Pittsburgh Mortgage and Real Estate Blog

Money Smart is all about giving back to the city of Pittsburgh. The way we like to give back is through the gift of knowledge. We offer many community programs which provide useful tips and critical facts that will educate you on the following safety topics and more.
Safe Driving
Staying safe on the road involves practice. […]

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Hello! How are you doing today? Let me get started …
Quote of the day
“Happiness is not the absence of conflict but the ability to cope with it.”
Product for the Week
Chase has an amazing Construction to Permanent Financing program. Once we get your builder/contractor approved we will finance up to […]

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When you watch the news, they talk about the mortgage crunch, and the real estate slump, but that’s what the news likes to do. The more negative something is, the more viewers they get. I guess it’s just our fault, because we as Americans seem to tune in to tragedy more than positive news. Luckily, […]

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“Pittsburgh doesn’t have a hangover because it wasn’t at the party!”
Those were the words from Dr. Marc Lougard, the president of the American Real Estate Society. He’s referring to the real estate “hangover” that a lot of other American cities have faced after enjoying booming appreciation. Despite a big decline in average home sales, the […]

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Whenever I’m out with friends here in Pittsburgh, I always encounter someone that is wasiting their money on rent. It really makes me wonder why they don’t teach the Mortgage process in school, because if they did, all of these renters out there would realize that they could pay the same amount they’re currently paying […]

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The APR confuses the heck out of a lot of people, but it’s here to help, sometimes.
It’s designed to measure the REAL cost of the loan, but it doesn’t really do it.
The Federal Truth in Lending law makes mortgage companies tell you what the APR is when they advertise a rate, because a lot of […]

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Black Tie Revue
Back in May, I was reading the City Paper, and read about a really cool band from Pittsburgh called Black Tie Revue. They’ve definitely become a fixture of the local scene, because everyone I ask that likes to go out and see bands perform, has a lot of great things to say […]

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What’s an Underwriter?
They’re the people you never see. They hide behind closed doors and judge how much money you make, your credit score, and whether or not they think you’re good enough for the mortgage you are applying for. After work, underwriters get together at the bar and toast to all the applications they […]

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OK, so you call up the mortgage person, and you give them all of your private information such as your real name, your embarassing middle name, your precious social security number, how much money you make, and even the last time you had a physical. Ok, maybe not that part, but you do end up […]

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Whether you wanna buy a home or refinance your existing mortgage, you better do your homework when it comes to finding the best deal with a bank and saving thousands of dollars. Your best bet is to google the name of the person you are doing business with. Make sure they’re not listed on “RipOffReport.com” […]

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