|  Financial, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals

Transaction Documents for the Buyer

When you walk away from the closing table with a big stack of papers, know what to file away for future reference.

Loan estimate
Your lender is required to provide you with this three-page document within three business days of receiving your loan application. It will show estimates for your interest rate, monthly payment, closing costs, taxes, and insurance. You’ll also learn how your interest rate and payments could change in the future, and whether you’ll incur penalties for paying off the loan early (called “prepayment penalty”) or i...

Read More
 |  Company News, Home Maintenance, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals

Your Final Walk Through

Closing time is hectic, but you should always make time for a final walk-through to make sure
that your home is in the same condition you expected it would be. Here’s a detailed list of
what to check for on your final walk-through.

  • Basement, attic, and every room, closet, and crawl space have been checked.
  • Requested repairs have been made.
  • Copies of paid bills and warranties are in hand.
  • No major, unexpected changes have been made to the property since last viewed.
  • All items included in the sale price—draperies, lighting fixtu...
Read More
 |  Company News, Home Maintenance, Horticulture/Environment, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals

Green Home Terms

Whether you’re building the home of your dreams or looking for an existing unit, there’s a lot of data involved in finding the right environmentally friendly dwelling. Here’s a breakdown of the different certification systems for energy-efficient homes.

RESNET
The Residential Energy Services Network is a not-for-profit corporation that develops industry-wide standards and rules for energy efficiency ratings and certification systems for buildings. In addition to overseeing the HERS index (see below), RESNET certifies contractors of all ty...

Read More
 |  Company News, Home Maintenance, Home Organization, Interior Design, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals, Selling a Home

How to Attract More Buyers

These tips will help you convince buyers your property offers top value for their dollar.

Amp up curb appeal.
Look at your home objectively from the street. Check the condition of the landscaping, paint, roof, shutters, front door, knocker, windows, and house number. Observe how your window treatments look from the outside. Something special—such as big flowerpots or an antique bench—can help your property stand out after a long day of house hunting.

Enrich with color.
Paint is cheap, but it can make a big impression. The shade doesn’t have to be white or bei...

Read More
 |  Company News, Financial, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals

Questions to Ask the Condo Board

Before you purchase a condo, you should have an attorney review property documents for you. However, you should contact the board yourself ahead of time. You’ll learn how responsive and organized its members are and be alerted to potential problems.

How many units are owner-occupied?
Generally, the higher the percentage of owner-occupied units, the easier the condo will be to resell.

What covenants, bylaws, and restrictions govern the property?
Carefully read the bylaws to determine if you can abide by them. Also, find out if there are grandfather provisions th...

Read More
 |  Company News, Financial, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals

Prepare for House-Hunting

Know that there’s no “right” time to buy.   If you find the perfect home now, don’t risk losing it because you’re trying to guess where the housing market and interest rates are going.   Those factors usually don’t change fast enough to make a difference in an individual home’s price.

Don’t ask for too many opinions.   It’s natural to want reassurance for such a big decision, but too many ideas from too many people will make it much harder to make a decision.   Focus on the wants and needs of the people who will actually be ...

Read More
 |  Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals, Selling a Home

Questions to Ask When You are Considering Selling Your Home

Questions to Ask When You are Considering Selling

These questions will help you decide whether you’re ready for a home that’s larger or in a more desirable location. If you answer yes to most of the questions, you may be ready to move.

Have you built substantial equity in your current home? Check your annual mortgage statement or call your lender to find out how much you’ve paid down. Usually you don’t build up much equity in the first few years of your mortgage, as monthly payments are mostly interest. But ...

Read More
 |  Financial, Purchasing a Home, Real Estate News, Resources to Hire Professionals

What to Consider About Owning a Vacation Home

Wouldn’t it be great to own a place at the beach, in the mountains, or by the lake? If you are seriously considering buying a vacation home, you have probably weighed many of the pros and cons already.

But you should carefully consider everything before you buy. Have you taken these additional costs and benefits into account?

The Overlooked Costs of Homeownership

As any experienced home buyer knows, there are additional annual costs that come with owning a home, such as property taxes, home insurance, and any association fees.

Make sure you consider maintena...

Read More

Featured Posts

View All Rental Properties Get Directions to Stutsman Realty
Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com