gone. Most people with steady jobs are lucky if they… Read More »
Earth to Medicare: Seniors Need Dental Cleanings, Too
There are some people in this world who seem determined to look on the bright side of everything. No matter what you complain about, they will always turn it into an opportunity for gratitude, even when it is a legitimate grievance. If you complain about paying taxes, be thankful that you have a job. … Read More »
Do Revocable Trusts Help You Save Money on Taxes?
In many ways, a revocable trust is the best of both worlds. The revocable trust is a non-probate asset, much like an irrevocable trust. Unlike an irrevocable trust, though, a revocable trust does not require you to make a forever decision about your money and then live to regret it. The thing that makes… Read More »
Mixed Use Development With Affordable Housing Units Opens in D.C.
This month, a new mixed-use development opened in Southeast D.C. The Clara, named after Clara Muhammad, is located at the original site of America’s Islamic Heritage Museum, and the new building includes a permanent location for the museum on the ground floor. The ground floor of The Clara also includes retail spaces, in which… Read More »
