UPDATE: As a community mortgage lender, AmeriFirst Home Mortgage now services it's entire loan portfolio. This means you stay with one mortgage company and don't have to chase your home loan all over the country to different lenders and "big banks." This is a recent addition to the benefits of AmeriFirst, and thought we would share. Now, onto the original article:

Can you point to your hometown on your hand? I can...I'm from Michigan. It's one of the cool things about the Mitten State. Another great feature of Michigan is the open land and rural areas that surround us. In fact, that rural land can help you become a first time home buyer in Michigan. Have you heard of the USDA Rural Development mortgage option? Let's dig into this mortgage loan program.

Getting prepared to buy your first home will include a lot of effort and some patience. Sometimes transitioning from renter to first time home buyer could take as little as a few months. For other folks it may take 12 months or longer. Several factors are at play when it comes to how long it will take to get on the road to home ownership. Bankruptcy filing would mean a 2-to-3 year wait. Late payments on bills could mean you have to wait a year to see your credit score improve.

Have you ever tried to land a sleigh with 8 reindeer on a roof topped with Michigan snow? If the roof is old and weak it can get pretty treacherous. At least that's what Santa told me. So having a strong roof is an important part of owning a home...which is why Santa really love Michigan home improvement loans. Because of all the snow Michigan gets, having good landing pads at each house is vital.

You can build a better house with Michigan home improvement loans like the FHA 203k. In fact you could knock most of the house down and start over, financing all kinds of construction into the loan. Need a damp basement taken care of, including mold removal? See a cracked foundation? Need a new roof? No problem. The Full FHA 203k can help you finance these repairs so a professional does the work, and you're only paying the one mortgage payment. 

Being based in Michigan, we love our Mitten-ness. In fact, when the battle between Michigan and Wisconsin was raging, we struggled not to take sides. After all, we have 2 offices in Wisconsin. That said, we're definitely fans of the Great Lake State. And Michigan home improvement loans are one of our favorite ways to help Michigan home buyers.

Declining home prices, vacant houses, a lot of renters...the housing market sure seems bleak when you read the headlines. We can solve the housing crisis with Michigan home improvement loans in a few ways. Here are five.

The Detroit housing market needs a little help. Vacant homes...fixer uppers...a lot of inventory...it's a mess in Motown. The sad truth is that Michigan's biggest city faces a long road and many struggles. In fact, according to MSN, Detroit is one of the "sickest housing markets" in the country. Here are the facts from the article:

Michigan homeowners are not selling their houses right now. Recent news reports point to falling home prices again in the third quarter of this year, so that's probably the biggest reason. But that doesn't mean Michiganders are settling for the same old house, either. In fact, a "remodeling boom" is underway in many housing markets. It seems home improvement loans have become popular in helping homeowners revamp their living spaces!

The Detroit Lions are hot this year. As a Michigan-based community mortgage banker, we're proud of the Pride. But we're also very into mortgage loans, especially home improvement loans. In fact, after the heartbreaking loss Thursday to the Packers, we're even bigger fans of Michigan home improvement loans. A renovation loan won't draw penalty flags every other minute, that's for sure!