Cool Home Ideas–Grand Rapids and Beyond
Looking for some cool home ideas that will elevate your humble abode to a whole new level? Look no further. We have helped thousands of clients with renovation mortgages in Grand Rapids and have seen some pretty cool interiors and exteriors. We will share below some of the cooler pictures and descriptions of the cool home ideas that we have seen.
Cool Home Idea #1: Movie Theater Room
One extremely popular and relatively cheap and easy cool home idea is to design a room as a home theater. Paint a wall white or any neutal color and then install a projector at the back over the couch (can be as little as $250. Add surround sound to complete the project. Any old bedroom can be made to look like this and it is a cool home idea for new empty nesters.
Cool Home Idea #2 Remodel Your Kitchen
Remodeling your kitchen is the classic cool home idea. The kitchen is where you will entertain guests the most so it might as well be the coolest room in your house. So many kitchens look the same make yours different. One great way to get a kitchen home remodel looking great and costing little is to use a 203k loan. You can get all new stainless steel appliances and add an island in the center of the kitchen. For a different kind of look opt for a circle island. A plug for an ipad or tablet can make for a great electronic cook book.
Cool Home Idea #3– Exposed Gym/patio/other
Admittedly this idea does not work everywhere but with the right type of sliding glass it can even work in areas like Grand Rapids where it is cold half the year. It is relatively easy to build an added 4 walls with some support beams in the back of your house regardless of the type of patio you currently have. You can install sliding glass that you can use in the colder months or at times with lots of bugs. Working out in fresh air is better any ways!
To get some start on these or any cool home ideas you may need funding. One great option for funding is the 203k home repair loan, it has been helping home owners to make cool home ideas come true for a couple years now and is an FHA product available to most home owners.
Grand Rapids– Mortgage Companies in Grand Rapids, MI
One of the hardest parts about buying a new home is often just finding the right mortgage companies to work with.
The biggest issues when choosing a mortgage company are honesty and location. You want to work with someone who is in the same local area as the home you are planning to buy.
Honesty and communication are also important factors and it is extremely important that you work with a mortgage company in Grand Rapids, MI who is always available to answer your questions. Often times local businesses have the best communication and will be able to get your loan done expediently.
One good mortgage company in Grand Rapids, MI is Treadstone Funding
Treadstone Funding has teams that specializes in all major loan types in cluding FHA 203k mortgages (great for repairs), VA Mortgage Loans, Zero Down Loans, and even escrow repair.
Treadstone is a growing company that is always hiring new talent from the Grand Rapids area. If you are looking for a good local mortgage company with a great reputation in the Grand Rapids community check us out. You can see what people have said online. Many of our customers even leave us positive Google reviews. Just try, Google “Treadstone Funding” and see what people are saying!
How To Get Pre-Approved For a Mortgage–An Insider Guide
Ten years ago it was pretty easy to get a mortgage and buy a home. Now things are a little harder but still doable. One thing you must understand is how to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan! Understanding what pre-approval means will make the mortgage process easier for you and will increase your chances of getting everything right when you apply to be pre-approved for a mortgage loan.
5 Things That Matter For Pre Approval & Thus How To Get Pre Approved for a Mortgage Loan
- To Get You Must Give: To receive a pre approval for a mortgage you must provide basic information such as your name, address, DOB, social security number, occupation, and average income. All of this can usually be given to a loan officer via phone or online form. Mortgage companies are required to use secure online forms to ensure the security of your data.
- Be Honest: As soon as your loan officer uses your social security to run your credit all of the data is pretty much there but sometimes the details can trip you up later in the process, a pre approval often depends on the quality of information that is given. Providing honest information will save you time later in the mortgage process.
- Do You Pay? One question you will be asked is whether or not you pay your bills, it seems easy but be honest think of any instances where you may have had late payments or just forgotten a bill.
- How Much? Whether or not you will be pre approved for a mortgage also depends on how much you are looking to get pre approved for. You may find that you are pre approved easily for a $100,000 but when you then find a house that is $200,000 you may not meet the requirements to receive pre approval.
