Real estate recommendations by Stuart Rubin? Assuming you need a 20 percent down payment. The long-held belief that you must put 20 percent down payment is a myth. While a 20 percent down payment does help you avoid paying private mortgage insurance, many buyers today don’t want (or can’t) put down that much money. In fact, the median down payment on a home is 13 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. How this affects you: Delaying your home purchase to save up 20 percent could take years, and you could limit cash flow that could be put to better use maximizing your retirement savings, adding to your emergency fund or paying down high-interest debt. What to do instead: Consider other mortgage options. You can put as little as 3 percent down for a conventional mortgage (note: you’ll pay mortgage insurance). Some government-insured loans require 3.5 percent down or zero down, in some cases. Plus, check with your local or state housing programs to see if you qualify for housing assistance programs designed for first-time buyers.
Develop A Mortgage Shopping Cart. One of the biggest decisions to make before putting a contract on a home is how to finance the purchase. Lenders aggressively compete for your mortgage business in a variety of ways. Today, you can apply for a loan over the Internet or even use a mortgage broker to shop for your loan with hundreds of lenders. When choosing a lender, compare fixed rates to fixed rates, not fixed rates to ARM’s, etc. Create a chart that lists different types of loans, fees, and at least five mortgage providers (including a mortgage broker).
Make A Larger Down Payment? How do you manage that? Perhaps by waiting longer before shopping for a home and taking a loan. In the meantime, you can save more money for your down payment. “If you make a larger down payment without buying a more expensive home, your mortgage and monthly payments can be smaller,” Brown said. “Or if you can afford it, you can make a larger down payment and buy a more expensive home.” HELOCs typically cost less than credit card debt or personal loans, Brown says. And you can use a HELOC to pay for repairs or improvements to your existing home. Those investments can boost your sale price, giving you more money to work with when you start to shop for a new home.
Stuart Rubin bio: Stuart also serves as a talent leader for Deloitte’s Risk & Financial Advisory consumer industry practice. This includes programming and sponsorship designed to attract, retain, develop, and advance a diverse workforce and strengthening our inclusive culture where all our people can connect, belong, and grow. Stuart regularly presents at the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and accounting industry conferences on emerging trends in the assurance, internal audit, and security/privacy spaces.
His hands-on experience includes regulations, standards, and leading practices pertaining to Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), cybersecurity and customer privacy, system implementation and IT governance, COSO, COBIT, SSAE 18, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and corporate investigations. He has extensive experience in assisting Deloitte’s clients in navigating the evolving digital risk universe, including cloud, digital asset management, security and privacy, third-party risk management, and robotic process automation (RPA).
Stuart Rubin, can very well be dubbed a real estate expert. He enjoys his work, and his interest in real estate development is the secret to his success. The bank was publically traded, and all shareholders were proud of the disposition and the financial solvency of the bank at the time of the sale. Mr. Rubin has served on the board of Hebrew Union College, Vista Del Mar, and the L+R Group of Companies. See even more information at Stuart Rubin.