When you visit your lender to get a mortgage for your Santa Cruz home, they will tell you the maximum amount that you are allowed to borrow. But how do they reach this total and what factors do they take into consideration?
How do they determine that one borrower can take on a bigger mortgage than the next?
This decision is made by mortgage companies by considering a wide range of factors, including your credit information, your salary and much more.

Here are some of the common ways that lenders determine how much you can borrow:

1. Percentage of Gross Monthly Income

Many lenders follow the rule that your monthly mortgage payment should never exceed 28% off your gross monthly income.

This will ensure that you are not stretched too far with your…

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 Are you working on decorating your home? Perhaps you want to spruce up your décor, but you aren’t sure where to start. 

Where can you find inspiration for your Santa Cruz home décor, besides the obvious home décor magazines and websites?
Here are some fun and creative ideas that will inspire you when designing your décor:

Luxury Hotels
The next time you go on a vacation, you can find décor inspiration at your hotel. Most hotel rooms in mid-range to luxury hotels have beautiful, comforting and understated designs, so take photos if you find something that you like.
Perhaps you can invest in plush throw pillows for your bed, a sleek bed table lamp or thick white towels for your bathroom to recreate the look of a luxury hotel.

Art Galleries
Take a…

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Spring is around the corner, and it's time to get your home in order! Spring cleaning can be fun and easy if you follow some general guidelines, which are sure to get your home ready for the nice weather and looking as beautiful as the weather is about to. Kick the winter clutter to the curb with these spring cleaning tips.

Start With The Closets

Spring is here, and winter wear is no longer needed! It's time to box up all of the winter boots, jackets, gloves, and scarfs until next season. Starting your spring clean with your closets is a good tip, and will get you prepared for the rest of the process while creating more space and organization in the bedrooms of the house. This is also the perfect opportunity to create a "give away" box full of…

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When you are looking at a potential Santa Cruz home to buy, it’s important to pay attention to the details so that you can ensure that you are making the right choice. However, many home buyers will get so caught up in the excitement that they will miss certain important things that they need to know about the property.
If you are buying a home, make sure that you don’t miss any of these commonly overlooked details:

Do the Appliances Work?
Take the time to test the major appliances in the home to make sure that they are functioning properly. This is a very likely flaw that is often overlooked in a home inspection. It is a good idea to ask your home inspector to run every appliance through its full cycle to make sure that there are no problems.

What…

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