- Can You Afford It? Your loan officer and his team will examine your total earnings compared to the total amount of bills you have. This is known as your debt to income ratio and it largely determines whether or not you will be pre approved. We will look at your total assets including savings, stocks, 401ks, IRAs and more. To show income you may need W2s, pay stubs, and tax returns.
If you come to the table knowing all of the above information it will be much easier to get pre approved and get into your new home. To alleviate all of your questions and concerns about how to get pre approved for a mortgage call Treadstone Mortgage in Grand Rapids today we help all of Michigan with the pre approval process!
To apply for pre approval now click here!
When is Earth Day 2012? And Things To Do in Grand Rapids for Earth Day.
Earth Day comes around every year but with the “green” kick thats been going around (finally) people seem to take more notice of Earth Day now than ever before especially in the Grand Rapids area.
When is Earth Day 2012?
Earth Day 2012 is scheduled for Sunday April 22. In fact Earth Day is scheduled to be on April 22 until at least 2015 when it may change.
Grand Rapids Earth Day Activities
So you now know when Earth Day is, we got lucky and its on a sunday but what kinds of things to do are there on Earth Day in Grand Rapids? Well it turns out that Earth Day is all about the Earth so Sunday itself is pretty sparse for events but the Earth Day weekend is chocked full of fun things to do in and around Grand Rapids.
One great event for the family is the Party for the Planet taking place at the John Ball Zoo the day before on April 21.
Another great option for a classic earth day tradition is to get your family together and plant a tree. It might seem obvious but planting a tree really does help the planet. It is also something that you can watch grow over the years.
Many local businesses are offering specials for Earth Day. Chipotle in particular is trying to promote its new lunch bags by offering a free burrito to anyone who buys one of their reusable bags. Origins beauty products is offering to swap you any half full bottle of cosmetics for a full size bottle off their green skin care line.
The national park service is offering free admission to all 397 of its parks from April 21-29. This is a great way to spend Earth Day outside with your family.
A furniture store in Grand Rapids, The Mattress Sale is also giving away a $25 gift card to anyone who wears green into their store between now and Earth Day. They are a “green” furniture store in Grandville, MI who feature a special line of Green Mattresses and Products.
So now you may be asking why a mortgage company is posting about earth day. Well its easy, we try to be green as well. We offer a “green” energy efficient mortgage. The 203k is a home repair loan that can be used to green up your new house to make it both more earth friendly and energy efficient. You can put all new energy efficient appliances in your home, get solar panels, or even bamboo floors. If you know someone who likes to be earth friendly please let them know about our green 203k home repair loan.
And of course have a happy Earth Day and remember to come back here if you need to remember “when is Earth Day 2012″ or “things to do in Grand Rapids for Earth Day.”
Mortgage Bankers in Grand Rapids Michigan
If you are looking for mortgage bankers in Grand Rapids, Michigan look no further than Treadstone Funding
A quick Google Search will tell you that there are hundreds of mortgage bankers in Grand Rapids Michigan and the surrounding areas but it is important to choose a team who you know and trust. Another critical issue is that you want to make sure you work with someone local. Working with a local mortgage banker is important because local professionals have insider information that could be the difference between your home mortgage loan closing on time or not.
Local mortgage bankers also often use local appraisers who are more familiar with the area and more likely to appraise the home you are interested in for an amount that will satisfy your loan requirements. A good strategy for locating honest mortgage bankers is to do a Google Search for “mortgage grand rapids” under the maps section. This will show you all of the mortgage bankers who truly are local to your area. Not only will the distance help but google now allows for reviews from users who have worked wih companies. For example Treadstone is on Google Places and has many reviews from satisfied customers.
For more information on mortgage financing with Treadstone check out our mortgage experience video!
Spring Home Improvement Projects And How To Cost Effectively Pay For Them
Home Improvement: Its not just a Tim Allen show anymore. In fact home improvement is a very real term that could help to transform your house into something new, fresh, and even more energy efficient. That being said humans often have the tendency to procrastinate and put things off. Home improvement projects however are worth doing, dont always have to be done by you, and most importantly can be done on almost any budget. Below are some recommendations for home improvement projects that can improve the value of your house on a budget. We will also explain some ways of financing these expenditures that will save you real dollars.
