“Ask Toni & Maria” is a real estate column written by Toni Gilardi and Maria DiTullio from Elite Boston Landmark Realty. Have them answer your questions in an upcoming column by emailing info@bostonlandmark.com.
1. Hi Toni and Maria,
Would you recommend putting 10% down on a home this year to take advantage of lower rates/prices, or would you recommend saving another year to get to 20% down payment?
Thank you,
Jim
Hi Jim,
The answer comes down to “do the math”. We always discourage our buyers from timing the market. If you buy now and only have 10 % to put down, you may get a lower rate and or price but you will be paying private mortgage insurance. You can not write this payment off your taxes and you will have to refinance when you reach 80% loan to value in order to stop these payments. We would recommend talking to your bank and having them run the numbers for you.
2. Hi Toni and Maria,
Do you think the interest rates will stay at the current levels for the next couple of years?
Thanks, Peter
Hi Peter,
Our crystal ball cracked years ago 🙂 however, that seems to be the consensus among the analysts. As we all know, anything can happen.
We would love to hear from you! Send in your real estate questions to: info@bostonlandmark.com. And don’t forget to check out our website at www.bostonlandmark.com or call 617-227-1000 or 617 523-5400.
