Loan-to-Value Ratio Explained

If you’re considering buying a home, there will be a lot of delving into your finances in order to qualify for a mortgage. One of, if not the most, crucial factor to be approved for a mortgage will be your loan-to-value ratio. The loan-to-value ratio is pretty straightforward. It’s simply the amount of money you borrow from your lender, divided by the purchase price of the home in a percentage format.

The loan-to-value ratio is extremely important for lenders as it gives them a better insight into the risk they face loaning money to a prospective homebuyer. The higher your loan-to-value ratio, the higher the risk to the lender, which may play into the mortgage terms and interest rates the lender can offer you. While lenders also look at your credit score, they want to make sure that you have equity in your home and are willing to make a sound investment that you can afford.

Many lenders require that borrowers have a loan-to-value ratio of 80% or lower before they approve a loan, which means that they’re really looking for borrowers to put in 20% for the down payment.

If you’re worried that you could fall under the high loan-to-value client group, there are a few ways to lower your ratio and increase your chances of being approved and getting great terms for your home loan.

One way to lower your loan-to-value ratio is to save up more money in order to have a larger sum to put down for your home. If you can offer up 20% or more of the home’s value, you’ve already lowered the loan-to-value ratio and made yourself less of a risk to the lenders by proving you have a stake in your home. The other way to lower your loan-to-value ratio is to look at more affordable homes. Choose a home that you would need a smaller down payment for, and you’ve immediately taken care of reducing the loan-to-value ratio.

If you ever have questions about your loan-to-value ratio and choosing a property that fits your budget, give our team a call. We’re here to make real estate processes simple and easy to understand for everyone.

Choosing a Home Warranty for Your Rental Property

Choosing a Home Warranty for Your Rental Property 

There are plenty of expenses when it comes to owning a rental property. New application fees, landscapers, and even the downtime costs associated with utilities when no one is residing at the property. There are many factors to consider when renting your property but the thing you may not have thought about can save you a lot of money and peace of mind. A home warranty.

Large ticket items, like your A/C unit, appliances, or plumbing issues, are not typically covered under your homeowner’s insurance unless in cases of natural disasters. When you have a rental property it is important to ensure maintenance items are covered. This is where a home warranty comes into play.

Saving you time and money, a home warranty company will take care of those maintenance nuisances that seem to happen when you’re least prepared for it. The service level plan you opt into will determine the amount of out-of-pocket expenses you can expect for a maintenance request. 

There are several home warranty companies to research and determine the best fit for you:

  • Choice Home Warranty
  • America’s First Choice
  • Select Home Warranty
  • Total Protect
  • HSA
  • Old Republic
  • Guaranteed Home Warranty
  • Landmark Home Warranty
  • Stanley Safe Club
  • Allied Home Warranty
  • American Home Shield
  • BFS

 While a home warranty can’t guarantee the best tenant, that’s our job, a home warranty can help alleviate the stress of maintenance repairs. When you’re ready to consider all the options available to you for your rental property and need help with professional management services, give us a call. 

TALK Property Management is a Company You Can Trust

What makes TALK Property Management/Broker Different?

TALK Property Management/Broker is a full service company that puts your needs first. We are always just a phone call or email away. Ours is a company you can trust and rely on to take care of your investment and treat your tenants with respect.

TALK Property Management’s staff is knowledgeable, professional and courteous. Communication is very important to us. Whether your are an owner or a tenant, we keep you informed.

Our services include:TALK-Property-Management-Meaning

  • Monthly Accounting Reports
  • Automated Owner Distributions
  • Owner Portal with WebCloud Document Retrieval and Notifications
  • Multi Media Marketing and Leasing
  • Regular Property Inspections and Texas Property Code Compliance
  • Inexpensive Maintenance/Repair Vendors
  • Comprehensive Tenant Screening (Credit, Rental History, Criminal Check, Income Verification)

Give us a call and Let’s TALK! or click here to sign up for a free consultation.


Don’t Do it Alone: A Property Manager Makes Your Life Easier


Whether you are an individual owner or an agency, managing your own properties is an exceptionally daunting task. You may be unaware of all the time, stress, financial administration and paperwork that a skilled property manager can take off your hands. On the other hand, you may be reading this because you have already ventured in to self-management and realized that it is time to get some help. You’re in luck! TALK Property Management is here to teach you about what property management can do for you.

Property managers are your ambassadors.

They handle situations that arise with tenants as they occur. A good property manager not only takes care of tenant needs in a courteous, professional and timely manner, but keeps the property owner apprised of any and all issues, as well as their resolution. Keeping tenants happy with the service they receive is a main point of property management. Happy tenants = long term leases.

Property managers conquer the digital realm for you.

Do you have time to post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Periscope, YouTube, LinkedIn and the like? Are you confident in the digital advertising space? What is your email marketing reach? Do you know what keywords will perform the best, which social networks work for you, how to target your audience demographics online or what SEM and SEO mean? No? When you hire a property manager, you don’t have to. Property managers in the digital age make sure they can work as hard for you online as off.

At TALK Property Management, our focus is YOU. The services we can offer you will make your life easier and ensure you are getting the highest exposure to top quality tenants. Once they are in the door, TALK will help you keep those excellent long-term renters happy with awesome and swift service. Click here to contact us today for a free property management consultation and let’s TALK.