Category: Real Estate

  • Rescuing An Empty Property Is Easier Than It Sounds

    Rescuing An Empty Property Is Easier Than It Sounds

    property for saleIf you are the type that is handy and able to do a lot of work to homes yourself you might be interested in learning how you can rescue an empty property.  There are hundreds of thousands of homes and commercial properties throughout the country that are sitting empty waiting for someone to purchase them and fix them up.  This article will help you to know what will need to be done and what to expect when trying to rescue and empty property. (more…)

  • Home Inspection Checklist: Advice for Homebuyers

    Home Inspection Checklist: Advice for Homebuyers

    When you are purchasing a home you will find that it can be a very stressful time of your life. This will happen whether it is the first home you have ever purchased or one of many. You will also find that almost all mortgage companies will require you to have a home inspection.  Find out the home inspection checklist when dealing with a home inspector.

    The Home Will Pass Inspection in Home Inspection Checklist

    When you hire an inspector it is not a large financial burden however the burden comes into play when you get the paperwork from the inspector himself. Often times the inspector will make the list of repairs so long that it will completely ruin the deal to purchase the house. Many inspectors are often previous workers in the construction field and therefore will want perfection. Therefore the buyers are loaded down with a large number of minor repairs that will need to be completed. You should find an inspector that is looking for the crucial areas of repairs.

    Skip The Inspection And Get The House

    When you are speaking with a realtor you will find that many times an inspection is not required by law. However, it is recommended that you include the inspection in the contract to purchase the house. Of course, if you skip the inspection you might find yourself in a heap of trouble once the house has been purchased and you are on your own for the repairs that need to be made.

    Qualifications Of A Home Inspector

    An inspector is not out to tell you that he or she may or may not be qualified to do the inspection work on the home. Not every state has the requirements that regulate home inspectors. In fact, many have not even been to a licensing course.

    Credentials Are Easily Obtainable

    If the inspector is certified they will be required to have a certain amount of professionally paid inspections under their belt. Many organizations will also require an inspector to pass an examination.

    Cutting Corners

    Home inspectors will often times build a relationship with realtors. This will allow them to obtain more business. However, this also leads to inspectors trying to make the realtor happy and often cutting corners to achieve this.

    Watch The Inspector

    It is recommended to follow the inspector room to room throughout the home during the inspection. This will allow the inspector to show the future homeowner any problems that are within the house and will not scare the buyer with a report that shows every little thing that could potentially happen.

    The Earlier The Better

    An inspector will not tell you that you need to bring them in early into the purchase. Many will wait until an offer is already made before bringing in the inspector. When purchasing a home the inspector can be brought into the home before the offer is made therefore when things are found that need to be corrected it can be included within the original contract.

    Hire Someone Else To Find A Serious Problem

    There are some problems that an inspector will not find. An inspector will not always tell you that they are not a professional at every problem in the home. If you suspect that something needs to be corrected you might want to bring in a professional to that problem.

    New Problems Come With New Construction

    Things can still go wrong in a brand new home that was just built. The problems might not be visible but they can still be there.

    Making Money Off Of The Problems Found

    Many home inspectors were probably a general contractor in a previous life. Therefore when something is wrong with a home it is not uncommon for the inspector to steer work to their friends. When this happens they will often be paid “under the table” for this referral.

    The above items are only a few of the things that a home inspector will not want you to know. They are out to make money just like the rest of us and often times they will do things to do just that.

  • How The US Measures Up To The Rest Of The World In The Housing Market

    How The US Measures Up To The Rest Of The World In The Housing Market

    housing marketThere are many different things that get measured in the world and that also include how the United States measures up against the rest of the world when it comes to the housing market.  Believe it or not the United States measures up pretty good when compared to some other countries around the world when it comes to home ownership. (more…)

  • Jump Start Your Real Estate Career

    Jump Start Your Real Estate Career

    real estate careerIf you are interested in a career that can take you far and into many different areas you might be interested in a real estate career.  In fact many people who are currently entering the field of real estate have many different types of background and many different types of skills.  If you are not the sales person kind there is no need to worry this type of business is one that sells itself.  You are basically providing a service to your clients and how well you provide that service will mean how successful you will be. (more…)