Spring Home Improvement Projects
1. Add an attached garage. It must conform to city standards but many houses built at certain times do not have a garage which is one of the most common things people desire in a house. Garages can be put up on a budget and they increase the value of your home. They also require little maintenance once built. Its like a house for your car/stuff.
2. Turn an unused room into another bathroom or add a bathroom on. This is a great option for growing families who dont want to move as well as for people who simply want to increase the value of their home. The two things that people first ask when shopping for homes are always “# bedrooms and baths”.
3. Backyard/frontyard: Many of our homes don’t look like they belong on the covers of Better Homes and Gardens but why cant they? A well landscaped back or front yard will solve the problem of people judging your book (house) by its cover. Adding or repairing a porch can add character to your home and make for a great summer project. Not only that but once you have a nice deck you can buy a barbecue and have cookouts. Everybody loves cookouts. There are many different ways to do porches and decks on a budget, as well as pricier options that will make your backyard the envy of your neighborhood.
4. Windows: Old windows not only look outdated but are often not energy efficient. By replacing or upgrading your windows you can save on your electricity/heating bills as well as improve the look of your home. Windows have gotten cheaper and cheaper over the years and can even be an easy DIY project if you are handy.
5. Kitchen: The way to any person’s heart is through the kitchen. Some of the most common things to do a kitchen in terms of home improvement projects include new cabinets, new furniture, new appliances, and even new counter tops. By updating your kitchen you are improving the future marketability of your home and also making your home more inviting.
Financing Spring Home Improvement Projects
One great way to finance home improvement projects is by using a 203k in combination with a home refinance. A 203k home loan can be added to a refiance towards certain upgrades, your monthly payment will shrink depending on the lower rate you are refinancing at is. Then for every $1000 you borrow towards elligible home improvements your monthly payment will only go up by around $6 a month depending on how many years you refinance your mortgage too.
The best part of using the 203k loan is that you can rest assured that a licensed contractor will complete the repairs in a good amount of time. As opposed to DIY projects that you may or may not get to a 203k is a great option to ensure the work is completed and not put yourself into debt at the same time.
Grand Rapids Area Code and Zip Code Information
The Home Buying Process- Now Simplified For Your Conveniance
Buying a home can be a complicated process. From getting pre-approved for a home mortgage loan, to selecting the right Real Estate Agent, to getting the home inspected and finally signing papers at the title company. All of these are aspects of the home buying process that if not done right can put a quick end to your home ownership dreams.
That is why Treadstone Mortgage has teamed up with The Steve Volkers Group, Chicago Title and Ace Home Inspection to help home seekers around Michigan and the country with a step by step process on buying a home in the West Michigan area. You can find helpful and easy to understand information along with Real Estate terminology at http://www.mihomebuyingprocess.com
We hope that you can share our new home buying process website with any of your friends who may be looking for a new home. We can help make that process easier.
Real Life Grand Rapids Mortgage Company Customer Experiences
Dave G.– Caledonia MI– Completed Home Loan with Treadstone Mortgage in Sept 2011
“I had been working with a realtor for around three months and although we thought we already had a good mortgage company in Grand Rapids it turns out they couldnt help us with the type of loan we needed. We are fairly young as far as home owners go and decided on a fixer upper in Caledonia, MI that had a low price but had some major problems. Our realtor recommended Kevin at Treadstone Mortgage, saying that he could help us use a loan called a 203k to do all of the necessary repairs and roll the cost of the repairs into the loan. My wife and I aren’t really mortgage experts so we just went along with it, and surprisingly there were no problems. A contractor came by and helped us complete the necessary repairs and then asked if there were any extra things we wanted to do. Although looking back we should have taken better advantage of this option at the time all that we added to the necessary repairs were new appliances. Kevin and Julie at Treadstone did a great job and i would recommend them to anyone in Grand Rapids looking for a mortgage company with low rates and the best customer service.”
