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I'm thinking of getting pre-approval for a home loan from Amerisave. Does anyone have any experience using them? Should I go for a more established bank/lender? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

This was the answer I got on the sub-escrow fee: The title company charges a “sub-escrow fee” whenever they are required to “escrow” funds which means to receive funds from one party and pay off another party from those funds, which in this situation they will receive a wire of the “buyer’s “ funds ...

Thanks for the responses. Yes, I bet the notary and other junk fees are baked into that $858. I'm basically just wondering if I should make a fuss and try to get some of these fees knocked off. I'm usually of the opinion that you're getting ripped off if you pay full price for anything. In addition ...

I am currently in escrow on the sale of my condo for $330,000. I received an estimated sales statement from the escrow company listing the following escrow fees: ESCROW FEES Escrow Fee: $858 Deeds: $75 Demands: $150 Archival fee: $39.50 Messenger fee: $25 I have no idea if these are reasonable. Does...

Thank you. I found this online, which made me wonder: Won't I save money by going directly to the lender? Probably not . In fact, if you are a reasonably astute shopper, you will probably do better dealing with a mortgage broker. Mortgage brokers do not add any net cost to the lending process, becau...

This would be conforming. Thanks.

I'm looking to get pre-approved to buy a home. I've been emailing with a mortgage broker who makes life easy for me ... but is it always more expensive to go through a broker than to work directly with a bank? The broker says his only fee is a processing fee of $795.00. Is that too much? Any advice ...

. I'm considering selling my condo for about 15k below listing price just because I have only received one offer after 13 days and I fear that some of the weaknesses in the property (tandem parking, 500 sq ft.) are big enough to limit the pool of interested buyers. So basically I want to sell it and...

Hobnob, I am real -- yes. I am concerned about the midnight call from a tenant that the water heater is broken while I'm dealing with crying toddlers an hour away. I'm also not excited about losing capital gains advantage after renting it out for two years. Do you think my concerns are unjustified? ...

Ok, I'm convinced! I will definitely sell the condo. I'm so glad I decided to post on Bogleheads, as I was set on renting it out. Thanks to all of you. Now for my last question. Should I just choose the most experienced real estate agent who gives me the most confidence they can sell condo at high p...

Thanks, Harry. The 1bedroom condo I own and would be renting out is in Los Angeles (Brentwood, to be exact). We are now renting in Valencia, which is where I'm considering buying a single-family home even though we are happy with the complex we are renting at. I just don't like the fact that I'm spe...

I should add that if the condo were paid off, monthly expenses before repairs would be about $600 (HOA, taxes, insurance). So renting it out at $1500 a month would mean a profit of about $900 a month.

Thanks again for these most excellent replies. Selling sure does seem to make the most sense, yet there are a few things that are still giving me pause. 1. The area where we are renting now is high-risk for natural disasters (earthquake, fires). I'm sure earthquake and fire insurance will be quite e...

Thanks to all of you for the excellent advice. I am definitely leaning toward selling right now. However, would any of you change your advice if I were not planning on buying another house at this time? In other words, would getting rid of the condo be more of a lost opportunity if I wasn't putting ...

I'll be quick and to the point: We purchased the 1 bedroom/1 bathroom condo in 2003 for $250,000 in a highly desirable area of Los Angeles (finding tenants will not be a problem). I currently owe $165,000 on a 5/1 ARM (3.125% for 2013; resets every January; 20 years remaining). Monthly costs for con...

Thanks for the response. I think the rest of my options aren't too great. I'm seeking about 80/20 stocks bonds (about what is in the 2030 fund). Here are the not-so-great choices: Moderately Conservative: Fees (Investment Management, Underlying Fund) PIMCO Total Return: O.25,0.71 LVIP Delaware Bond:...

My company just changed 401 k plans. Any advice on the following Target Date Fund would be greatly appreciated. Are the fees too high? LVIP Protected Profile 2030 (SAL3) – The LVIP Protected Profile 2030 is designed for investors with a birth year between 1958 and 1967. The Fund seeks the highest to...

Debt: 165,000 on house at 3.0% (5/1 ARM)

No other debt.

Thanks for the reply. I am 35, married, with one child and another on the way. 25% bracket. Emergency savings: 100,000 in ING account at .9% My Roth IRA: 50,000 (100% in Vanguard Target Date 2040) Her Rotha IRA: 35,000 (100% in Vanguard Target Date 2040) My Rollover 401k: 40,000 (100& in Vanguar...

Longtime lurker, first-time poster here. I'm seeking some advice on my 401k allocation. I'm aiming for 85-90% in equities and 10-15% in bonds. How would bogleheads choose among the following options, if this 401K were your only investment vehicle? I'm agnostic on how much foreign stock to hold. Is J...