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Finance

Lender announces 30-year home loan under 2%, even as mortgage rates rise

By Gertrude Aziz 2 days ago

Though mortgage rates have generally been moving higher this week, one of America’s largest home lenders keeps moving things far in the other direction.

United Wholesale Mortgage — the company that recently announced a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage with rates as low as 1.875% — has just unveiled a 30-year fixed-rate loan that starts at just 1.999%.

UWM’s new deal offers potentially huge savings for borrowers.

“Roughly speaking, this means a consumer with a $300,000 home who puts down 10% and refinances from a 3.14% to 1.999% interest rate can save nearly $128,785.56 over the life of the loan,” UWM said, in an email.

But can anybody get a 1.999% mortgage? Is there a catch?

Rates far below the average

Businessman looking down at the falling red arrow destroying a concrete barrier. Collapse and drop. Fall and depreciation. Regression and deterioration. Crisis. — Gearstd / Shutterstock

The rate on UWM’s loan is way below this week’s average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage: 2.96%, according to mortgage company Freddie Mac. Though rates are

Finance

Back-to-School Shopping Tips for Home Schooling and At-Home Learning

By Gertrude Aziz 3 days ago

The back-to-school shopping season is looking very different this year for both parents and retailers. As families brace themselves for several months of distance learning, parents are expected to spend more in different categories compared to last year.

According to the 2020 Back-to-School Survey from Deloitte, 51% of parents will spend more on internet-based learning resources, such as virtual tutors, subscriptions and e-learning platforms, as well as online classes. The survey also found that families are expected to dish out nearly $400 on average for computers and hardware, up 38% from last year, and an additional $316 on electronic gadgets and digital subscriptions.

No to mention that retailers throughout the country are shuttering doors of poorly performing store locations as they struggle to make up for lost sales. This will impact the number of sales offered during this back-to-school season.

“Struggling retailers and brands are determining they can’t afford to

Personal

8 helpful Chrome extensions to improve working from home

By Gertrude Aziz 7 days ago

On one hand working from home is truly awesome. Your commute is however far it is from your bed to your laptop, you don’t have to deal face-to-face with annoying colleagues, you can make your own homemade, healthy snacks, and yes, you can work in your pajamas.

On the other hand, working from home turns your cozy sanctuary into an extension of your workplace, and it can be hard to switch off the way you normally would when you leave a physical place.

While there are some things you can do to mitigate this, like finding a place to work that’s not where you play, being strict with cut off times to stop working, and making sure you take regular breaks, there are also some other hacks that we think can help your work-from-home process. These come in the form of

Money

The rise of Jake Paul, the YouTube megastar whose home was raided by the FBI as part of an ongoing investigation

By Gertrude Aziz 1 week ago

Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Lionsgate Home Entertainment/AP Images

Jake Paul is a 23-year-old YouTube star who got his start on video-sharing app Vine.
The former Disney Channel actor has nearly 20 million subscribers on YouTube, where he posts vlogs and pranks.
Paul married fellow YouTuber Tana Mongeau in 2019, but it was later revealed that the marriage was fake.
The FBI raided Paul’s Calabasas, Calif., mansion on Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into “criminal acts” regarding Paul’s May visit to a Scottsdale, Arizona, mall, an agency spokesperson said.
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Jake Paul, 23, is one-half of the Paul brothers, two of the most recognizable and controversial YouTube stars. Jake Paul garnered online fame on Vine before even graduating high school, and found early notoriety as a star on Disney Channel.

Since then, Paul has gained millions of followers across social media who

Money

Home brewing equipment is flying off the shelves in the summer of coronavirus

By Gertrude Aziz 1 week ago

MILWAUKEE – Jason Rohloff is an avid home brewer, but only COVID-19 can explain his recent output.

Rohloff, a 40-year-old manufacturing manager from Cudahy, has brewed 100 gallons of beer since the pandemic started. That’s more than what he would typically make in eight or nine months.

“I have beer now that I don’t what to do with, I brewed so much,” Rohloff said. “I can’t imagine the circumstance is unique to a lot of people.”

The Brewers Association, which includes the American Homebrewers Association, counts 1.2 million home brewers in the country, but hasn’t tracked new brewers since the pandemic began.