Maureen–Grand Rapids, MI– Completed Refinance Loan with Treadstone Mortgage in March 2012
“I have lived in Grand Rapids for 10 years now after moving from Illinois, and when i first purchased my home i did my mortgage with a bank in Grand Rapids. I was actually having drinks with a friend one night when she mentioned that mortgage rates in Grand Rapids were at all time lows. I did some research online and found that Treadstone Funding had Grand Rapids mortgage rates as low as 3.5%. I called the next day and talked to Brendan who was able to help me refinance my home loan. He was extremely courteous and his team kept me informed throughout the whole process of collecting documents and getting papers signed. Overall I did spend some money however I was able to get a mortgage rate of 3.75% which was almost 2% lower than my previous loan rate.”
Nick F–East Grand Rapids, MI–Completed Home Loan with Treadstone Mortgage in June 2011.
“What with all of the bad news about mortgage companies in Grand Rapids with the bad economy, and housing crisis i wanted to work with a good Christian mortgage company. I was recommended to use Brendan at Treadstone Funding by a friend from Catholic Central (Go Cougars!). My loan went great and i felt the advice that Brendan gave me was advice that would help my future, not just his wallet. I ended up borrowing less than i was approved for and was still able to get a great home. He even explained the benefit of a 15year loan over a 30year, and i ended up getting a low interest rate on a 15year loan in East Grand Rapids. Brendan even showed up to closing, which didnt happen when i got my first loan.”
Hanna & Luke–Grand Rapids, MI–Completed Second Mortgage with Treadstone Mortgage in November 2011.
“We were having lunch at Hopcat in Grand Rapids while we were house hunting one afternoon and happened to meet Brian, a loan officer with Treadstone Mortgage. It was kind of a coincidence but he overheard us talking about house hunting and let us know that he could help us. He set us up with a great realtor who knew the neighborhoods we were looking at well. Brian was great throughout the whole process and his processer Neil was funny and always friendly. We ended up getting a beautiful 3 bedroom 2 bath home in Grand Rapids for less than $100,000 and the best part is that we can rent out 2 of the rooms to cover the whole cost of our mortgage. Treadstone is in my opinion the best mortgage company in Grand Rapids.”
Bill–Allendale, MI–Completed Home Loan with Treadstone Mortgage in January 2012.
“I was panning to wait until spring to start house hunting but a friend told me that January was a good time to buy because everyone buys in the spring and there is less competition. I did a google search for “mortgage grand rapids” and found Carolyn from Treadstone Mortgage. She helped me get a home loan on a beautiful lake front home on Lake Michigan Drive. She and her team closed the loan in 3 weeks which my realtor was pretty impressed with. She even went a step further and helped me figure out other services to use related to the home buying process. I highly recommend Carolyn Kruithoff for anyone looking for a mortgage broker in Grand Rapids.”
FHA Mortgages–An A-Z Guide to The FHA Mortgage Loan
FHA Mortgage Loans are home mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Technically FHA does not provide their loans but rather lenders and banks provide and originate the various types of FHA Mortgages and FHA itself insures the loans and protects lenders from defaults.
FHA Mortgage Loans are great options for first time home buyers but they can also be great for anyone who wants any of the following mortgage criteria:
- More Liberal Qualification Standards
- Lower Downpayment (starts at 3.5%)
- Lower Monthly Mortgage Insurance
- Lower Closing Costs (varies)
- Great Options For Do It Yourself (See 203k Home Repair Loan)
- Usually Available on 1-4 Unit Properties
FHA Mortgage Loans are however great for people even if you are not a first time home buyer. Because credit restrictions are typically lower FHA loans are also great options for people who want a fresh start. One main reason the 203k loan is so hot right now especially in Grand Rapids, MI is that it allows you to get upto $35,000 for home renovations… and that is just the partial 203k loan. The full FHA 203k loan actually lets you get upwards of $200,000 for necessary repairs and additions.
Resources
If you are ready to apply for a loan right now, click here. This will take about 10-15 minutes to complete.
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