SoFi Blog

Thinking of buying a home this year? With interest rates, rents and housing prices all on the rise, this could be an opportune time to make it happen – and an interest-only mortgage loan might be the thing that makes it possible.

When you’re buying your first home, it can be tempting to mentally skip ahead to the fun part where you’re picking out window treatments and hanging your favorite artwork.

However, as anyone with prior experience will tell you, the process of buying a home should begin long before you start planning your epic remodel. As a first-time homebuyer, checking a few boxes early on in the process can help ensure you’re prepared to act when the home you want goes on the market.

Want to know where to start? Here are six essential steps for setting up your home buying experience the right way.

These days, it seems the only thing more expensive than San Francisco rent is a San Francisco mortgage payment. Or is it the other way around?  It’s getting hard to keep track.

This time of year marks a very busy season for the housing market. The weather is improving, inventory has increased, and buyers and sellers alike have emerged from hibernation to put their much-anticipated homebuying and selling plans in motion.

Where in the U.S. are homes selling the fastest? Look to the San Francisco Bay Area, and you’ll find your answer. According to a recent report, 8 of the 10 fastest-moving real estate markets in the U.S. are located in California. The top three are in the Bay Area.

The report came from Ralph McLaughlin, a housing economist at Trulia, who did an analysis of the fastest-moving real estate markets in the United States. For those of us who live in California, this list may not be a surprise.