Tax filing season is upon us again. A silver lining to completing that return is getting good news about a refund. This extra money could literally open the door to a new home. If you happen to be one of the fortunate, then your next decision is what to do with the refund. The average […]
Category Archives: First Time Home Buyers
Make Your Best Offer FIRST
The strategy we are talking about today is not about negotiating the best price but rather about beating your competition and buying the home. The reality is there is just not enough homes on the market and when competition gets tough different tactics are necessary. This may not dawn on you until you lose a […]
Buyer’s Closing Costs
In an ideal situation, both buyers and sellers pay their own closing costs on the purchase and sale of a home. These costs can be negotiable depending on lender requirements and current market conditions. Closing costs and fees are itemized on the closing statement and are usually paid at the time of settlement. Before contracting […]
First Things First
The first time you make a specific meal it is essential to have the recipe so hopefully it turns out just as you are expecting. By following the recipe, you know the ingredients and the preparation instructions can guide you through the process. When it comes to buying a home, it is basically like following […]
You Can Cut Your Housing Costs in Half
Cutting prices or offering sales prices will generally bring people buying anything out of the woodwork that may have not been serious buyers before. In today’s market, renters can easily lower their monthly housing costs by half or more by buying a home with all the financial benefits that it brings. A renter’s mortgage payment […]
It’s Always a Good Decision to Get a Second Opinion
Well you contacted a mortgage company, did your homework and now you believe you are pre-approved. Since you finished that part of the process, you can concentrate your efforts on finding a home and moving…or can you? Please be aware that pre-qualified and pre-approved mean two different things. Unfortunately, some people, including business people use […]
Home Buying Begins with Help
A team of professionals is involved in the process of buying a home. You have the lender, the appraiser, the inspector, the property insurance agent, the title officer plus others. But a real estate agent may hold the most critical role. Baking a loaf of bread seems simple. With only four ingredients: flour, salt, yeast, […]
Update: COVID-19 home showing procedures
These are unsettling times and buyers and sellers have a concern about keeping virus-free and staying healthy like the rest of us. To keep everyone safe, these new showing procedures should be considered before walking into a home. Agents are reporting that they are selling homes where the buyers have not physically been in the […]
Mortgage Shopping for Better Rates
Lower rates on mortgage loans not only help you amortize your loan faster you will also have a lower monthly payment. A $250,000 mortgage at 4.5% for 30 years will have a $1,266.71 combined monthly payment. At 4%, the same loan will have $1,193.54 combined monthly payment saving you $73.18 a month and at the […]
Do you have the look? But not the type?
The determining factor for what type of property you have is not in how it looks but rather in your intent for use. Based on your intentions, a property you own can be a principal residence, an income property, an investment property or a dealer property. Let’s look at the definition of each. Principal Residence […]