As cooler weather approaches and and the season’s turn, staging and decor also changes. Keeping your home show ready is important year round. Here are a few tips to keep your home showing at it’s best this Fall. First, keep your yard well maintained. Cutting grass becomes less of a priority in the cooler months, … [Read more…]
Many people choose not to list their home at times they perceive to be less active for home buying. Once summer ends the thought for sellers seems to be that the “selling season” has come to an end. This is definitely not true. True, less sales will occur during the latest months of the year … [Read more…]
When you are trying to sell your home, pricing is the most important factor. The old real estate mantra was location, location, location. I would argue that the new mantra is price, price, price. Any home can and will sell if the price is right. To come up with a price for your home, I … [Read more…]
Buying any house can involve lots of complications; buying a foreclosure can have even more hurdles. When buying a foreclosure, the seller is not an individual, but a bank, and banks can be very difficult to deal with. You can get a great deal buying a foreclosure, but be prepared for some of the obstacles. … [Read more…]
Home ownership involves more expenses than just paying back the money you may have borrowed. Consider these expenses when looking for a home or investment property. In all cases, you will owe taxes. With a financed deal, this will be built into your mortgage and will increase your monthly payment. With a cash deal this will … [Read more…]
Even if you have an inspection completed on the home you are purchasing and repairs are made prior to closing, there are still a lot of things that can wrong with a house. There is no perfect house and home ownership always comes with upkeep and repair. One way to minimize the cost and hassle … [Read more…]
On listing appointments I am often asked what changes or repairs should be made to the home. There is an endless number of items that could be done at a home, but most of them won’t make a big difference in the price of your home. Of course, the more move in ready your home … [Read more…]
You may have heard of PITI, but many do not know what it is. It is the term that refers to your total monthly mortgage payment and stands for Principle, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance. These four things add up to make up your monthly payment. The principle is the actual amount you are paying back … [Read more…]
A common question that comes up at closing is, “What is title insurance and do I need it?” If you are financing your home, your bank will likely require it. If you are paying cash or if the bank does not require it, it is still advisable to get it. Title insurance protects your investment … [Read more…]
Primary Mortgage Insurance, or PMI, is insurance the bank requires a borrower to get in order to secure their interest. As the borrower, or home buyer, you pay a monthly fee for this. This can increase your monthly payment significantly; over $100 in many cases. In turn PMI can hurt your borrowing strength as your monthly … [Read more…]