Mortgage News, Homebuying Tips and Advice

Vehicle Storage

Vehicle storage may not seem like a big deal to you when you’re shopping for a home – or you may find a two-vehicle garage firmly entrenched on your list of must-have amenities. Even if you don’t think it’s important, you may later change your mind and wonder why you didn’t put more thought into your garage. When you’re viewing homes, make sure you consider your vehicle storage needs and evaluate whether the property can offer what you want.

Yard Tips

When you buy a home, you’re making a long-term investment. Most people are likely to remain in a home for anywhere from 5 to 20 years, and some people stay longer. So when you’re thinking about whether a home meets your needs, you have to not only consider today, but to consider your future plans. This is true both inside and out. Your yard is almost as important as the home itself. Is it big enough for what you might want to do with it? Is there a homeowners’ association that can limit what you can do with your yard? Consider your future when you’re home-shopping, and ask yourself what you can do with your yard.

Snow Removal Tips

Winter snow removal is an unpleasant task for people in many parts of the country. But winter snow removal can also be hazardous for your health; a recent study showed that the risk of heart attach increases drastically among certain demographics while shoveling snow. Don’t take any risks with your health; consider these tips to make your winter snow removal easier.

Evaluate Appliances

When you’re viewing a home you’re thinking of buying, it’s easy to remember to check the big things off your list. You might even remember the more detail-oriented stuff, like checking around doors and windows for drafts, looking around for any signs of leaks, or checking that lights and plumbing work as expected. But one thing that many people don’t even consider is appliances. Are the existing appliances coming with the home – and if so, do they meet your needs, or will you want to replace them? If so, you may want to consider asking for concessions, and at the very least, think about the added cost after you purchase the home.

Organize Space

It may seem obvious to say, but organizing your home makes a big difference in the amount of usable space you have – and how cluttered or un-cluttered your home feels. If you’re thinking of buying a home, but the home you’re considering has a limited amount of storage space, effective organization habits can take care of your needs, and make the “challenging” home a real option.

To View or Not To View

When you’re looking for a new home, a lot of factors go into the list of potential properties you create. Price range is the biggest factor, but things like number of bedrooms and bathrooms, special amenities that the home boasts, it’s location and neighborhood – all play a factor, too. Some properties, you can easily dismiss on paper because they don’t meet your criteria. But the properties you don’t dismiss – how do you decide which ones to view? And what if you dismiss something that might turn out to be your dream home? Keep these factors in mind when you’re deciding whether or not to view a home:

2012 Residential Predictions

Residential real estate predictions for 2012 are positive, in spite of the slow pace of the economic recovery and the financial challenges and financing hurdles that many homeowners face. In fact, analysts believe that the housing market recovery has already begun and is under way. Obviously the specifics vary depending on what part of the country you’re in, but one realtor’s report makes the following predictions for the housing market in 2012, some of which make it an excellent time to buy:

Tax Implications

Buying an investment property can be a great way to create extra income, boost your net worth and plan for retirement. But investment properties also carry different tax implications than regular residential real estate properties. If you’re thinking about buying a rental property for investment purposes, make sure you understand the tax consequences.

Energy Savings Tips

In many parts of the country, January and February are the two coldest months of the year. If you haven’t already examined your home for energy efficiency, now is the time to take steps to improve your heat retention and save money on your heating costs! Things like drafty windows and holes around doors are obvious, but there are some less obvious tricks to keep you warm this winter!

You're Fired

In a perfect world, you’d find the right people to help you buy a home from the beginning. You’d get the right real estate agent, the right lender and the right lawyer without skipping a beat. In the real world, though, sometimes things don’t happen so smoothly. Occasionally you might find the wrong person to help you navigate the home-buying process. Don’t just live with your mistake; these people are helping you make one of the biggest decisions of your life. Don’t be afraid to fire your team members to give you the best chance of finding the perfect home and getting the best deal you can.