Spring 2020 Real Estate market will be booming with new listings and buyers. This is a great time to get educated on the real estate market and with advice from top real estate agents across the country.
The real estate articles contain solid advice on home buying and selling, mortgages, common myths about renting vs buying, and home pricing myths, downsizing, and appraisals. If you like it please give leave a comment and give a share.
When sellers leave a family home and downsizing they will need guidance and understanding. It is a very emotional time to leave a home where there are so many memories.
Eileen Anderson, at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services New England walks you through the process of downsizing to head toward a brighter new beginning. Downsizing does not have to be painful if you handle it right.
Don’t go it alone! See all the things your REALTOR® will do for you!
When buying a home one of the most essential things first-time buyers will learn about is earnest money. Your earnest money deposit is what binds the transaction and make the seller feel comfortable in taking their home off the market. With a substantial earnest money deposit they know you are a serious purchaser. One of the most confusing aspects to a first-timer is understanding there is a difference between earnest money and a down payment.
These are two different things. Bill Gassett, at Maximum Real Estate Exposure, does an outstanding job of explaining it. Make sure you understand how the earnest money deposit and down payment funds differ.
There is a right way and a wrong way to go about buying a home and if you
don’t know what you’re doing, it could cost you more than just money, it
could cost you your life. This article by Petra Norris, at Lakeland Real Estate, covers the top home buying mistakes you should avoid.
First time buyer have a lot to learn if they want to make the most out of their first home purchase. So what should first time home buyers know?
Kevin Vitali, at Merrimack Valley Real Estate, explains the many steps along the way of buying your first home and why the first steps are the most critical. And, those first steps are financial. There is nothing worse than a first time home buyer getting in over their head on a home purchase.
First analyze your credit. Having good credit can save you hundreds of dollars a month. Often buyers have mistakes on their credit report or they can do small things to increase their credit score. Next analyze your funds (down payment and closing costs) to close on a home. Finally understand what other costs might be around the corner for you when you own a home.
Taking time to get your financial house in order as well as understanding the costs of buying and owning your first home, will save you much aggravation later.
As we enter the new year, you may be considering selling your home. Many sellers are under the impression that the marketing of the home will include having open houses. If you are considering having open houses at your home, you need to carefully consider that decision as you are opening yourself up to potential liability.
Remember, when you are having open houses, you are inviting virtual strangers into your home. You will not know if they are qualified to purchase your home or not. Sharon Paxson, at Compass Realty, explains the important considerations to take into account to avoid risk to the seller should you decide to proceed with open houses.
Things that should never be left out at an open house include valuables such as jewelry, money, credit cards, personal ID and personal documents with your name and address on it. Other items to put away include your pets and their stuff, lap top computers, tablets and cell phones.
Take an inventory of the items in your home and taking photos before will help to reduce the risk to the seller. Having two agents present at the home will also minimize the risk and consider utilizing security cameras.
For most young couples who are starting a life together, understanding what you need to do when looking to purchase your first home can be a daunting task. When do you start looking at homes? Do you need a Realtor? Where do you get mortgage advice for first-time buyers? How much home can you afford? All of these questions are answered by Anita Clarke, at Coldwell Banker, to ensure you get off on the right foot when looking to purchase your first home.
FHA Inspection and Appraisal Guidelines – In this article, by Eric Jeanette, you will learn everything you need to know about what to expect from an FHA inspection and appraisal. The outcome of the inspection has significant implications for both the buyer and seller. As the buyer, you should know the costs associated with the inspection. As the seller, you should be prepared to repair or replace certain things before the home sale can be made final.
Kitchens and Baths Sell Homes! While Kitchens are the most expensive rooms to update, bathrooms are often not far behind in cost. When it comes to selling a home, many buyers today are looking for move-in ready. Updating a bathroom is important if you want to capture those buyers and outshine your competition. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have to cost a lot to add some modern updates to a bathroom. Check out these current bathroom trends by Karen Highland, at EXP Realty, and you’ll find lots of ideas to make your bathrooms outstanding.
When you’re considering whether to rent a home or to purchase a home, think about your estimated “cash flow” as the primary motivation.
Then we can daydream about fun thoughts like “what if the home appreciates”?
Glenn Shelhamer, at the Shelhamer Group, will save you the suspense because the property will appreciate – that’s a fact.
David Martin, at Fairfax Realty, debunks an article that claimed renting was better than owning a home. While there are some very good and valid reasons to continue renting
instead of buying a home of your own, they are almost always very situational to only a minority of individuals, and most of those are only temporary circumstances. It’s always better to own a home read on and see why.
Tips on What Not to Do Before Closing on a Home by Luke Skar, at Madison Mortgage.There are a lot of things to understand when buying a home. Picking the right location, understanding your actual needs for a home and getting financing are all intricate processes.
There are also some things that a person should AVOID when buying a home. Being aware of these potential financial traps can help you stay away from disaster when it is time to buy your first home.
6 Important Reasons to Get a Home Inspection Before You Buy a House
As a buyer, you have found your ‘perfect house’. Should you judge a book by its cover and forego the home inspection? Is your otherwise critical judgment clouded by your ‘newfound love jitters’ for this house? If it’s any solace, as Xavier explains in this article, you’re not alone – too many home buyers opt-out of having a home inspection done. Why can’t one regard such a home inspection as some sort of insurance, to protect against what might or might not be?! You’re getting insurance on your newly-purchased iPhone, ‘just in case’ something goes wrong, but spending such sums on getting a home inspection report done prior to buying a home is somehow not worth it? This article will cover the most popular six reasons why it’s in your best interest to do so!About the author: Xavier De Buck is a Top 1% real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty in Johannesburg (South Africa), who’s passionate about the property market, technology and the synergy of both! You can read his blog at HomesinJohannesburg.com.