The Mark Cabal Team
(682) 233-0324

Did You Know

26 Times Friends Nailed What It’s Like To Be A Real Estate Agent

26 Times Friends Nailed What It's Like To Be A Real Estate Agent

There hasn't been a new episode of Friends in yeeeears, but people still love and watch it. It's timeless, and there's at least a scene or two in each episode that resonates with people forever. They just nailed certain life situations so well... What they didn't realize, though, is how much some of the scenes...

...

Average Credit Score In The US Hits 8-Year High

Average Credit Score In The US Hits 8-Year High

Your credit score is one of the most important numbers to your financial health-especially when it comes to real estate. The higher your credit score, the better interest rate you'll be able to get on your mortgage, which can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your loan.

...

FHA Changes Requirements For Cash-Out Refinancing

FHA Changes Requirements For Cash-Out Refinancing

Since 2013, the number of cash-out refinances on FHA-backed loans has skyrocketed an incredible 250%-and, in hopes of reversing the trend, the Federal Housing Association is changing the requirements for refinancing. According to a recent article in HousingWire, effective September 1, 2019, the FHA will be changing the loan-to-value requirements from 85 percent to 80...

...

Introducing ‘The Pallet Home’: A Tiny Home You Can Build In Less Than A Day Using Basic Tools

Introducing 'The Pallet Home': A Tiny Home You Can Build In Less Than A Day Using Basic Tools

In this crazy world of climate extremes and tectonic "shake, rattle and rolling," we humans have had to adapt to emergencies in a variety of ways. One of those ways includes emergency shelters. Of course, we have tents and community shelters as options. Tents are only so sturdy, and shelters can only hold so many people.

...

13 Zombie-Proof Homes For The Ridiculously Paranoid

13 Zombie-Proof Homes For The Ridiculously Paranoid

Ever hear of the term "preppers?" These are the people that take it upon themselves to prepare for any possible apocalypse scenario you can imagine. Some carry their trusty "Zombie Survival Guide," everywhere they go. Some have coordinated escape plans in case of economic collapse.

...

Moving With Your Pets? Avoid These Mistakes

Moving With Your Pets? Avoid These Mistakes

For most pet owners, pets are a part of the family. And so, of course, wherever the family moves? The pet moves, too. And while moving might be a stressful process for you, it's arguably even more stressful for your pet. Pets respond well to structure and routine-and so the packing, moving, and settling into...

...

Common Items In Your Home That Are Dangerous For Your Dog

Common Items In Your Home That Are Dangerous For Your Dog

Humans love their dogs. This, the purest kind of love, makes complete sense. Dogs are loyal, sweet, and the best companion anyone could ask for. They've been living paw-in-hand with us for thousands of years. They're part of the family and they stick with us through whatever's going on in our lives, so we wish...

...

Renovating Your Home Yourself? Beware Of These Common Injuries

Renovating Your Home Yourself? Beware Of These Common Injuries

There are plenty of reasons why you might take a DIY approach to renovating your home. Maybe you enjoy working with your hands. Maybe you're looking to save money. Maybe you want to tackle a fun, challenging DIY project with your partner or family. But whatever your reason, there's one thing you need to keep...

...

Despite The Convenience of Digital Tools, Most Consumers Still Prefer To Close In Person

Despite The Convenience of Digital Tools, Most Consumers Still Prefer To Close In Person

Technology has made a variety of real estate transactions significantly more convenient; instead of filling out paperwork in person, digital contracts allow you to conduct virtually all of your real estate business online from wherever you are. But there's one transaction the majority of people still prefer managing in person-and that's closing on a house....

...

6 Ways To Winterproof Your Home This Fall

View Full Post

6 Ways Your Real Estate Agent Is Like Your Best Friend

View Full Post

Americans Feel Better Than Ever About Real Estate

View Full Post

Buyers Willing To Sacrifice Square Footage For A Shorter Commute

View Full Post

What is your favorite travel destination?

There goes a saying, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”  Sometimes you just need to schedule some flex time to give your work travel a little boost and sight see. It might mean arriving a day early or catching an earlier or later flight home after your meetings have ended. Why not? You came all this way after all.  We feel very privileged each year to participate in our company’s annual Family Reunion for Keller Williams Realty. Each year the destination changes and this year we just got back from New Orleans. We enjoyed not only learning new ways to refresh and re-energize our business but had time to enjoy the culture of this city. What’s your favorite travel destination? What made it an amazing experience?

...
View Full Post

Life Changing Resolutions

Creative New Year’s Resolutions that
Could Enhance Your Life in 2019

 

Countless people use the beginning of a new year as an opportunity to set goals for their health, careers, and relationships—hence the age-old concept of New Year’s Resolutions. As you think about what you want to achieve this year, consider the following unique resolutions that could potentially enrich your life:

  • Have lunch with someone with whom you disagree—and vow to keep an open mind. Whether you’ve sparred with a friend about politics, philosophical issues, or you’ve simply had a rift, the first step in healing the relationship is to have a truly open-minded conversation. If you know someone whom you used to value, but whose differences you have been unable to see past, consider inviting them to lunch. Agree that neither of you will attempt to persuade the other; instead, maintain a sense of curiosity and strive to simply have a conversation. Even if you both hold steady to your beliefs, you should be able to establish the mutual sense of respect that is essential to rekindling your relationship.
  • Schedule time to be bored each week. From smartphones to streaming television, many people never feel bored in today’s hyperconnected world. But did you know that occasional boredom can benefit your brain? When your brain has “off time” as it does when you are bored, it becomes better equipped to solve nagging problems, connect disparate ideas, and gain a sense of clarity about your personal journey and goals. While you may find it difficult to relax, resolve that you will schedule some electronics-free time each week to simply do nothing.
  • Seek out rejection. Most people are terrified of rejection—and this fear holds many of us back from...
View Full Post

4 Mortgage Refinancing Mistakes

Thinking about mortgage refinancing? You’re not alone, with some of the best mortgage rates available in history many people are debating whether they should spend the money and refinance.

The benefit of refinancing comes from borrowing at a lower mortgage rate so you can either lower your payments or reduce your loan term, either way saving thousands of dollars over the life of your home loan.

However, there are some pitfalls to watch out for; here are some of the mortgage refinancing mistakes you will want to avoid:

1. Paying high closing costs.

When you refinance, you are essentially getting a new mortgage to replace your old mortgage. This means fees; origination fees, administrative fees and other closing expenses.

Many people simply pay them, adding them to the cost of the loan and reducing the savings benefit of refinancing your home. Instead, shop around and compare costs between various banks and credit unions. Check out this article on how to lower your home loan closing costs.

2. Not getting a big enough discount on the rate.

Many people refinance because rates have dropped but then find that the difference in the interest rate wasn’t big enough to really save them money. If there is only a small difference, the closing costs can erode the savings you are getting.

If you don’t stay in your house for five to seven years after you refinance, this small difference can actually result in you losing out over all. The generally accepted rule of thumb is that the new rate should be at least a full percent lower than your current rate, and you should be planning to stay in your home for a few years.

...
View Full Post