Mortgage Contingency Clause Explained

The Mortgage Contingency Clause makes the real estate purchase contingent upon the buyer getting a specific loan. The type of loan could be a conventional loan, USDA, FHA, or a VA loan. The contingency is typically written towards the top of the contract: what loan, what loan type, and then also the amount on the loan itself. There are certain types of loans that make it more advantageous to the seller and so that is part of the negotiation packages.

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Types of Home Loans & Why They Matter

USDA Loan

A USDA loan offers 100% financing with 0% down. This type of loan is used to encourage home ownership in rural areas. Qualification is similar to other home loan programs as based on household income. Unlike other programs, a USDA loan has population requirements for eligible properties. One downside of this type of loan is the underwriting process.

USDA loans get underwritten twice, once by FHA and then the other by USDA requirements. The closing time for this type of loan is longer and typically falls between 45 to 60 days. Because of this, these loans can sometimes put a buyer at a competitive disadvantage when there are multiple offers on a given property.

FHA Loan

With an FHA…

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Solved! 3 Obstacles to Selling Your Home

The Problem

A lot of home sellers have been hesitant to put a ‘For Sale’ sign up in the fear of what's on the other side of selling, and that is buying a new home. It's no secret that lack of inventory in the Huntsville real estate market has kept a lot of home sellers on the sidelines.

This is a direct result of sellers being fearful that they will have to make a double move and will potentially have to rent an apartment if they are unable to secure a new home after theirs sells. We've heard horror stories from sellers who sold their home quickly but were unable to find their next home because their agent did not advise them on creating a winning strategy on how to buy and sell at the same…

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Real Estate Voted the Best Investment Eight Years in a Row

Real Estate Voted the Best Investment Eight Years in a Row | MyKCM


If you’re thinking about purchasing a home this year, this poll should reassure you. Even when inflation is rising like it is today, Americans agree an investment like real estate truly shines.

In an annual Gallup poll, Americans chose real estate as the best long-term investment. And it’s not the first time it’s topped the list, either. Real estate has been on a winning streak for the past eight years, consistently gaining traction as the best long-term investment (see graph below):

Why Is Real Estate a Great Investment During Times of High Inflation?

With inflation reaching its highest level in 40 years, it’s more important than ever to understand the financial…

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The Difference Between Renting and Owning 

The Difference Between Renting and Owning [INFOGRAPHIC] | MyKCM

Some Highlights

  • If you’re deciding whether to rent or buy, consider the many financial benefits that come with owning a home.
  • As a renter, you build your landlord’s wealth and face rising costs. As a homeowner, you build your own net worth and can lock in your monthly payments for the length of your loan.
  • If you’re weighing your options, remember that owning a home is a decision that has considerable financial perks. If you want to learn more, let’s connect to talk about the perks of homeownership.

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5 Things You Need to Know About Living in Huntsville, AL

We happen to think Huntsville is one of the best places to call home! If you're considering moving to the area, we have five things you'll want to know!

#1 - If You’re an Engineer, There's No Shortage of Jobs Here!

We call ourselves the Rocket City but we may as well call ourselves the City of Engineers. Huntsville has the highest # of engineering degrees per capita.

We have Redstone Arsenal, NASA, the Missile Defense Agency, FBI,Government Contractors, Adtran, an expanding automotive industry with a recent joint venture between Mazda & Toyota, Hudson Alpha Biotech and Blue Origin. 

#2 - It's Not An Earthquake.

We don’t have earthquakes here! When you feel the ground…

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Pros and Cons of Living in Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville is an amazing place to live. So much so that it ranked #1 on the list of the 25 best places to live in 2022 as reported by US News! The strong job market and affordability contributed to this jump from #15 in 2020 and #3 in 2021. On top of being named the #1 best place to live in the US, Huntsville is Alabama's largest city with a population of over 220,000 in the city and over 500,000 calling the Huntsville metro area home.

Whether you're looking for a new job or just relocating, we've got everything you need to know about Huntsville, AL! Like anything in life, there’s pros and cons to living in the Rocket City. We think the pros far outweigh the cons, but we'll let you decide for…

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What’s going to happen to the Huntsville housing market in 2022?

Matt Curtis breaks down his 2022 housing market predictions. While our crystal ball is broken we are ready to jump into the data to draw a conclusion together on where prices are headed in 2022. 

Let's Recap 2021

This past year we saw the demand for housing continue to exceed the supply. This was a direct result of the US under building by 4 to 5 million + homes after the 2008 recession. As of 2020 Freddie Mac estimated that the US was still short by 3.8 Million homes. Demographic expert Ken Gronbach estimates that number could be as high as 25 million

Because of this the last two years in housing have been anything but typical. We saw homes appreciating at an average…

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Why Waiting To Sell Your House Could Cost You a Small Fortune

Why Waiting To Sell Your House Could Cost You a Small Fortune | MyKCM

Many homeowners who plan to sell in 2022 may think the wise thing to do is to wait for the spring buying market since historically about 40 percent of home sales occur between April and July. However, this year’s expected to be much different than the norm. Here are five reasons to list your house now rather than waiting until the spring.

1. Buyers Are Looking Right Now, and They’re Ready To Purchase

The ShowingTime Showing Index reports data from more than six million property showings scheduled across the country each month. In other words, it’s a gauge of how many buyers are out looking at homes at the current time.

The latest index, which covers November showings, reveals…

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[Madison, Alabama: November 7, 2019] Matt Curtis Real Estate (MCRE) recently received two awards from REAL Trends ranking their website among the top-ranked websites in the country. Their website is ranked #7 for “Best Mobile” and #9 for “Best Community.”

Every year REAL Trends pinpoints the country’s largest and most successful real estate agencies, ranking them by closed transactions and separately closed volume of sales. Matt Curtis Real Estate’s mobile website design was ranked seventh in the country, attributed to the fluidity of their layout, images, and flexibility of their landing pages.

MCRE’s website was also ranked ninth in the country for best community website. Best community websites provide quick, efficient searches to make…

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