Ready to buy a home?

Buying or selling a home is a huge life event, and your real estate agent is the most important person you’ll work with during the transition. A great real estate agent is an invaluable resource; they can help break down complex real estate concepts, walk you through the logistics of buying or selling a home and can help move the process along, saving you time, money and energy in the process. But unfortunately, not all real estate agents are created equal. And while a great real estate agent can make the buying or selling process a breeze, the wrong agent can leave you feeling frustrated with a far too long, expensive and overwhelming real estate experience. Here are four signs it’s time to cut your current agent loose and find a new real estate agent: 1. You just don’t vibe Just because a real estate agent is competent and capable of helping you buy or sell your home doesn’t mean they’re the right agent for you. Sometimes, no matter how experienced or skilled they are

Any real estate transaction contains lots of paperwork, much of which are disclosures. A “disclosure” is a fact about a property. A property seller has an affirmative duty to disclose anything and everything that they know about the home and neighborhood. In case you are wondering, there is really no standard of reasonableness for disclosures – if you are convinced your home for sale is haunted, disclose it. Your buyers will probably buy it anyway. So if a seller has property condition reports on their home from when they bought it 20 years ago, those reports must be given to the buyer, too, right? (Yes, some home sellers keep absolutely every piece of paper for every single little thing involving their house, no matter how old it is.) Ethically, yes. Legally, no. And do agents have to disclose that there may be old reports on the home? Same answer. Surprising, right? Here is the “how and why” of the legal part. Contractual legalese in almost all states says the seller only di

Your parents want the best for you. And buying a home is one of the major investments you will make in your lifetime. So, of course, your folks want to be by your side and offer you the benefit of their wisdom and counsel. Unfortunately, a lot of their best advice can be misguided, and can cause your good home choice to slip away. Most parents will want to see you get your home for the least amount of money and may even advise you to make a low offer. That may be what they did when they last bought a house. It will not work in a seller’s market, and may not even work in a buyer’s market. Make your offer based on the comparable neighborhood sales, the condition, and your Realtor’s advice. If you are getting a loan, remember that the price you pay is amortized over 30 years as well. Mom and Dad may advise different “deal points” than are standard in your locality. Recall that each state and area have different customs, disclosures and laws. What may be common in M&D’s area may

Who you choose to represent you when you buy or sell your home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make during your move. Your real estate agent can make the process easy, quick, and painless – or long, expensive, and painful. Here are 5 adjectives you should for in your real estate agent if you want to get the most out of your sale or purchase: 1. Tenacious Real estate is a tough world. There are seemingly endless challenges to navigate: the house you love was snatched up by someone else, someone put a bid in on your home and then pulled out at the last minute, there’s issues with the neighbors or zoning or construction. That’s why you need a real estate agent who is tenacious, never gives up, and doesn’t stop until you have successfully bought or sold your home. If you work with a real estate agent who gives up when things don’t go as planned, you’re never going to buy or sell your home. The best real estate agents are the ones who not only have plan B, but plan C, D, a

Chances are, if you’re looking for a new home, you’re ready for a change of scenery. And while that might mean just a new property or a new neighborhood, for many potential homebuyers, that often means a new city. And if you’re considering buying property in a city other than the one where you currently reside, you probably have a lot of questions about the process. Will you have to fly to your new city every weekend to look at properties? Will you miss out on hot properties? Is it even possible to buy without physically being in your city? Buying a home from a distance certainly presents its own set of unique challenges, but by no means is it impossible. Here are four tips for buying a home from a distance to make the process easier, faster, and less stressful for you and your family: 1. Gather information When you’re buying property in an unfamiliar city, the first thing you need to do is educate yourself. Gathering information on the city, the neighborhoods, the cost of liv

Buying a home is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make. And while a mortgage is obviously a large financial commitment, before you even get to your mortgage, you’ll be required to come up with a down payment. Typically, lenders want buyers to contribute a down payment of 20% of the purchase price of the home. So, if a home is on the market for $500,000, most lenders want a down payment of at least $100,000. Being able to contribute the down payment shows lenders you’re financially secure and can take on the cost and commitment of a 15 or 30 year mortgage. But if you’re like most people, you probably don’t have $100,000 at your disposal and will need to save for your down payment. Coming up with that large of a sum can be a challenge, but with the right strategy, you’ll be able to save your down payment much more quickly and easily than you might think. Here are four tips to grow your savings account, get your down payment and get into a new home. 1. Write everythin

When it comes to buying real estate, you want to make sure the property you purchase is the right fit for your needs. For some buyers, purchasing a home that needs some work is the ideal situation. For others, getting a turnkey home that’s move-in ready is the only option they’ll consider. And for still others, both seem like reasonable options. The question is: which is for you? There are pros and cons to both fixer uppers and move-in ready homes. The important thing is to recognize which is the best fit for you, your budget, and what you want out of a home. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of fixer uppers and move-in ready homes to help you determine which is the better fit for you: Fixer uppers Save Zillow Lee Hayton The House on Michaelmas Ave - a short story by Lee Hayton Fixer uppers are, as the name implies, homes that need a bit of TLC – or fixing up – upon move in. Pros Discounted price The major draw of fixer uppers is the price. Since they need work, y