  • How to Become a Real Estate Agent

    How to Become a Real Estate Agent

    There are many different steps to becoming a real estate agent. However, if you want to become a successful real estate agent there are several more steps that are involved. It might take some hard work but if you are dedicated you can accomplish this feat and become one of the most successful agents around.  In the article below you will find ten steps to becoming the agent you have always wanted to be.  (more…)

  • How to Buy a House: 20 Steps to Follow

    How to Buy a House: 20 Steps to Follow

    Purchasing a new piece of a house is one of the most important purchases you will ever make. Unfortunately, this important purchase can also be very stressful, time-consuming and very confusing.  Any extra information that you can get when in the process of purchasing the new house will be very useful.  This article will give you twenty tips to help assist you in making your new purchase easier.

    Affordability

    As a buyer, you should decide if buying a new house is affordable for you not only at the moment but also in the long-term future.

    Free Services

    The way of technology is making it easier for people to get answers to the questions that they have.  By taking advantage of the free services that many mortgage companies offer through their website such as the mortgage calculator you can find answers to your questions without having to speak to anyone.

    Figure Out How Much Buying Will Actually Cost You

    Buying a home is not as easy as most people think and often times it will cost more than you think it will.  You will need to find out what kind of fees are going to be involved in what is called closing costs.  However, there are also other costs such as furniture and home repairs that many people do not think of when they are purchasing their new home.

    Do Not Take The Max The Lender Wants To Give You

    Lenders will evaluate your income and your bills and decide how much they will lend you. There are financial professionals that will recommend not taking the maximum amount the lender wants to lend to you.

    Increase Your Credit Score

    If your score is low there is a possibility that you will not be approved for a mortgage loan and if you are it will be with a high interest rate.  This is your opportunity to increase your credit score to get the best mortgage loan available to you.

    Check Out The Neighborhood

    Before you fall in love with a certain neighborhood it is recommended that you check it out before you decide to purchase.  You will want to be sure that the areas are clean and safe as well as having all of the amenities that you wish to be close to.

    Get As Much Information As Possible

    Before putting in an offer on a home you should get as much information as possible about the house including any other offers that have been placed.

    Take Pictures

    When you are touring a new home you should take pictures so that you can review them later if you cannot remember something.

    View At Different Times Of The Day

    Seeing a home in different times of daylight will allow you to see flaws as well as what the neighborhood is like.

    Have A Checklist

    Make a checklist of different things you want to check within the home.  This way you will not forget while you are there.

    Speak With Neighbors

    The neighbors are your best information to finding the information you want to know about the house and the area. Do not be afraid to ask questions.

    Think About Future Resale Value

    If you are using this house for the short term you will want to be sure that you will be able to sell it in the future.  No one wants to be stuck with a home they do not want or need in the future.

    Private Deal

    Yes, it is possible to do a private deal and not have to work with a real estate agent or even a lender.  This is not a common practice but it can be done.

    Monitor Sales

    If you are looking to monitor sales there are many on the go applications that will help you.  Just download the application and you are ready to go.  This makes things very easy for when you are trying to see the sales that are happening around you.

    Service Charges

    There are many different service charges that will be charged during the home buying process.  Be sure that these charges are not being a rip off charges.  This is where many people will find that there are charges that should not be there.

    Making Your Offer

    One of the most difficult areas in purchasing a house is trying to decide how much to offer.  This is where you will need to do your research and figure how what the market is like in the area.  If in doubt ask your real estate to help.

    Take It Off The Market

    When you make your offer to the seller be sure that included in your offer is the fact that they will be required to take the house of the market.  This way no one can try to outbid you and steal the house right out from underneath you.

    When purchasing a home you will find that there are many different things you will want to consider.  One thing that many people do not think about is that the fixtures and the curtain fittings in the house sometimes do not stay.  This is something that you will want in writing.  Of course, there are other things to be considered as well such as getting out of the deal, working a deal at an auction and getting the proper survey.  There are also many different others so be sure to do your research before signing on the dotted line.