However, those who sell home-brewing equipment in Milwaukee say there is definitely a surge.

“There’s nothing to do but drink beer and brew beer,” said Ben Caya, owner of Milwaukee-based Spike Brewing.

He’s kidding, but Spike, which makes premium equipment for brewing at home, saw its best two

Personal

Real Estate Agents Reveal Their Secrets To Get Your Home Off the Market Fast

By Gertrude Aziz 2 weeks ago

If you’re selling your home, you probably want to get it off the market ASAP. A quick sale will prevent you from having to possibly maintain and pay for two properties at once, and it also means you’ll probably get a better price for your home. Homes that don’t sell quickly tend to sell for less than asking price.

GOBankingRates spoke to real estate agents and other experts to find out their secrets for how to sell your house fast.

Last updated: March 2, 2020

Price It Right

“If you want to get a house sold fast, the best way to do it is to price it right from the start,” said Corey Chappell, a closing options analyst with 181-Close-Now. “The majority of agents go for the easy deal. That means every morning they look to see which houses just hit the market and look like good deals. If

Personal

These online courses help you become better at working from home

By Gertrude Aziz 2 weeks ago

TL;DR: Prepare for any future transitions with the 2020 Work From Anywhere Hacker Bundle for $29.99, an 84% savings as of July 31.

As work and home life continue to meld, it can be difficult to maintain boundaries, stay productive, and keep your mental health in check — especially since the COVID-19 pandemic won’t seem to let up.

But here’s the thing. Successfully working from home really just takes a few essential skills: self-motivation, communication, collaboration, and time-management. Easier said than done, right? If you need a bit of a push in the right direction, this 2020 Work From Anywhere Hacker Bundle can help you ace the work from home lifestyle and develop the skills you need to thrive as a remote worker.

The course collection comes from Cudoo.com, a comprehensive and practical lifestyle e-learning platform with more than

Money

Need extra income? Try these 3 simple ways to earn money from home

By Gertrude Aziz 2 weeks ago

With nearly 50 million Americans unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many are looking for any way to earn money from home.

NBC senior business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle spoke with TODAY’s Hoda Kotb about the best ways to help your bank account without leaving the house.

1. Make sure there’s no unclaimed money in your name.

According to Ruhle, a shocking amount of money goes unclaimed in the United States: It’s estimated that the country has about $42 billion in unclaimed funds.

“I’m talking about security deposits, store credits, money the IRS might owe you, maybe even a savings account you forgot about,” Ruhle said. “This money, if it’s left dormant for a while, gets moved to a holding account in your state, but it’s up to you to go find it.”

To start looking for any unclaimed funds, go to your state’s unclaimed property website and type in your

Insurance

Almost 10 million could be left without valid home insurance if they keep working from home

By Gertrude Aziz 2 weeks ago

Millions of Britons planning to continue working from home should contact their insurance provider or risk having their home insurance be invalidated after 1 August, when the government relaxes rules on employees working from home: Getty Images

Millions of Britons are at risk of invalidating their home insurance if they choose to continue working from home after 1 August, when the UK government will further ease lockdown rules to encourage people to return to the office.

Some 26 per cent of people plan to continue working from home on a permanent or semi-permanent basis as the coronavirus lockdown lifts, but seven in 10 are unaware they may need to inform their insurance provider of their change in circumstance, research has found.

This amounts to 9.7 million people whose home insurance may be affected after 1 August.

In addition, over half of customers are confused about how working from home could

Finance

6 Ways to Finance Your Home Improvement Project

By Gertrude Aziz 2 weeks ago

If you’ve been staring at the four walls of your home since March, you might feel an itch to finally finish your basement or update your bathroom tiles. As long as you’re at home, you might as well enjoy what you’re looking at, right?

According to a survey by online lender LightStream, 73% of homeowners are planning a home improvement project this year. Nearly two-thirds of homeowners planning renovations will use savings, the survey says. Those who don’t have savings or choose not to spend it will need to weigh their options for financing their renovation projects.

The best way to pay for your project depends on factors like your home equity, credit and goals for the project. Here are six types of home improvement loans and how each works.

1. Cash-out refinance

The economic effects of COVID-19 have driven mortgage rates down sharply, making cash-out refinance a popular recommendation